[108] REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



^vere none of the soft, succulent weeds leffc. They had left their " chips" everywhere. 

 The groand was as clear of vegetation as the surface of a brick-yard. After thus eat- 

 ing the hulk of the wheat the insects congregated on an adjoiDing piece of rolling 

 prairie, near a skirt of brush, on which the grass had not been burned last autumn, 

 no doubt for the purpose of living off the very tender young grass which was spring- 

 ing up. During a high wind Mr. Sells set fire to this dry grass and made a holocaust 

 of them. He thinks he must have burned at least twenty bushels, as the ground was 

 black with them. — [Charles Aldrich, Webster City, Iowa, May 27, 1877. 



I find, by referring to my record of observations, that the grasshoppers came last 

 year August 24, and continued to increase in numbers for some days following. Their 

 coming was too late to do much damage to the crops. They deposited immense quan- 

 tities of eggs through this section of the country, and the farmers were very appre- 

 hensive of the consequences, so that but little improvement in building is going on 

 this year. The quantity of eggs in places, as found by actual count, was over 250 in 

 a square inch. Others hajve estimated them as high as 35 bushels per acre. The nice 

 beautiful weather of last fall hatched out some of the eggs, and I saw the little fellows 

 hoppiug around just before cold weather set in for winter. This fine weather that 

 hatched some probably partially developed many others which the cold of winter 

 destroyed. The warm days of February and March developed, I think, the largest 

 share of those the warm fall weather left undeveloped, and the freezing nights and 

 cold storms of April destroyed them in immense quantities. They commenced hatch- 

 ing out April 14, and have continued to up to this. In some fields protected from sud- 

 den changes of weather, as near timber, they are hatched in numbers sufficient to 

 materially injure the crops; and where the fall plowing gave a favorable place to 

 deposit the eggs in the greatest numbers, like that where the estimate was 35 bushels 

 IDer acre, in such places, even if one in a thousand hatched, there would then be enough 

 to destroy the crop in that locality. While plowing my corn ground, twelve acies, 

 I did not see one on it. On my timothy grass not any were hatched. I have a blue- 

 grass pasture. Where the eggs were deposited there are some, and they may injure it 

 some, but not enough to materially affect the use as a pasture. They will soon com- 

 mence traveling or hopping for a change of feed, and may then injure our corn and 

 grain. Hens in and about our dwelling scratch up and eat the eggs as well as eat the 

 insects. No powder or liquid has been used to protect plants that has come to my 

 knowledge. Harrowing the ground after the eggs are deposited in the fall I think 

 will be the most effective. I think two good harrowings, a few days apart, would destroy 

 nearly every egg. Early plowing is good ; ditching has been tried by one man and 

 destroyed them in immense quantities. Traps of various constructions are used, and 

 will do some good. — [J. F. Sanborn, Tabor, Fremont County, Iowa, May 28, 1877. 



On 18th August, 1876, a very large cloud of locusts passed over us here from a little 

 west of north (the day was bright), a small portion of which alighted in this and ad- 

 joining counties. Our small grain was all husbanded except a little late flax and our 

 c-orn. They destroyed the flax, and we estimated the injury to the corn crop at about 

 10 per cent. They stopped with us from two to three weeks and left their brood. 

 After depositing the egg they went out of sight. I think they died ; large quantities 

 of dead ones were scatteredall over. Raw prairie that was broke last summer ap- 

 peared to be a good bed for eggs, and also the flax ground. In these places both 

 ditching and deep plowing and rolling were resorted to with good results. The first 

 we saw of the young 'hoppers here was on 24th April, on a side hill facing the south. 

 After that, it came very cold and wet weather, which we supposed kept back the 

 hatching. About 10th May they commenced to come out in lots upon our wheat and 

 barley fields. We are using the iron pan and cloth saturated with kerosene, and are 

 killing them in bushels. I have no doubt but we shall manage to save our crops. Our 

 pan cost only $1.40. — [Andrew Barr, Carroll County, May 28. 



It is the opinion of farmers generally that the grasshoppers are dying rapidly. They 

 are very thick yet, though not doing as much damage as ten days ago. Sod grain has 

 been entirely taken, and on fields contiguous to last year's breaking the small grain is 

 more or less injured, wheat more than oats. There are many large fields of small grain 

 that seem to be not eaten at all, and look finely. As the corn comes up they eat it ; 

 some farmers continue i^lanting — are using kerosene catchers. — [Roma W. Woods, 

 O'Brien County, Iowa, May 28, 1877. 



Locusts are growing slowly ; many have reached the third stage, while more are 

 still in the first. In many parts they are doing some injury to gardens and corn ; also 

 meadows and wheat fields. They seem more plentiful in the timber. It may be, how- 

 ever, that there they trouble the crops more because other vegetation does not suit 

 them so well.— [J. E. Todd, Tabor, Fremont County, Iowa, June 2, 1877. 



The grasshoppers have been and are still hatching out in large numbers ; their eggs 

 being spoiled proves to be a mistake ; at least a large per cent, must have been 

 hatched.— [H. C. McCoy, Algona, June 3, 1877. 



During the past week we have made diligent inquiry in regard to the rumors of 



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