APPENDIX XXV. — REPORTS FROM UTAH. [255] 



in numbers, gathering fewer grasshoppers, as he has learned to relish better white 

 man's food. 



Injormation obtained from B. F. Johnson, formerly of Payaon, now of Spring Lalce, 

 U/a/i.— Swarms of grasshoppers arrived about 4 p. m. Wind northwest to southeast. 

 Wiud variable, generally clear. Departure geuerally 10 a. m. ; generally clear weather ; 

 the 'hoppers lelt in small swarms. 



Eggs laid middle of August to frost ; the time of hatching depended upon the warmth 

 of the soil. 



Plowing in winter failed to kill eggs. Eggs were more largely deposited in sandy 

 and hue gravely soil. 



They acquired their full wings about the time the wheat was in the ear — say the 

 10th of July. They moved off soon after their wings matured. 



Paysou had 100 families, which lost 1,.500 acres of grain ; half a crop saved ; this was 

 in 1855-56. The grasshoppers coming in the fall laid eggs hatched in 1856, and did 

 the damage in tnat year. 



In the fall of 1865, grasshoT)pers made their appearance, laid their eggs ready to 

 hatch the next spring, and for five years all croi)s except small patches were de- 

 stroyed ; the small patches saved was by patient labor ; possibly one-fourth of a crop 

 was saved. There were 200 families in Payson which hud double the number of acres 

 under cultivation that they put in in 1856. 



Wheat suffered ttie most, then corn ; potatoes, beans, pease, broom- corn, and sugar- 

 cane sutlered less. Large crickets made their appearance, not only in this but 

 in tbe surroundiug settlements, in great numbers, and helped the destructive 'hoppers 

 to devour tho crops. To kill uuwiuged locusts, rollers were very profitably used ; and 

 in the morning while they were torpid, and gathered together on straw or brush, they 

 were destroyed by fire; ditches were dug, tlte unwingf^d 'hoppers driven in and beaten 

 to death ; they were often driven into ditches containing water and drowned. The 

 winged ones were killed by burning and by driving them into pits dug for that pur- 

 pose, and tire made around them, which, by its heat and smoke, drove the 'hoppers into 

 pits, whic'j, as they passed over, singed their wings, so that they were easily killed. 

 They were also driven into ditches contain ng water, and carried down stream to a 

 bend in the ditch, where sacks or brush caught quantities, which were easily killed. 

 Often while plowing the corn the 'hoppers would carry it nearly all off. Pigeons 

 destroyed a great many grasshoppers. 



Information collected hy John Vickers, of Xephi, Juah County, Utah.— This is an impor- 

 tant locality, as it is surrounded by deserts, co: scquently locusts take hold vigorously 

 and destroy the crops. Locusts came in 1854-55 and 1867 ; they arrived from the 

 north in the middle of the day, wiih a light wind from the north ; they departed from 

 the first to the middle of August. The young always hatch out the first week in 

 April, and become fledged about July 1 and emigrate about August 15. In 1854 they 

 eat every green thing, including grass and willows, and the peoj^le had to depend on 

 replanting fi)r their bread; at tbe other years they took about half the crops. The 

 young insects always traveled toward the most tender vegetation without regard to 

 direction. Various means were used to destroy the young locusts, such as driving them 

 into water ditches, and catching them with gunny f^acks, and burning them with straw ; 

 they were also driven into narrow ditches or pits, and then destroyed. The winged 

 locnsts were driven away with brush, while little good was ever done by birds, domes- 

 tic fowl, or quadrupeds. 



Smithfield, Cache County, July 26, 1877. 



1. Swarms began to come about 2 p. m. on the 10th of August, 1876, and continued 

 until the latter part of September, 1876. 



a. Wind, a gentle breeze from the southwest. 

 I). W< ather generally dry and clear; temperature about 90. 



c. Flight, from the north a few degrees east; densiiy, heavy, from the ground up as 

 high as tbe eye could see; extent, over the entire neighborhood. 



2. Swarms would depart about 10 a. m. the first or second day after their arrival ; for 

 the first ten or fifteen days after that they were more sluggish, and generally remained. 



a. Wind, a gentle breeze from the southwest. 



h. Temi)erature, 90 ; weather dry and clear. 



c. Flight, generally south by west ; density and extent not so heavy or numerous as 

 the arrivals. 



If the wind was strong the insects would not rise very high, and would fly onlj- a 

 short distance. The general time of departure was from 10 to 11 a m., and arrival from 

 2 t ) 3 p. m., but on windy or cloudy days the departures and arrivals were small. 



3. Eggs were deposited immediately on arrival. 



4. Eggs were hatched most numerously from the 15th of April to the 15th of May, 1877. 



5. Eggs were hatched in previous years, generally about the same time as the pres- 

 ent year. 



6. From appearances every egg that was deposited hatched. 



