APPENDIX V. KANSAS DATA FOR 1877. [^01] 



similar to one described in your bulletins, and bas so far succeeded in saving:; bis corn 

 crop, tbougb it was of no avail in bis wbeat and oats, bis wbeat being already beaded 

 out. Some of our farmers are tbinking tbat tbey will destroy all of our crops tbis 

 year, and many otbers seem to tbink tbat tbey will do us but little damage tbisyear. 

 Tbey appear to disappear very mysteriously after tbey are about a week or ten days 

 old. Undoubtedly tbere are now bere none of tbose tbat first batcbed out. — [W. L. 

 Lanter, Garnett, Kans., June 1, 1877. 



Tbe little grassboppers bave nearly all gone. No damage in this county, to speak 

 of. Tbe majority -of eggs were destroyed by rain and frost. — [S. B. Abbott, Oswego, 

 June 3, 1877. 



All tbe grassboppers bere this year appear to be of a somewbat darker shade of 

 color than the ones we had two years ago ; tbey also seem to be a little longer in pro- 

 portion to their weight than they were two years ago. Tbey are doing us no raaterijtl 

 damage except in small localities. Even garden vegetables are generally unmolested, 

 except once in a while we hear of a garden tbat bas been slightly damaged by them. 

 Tbey do not appear to get to be more than ten days to two weeks old until tbey disappear, 

 caused by some kind of a parasite so small tbat it cannot be seen by tbe naked eye. 

 Most of our farmers are still in good cheer, and tbe ones who were most discouraged 

 are growing lighter-hearted. We are and bave been blessed with heavy rains, wbicb 

 bave drowned a great many of tbe young 'hoppers. I am not aware tbat any one has 

 attempted to fight them by fire or any other method than the one of wbicb I spoke 

 in my last. I have beard of no one who bas been ditching to kill tbem. Father (J. 

 H. Lanter) bas just returned from a trip to the southeast portion of this State, and 

 be says tbat tbey are not doing any more damage there than here. He reported one 

 man in tbe nortb west corner of Bourbon County who bas been successfully fighting 

 them with fire. He draws out two or three wagon-loads of straw, and then drives tbe 

 young 'hoppers into it and sets fire to it. More anon. — [W. L. Lanter, Garnett, June 

 5, 1877. 



From all parts of tbe county come tbe glad tidings tbat the grasshoppers are doing 

 but little damage. They are disappearing nearly as fast as they batch out. Tbe 

 crops are growing nicely, and if tbe season continues favorable an abundant harvest 

 can surely be relied on. — IJunction City Tribune^ June 7. 



Tbe grasshopper crop bere bas proven to be a failure. Tbere is not one this year 

 where there were a tbousand two years ago. The damage tbey do us this year amounts 

 to a mere notbing as compared witb two years ago. There are none flying over and 

 lighting bere, and tbe few tbat batcbed bere are nearly all dead. The cause of tbeir 

 premature deatb is unknown to us. — [W. L. Lanter, Garnett, June 13, 1877. 



Locusts flying nortb with a good breeze. Tbey appear to fly in scattered swarms, 

 not very thickly. Tbey generally fly very high. — [K. Milliken, Emporia, Kans., Lyon 

 County, June 14. 



From 12 m. to 4 p. m. locusts were flying north by east, witb a mild breeze. A pan 

 resembling tbe Salina pan was used bere, but tbe locusts were not sufficiently numer- 

 ous to warrant its extensive use. It only differed from tbe Salina pan in having 

 bandies attacbed to the ends, and was carried by two men walking at tbe ends. — [A. 

 N. Godfrey, Hartford, Lyon County, June 12, 1877. 



They are now hatching by tbe car-load on tbe western borders of the county and 

 throughout Brown and the counties west. Farmers are fighting them to tbeir utmost, 

 tbe materials used being chiefly tin pans and coal-oil. Tbe issue is extremely doubt- 

 ful. As a fair sample of tbe whole infested country, one instance will illustrate. 

 Enoch Spaulding, living three miles west of White Cloud, has an eigbty-acre pasture 

 field. Last Friday tbey went to work catching young grassboppers (just large enough, 

 to hop), and on that field tbey caught one hundred gallons of the insects, pressed and 

 packed down. Tbey filled twenty nail-kegs.— [ Tro^ Chiefs June 14, 1877. 



We bave not been plagued as yet witb 'hoppers, although tbey have been batching 

 out for some time, but none seemed to grow large, — [George F. Smart, Dickinson, 

 June 14, 1877, 



At this writing all danger from our old enemies seems past. It is true they are thick 

 in places, in the rank weeds and grain, but we are abundantly satisfied that not 2 per 

 cent, of tbe insects batcbed this spring are now alive. W"e bave been greatly surprised 

 afc tbe number of birds, strangers to tbis State, wbicb seem to bave taken up their resi- 

 dence permanently with us. Robins are almost as common in this vicinity as in 

 New York, and we notice witb no little pleasure that a couple of pairs of bobolinks 

 bave gone to housekeeping in tbe blue-grass meadow on tbe College farm. — [Professor 

 Sbelton, Industrialist, June 16. 



Manhattan, Riley County, Jane 16.— Tbe locusts here bave done no damage since 

 last report. Some are now in tbe pupa state, but none have yet acquired wings. A 

 few winged locusts bave descended from tbe passing swarms. 



