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  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  vent 
  swarms 
  of 
  devouring 
  locusts 
  from 
  sweeping 
  down 
  upon 
  the 
  crops 
  

   of 
  the 
  farmers 
  of 
  the 
  temporary 
  regions, 
  who 
  themselves 
  and 
  whose 
  

   State 
  authorities 
  also 
  are 
  helpless 
  in 
  this 
  matter. 
  

  

  While, 
  therefore, 
  Congress 
  might 
  feel 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  justified 
  in 
  

   offering 
  bounties 
  for 
  locust 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  locusts 
  collected 
  in 
  these 
  

   States 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  destroying 
  these 
  pests 
  in 
  the 
  temporary 
  region, 
  it 
  

   does 
  not 
  follow 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  improper 
  or 
  even 
  unadvisable 
  to 
  offer 
  

   bounties 
  for 
  their 
  collection 
  in 
  those 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  Western 
  Territories 
  

   where 
  the 
  swarms 
  that 
  visit 
  the 
  temporary 
  regions 
  originate. 
  

  

  As 
  heretofore 
  stated, 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  presented 
  this 
  remedy 
  as 
  among 
  the 
  

   most 
  important 
  ones, 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  immense 
  expense 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  it 
  

   Tvould 
  require 
  if 
  carried 
  out 
  effectually. 
  The 
  plan 
  was 
  proposed 
  in 
  Min- 
  

   nesota 
  in 
  1876, 
  and 
  the 
  proper 
  authority 
  for 
  carrying 
  it 
  into 
  effect 
  was 
  

   granted 
  by 
  the 
  legislature 
  to 
  the 
  counties; 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  it 
  

   would 
  impose 
  such 
  onerous 
  taxes 
  upon 
  the 
  counties 
  suffering 
  most 
  that 
  

   it 
  was 
  abandoned. 
  

  

  Still, 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  the 
  government 
  may, 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  and 
  with 
  

   a 
  moderate 
  expenditure, 
  do 
  much 
  to 
  modify 
  this 
  evil. 
  If 
  the 
  corps 
  of 
  

   •observers 
  suggested 
  be 
  established 
  in 
  Montana 
  and 
  Northwestern 
  Da- 
  

   kota, 
  notice 
  could 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  this 
  means 
  of 
  heavy 
  egg 
  deposits; 
  

   with 
  a 
  law 
  of 
  Congress 
  granting 
  bounties 
  for 
  eggs 
  and 
  young, 
  wherever 
  

   the 
  facts 
  ascertained 
  by 
  this 
  corps 
  made 
  it 
  apparent 
  that 
  heavy 
  inva- 
  

   sions 
  were 
  likely 
  to 
  result 
  notice 
  could 
  be 
  given 
  that 
  the 
  bounty 
  would 
  

   be 
  paid 
  for 
  all 
  collected 
  in 
  the 
  areas 
  designated. 
  This 
  plan, 
  if 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  

   carried 
  out, 
  would 
  undoubtedly 
  prove 
  very 
  beneficial, 
  and 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  

   extended, 
  certain. 
  There 
  are, 
  however, 
  two 
  serious 
  difficulties 
  in 
  the 
  

   way: 
  one 
  is 
  to 
  induce 
  persons 
  to 
  go 
  so 
  far 
  away 
  from 
  inhabited 
  sections 
  

   for 
  this 
  purpose; 
  the 
  price 
  necessary 
  to 
  bring 
  this 
  about 
  would 
  probably 
  

   make 
  the 
  expense 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  government 
  from 
  undertak- 
  

   ing 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  plan 
  of 
  burning, 
  heretofore 
  mentioned, 
  might 
  be 
  combined 
  with 
  

   it, 
  thus 
  rendering 
  it 
  more 
  effectual. 
  

  

  The 
  possibilities 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  government 
  in 
  making 
  

   one 
  or 
  two 
  experiments 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  see 
  the 
  result, 
  as 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  only 
  can 
  

   the 
  feasibility 
  and 
  effectiveness 
  of 
  the 
  plan 
  be 
  ascertained. 
  In 
  any 
  case 
  

   it 
  is 
  advisable 
  to 
  place 
  a 
  corps 
  of 
  observers 
  in 
  the 
  section 
  named, 
  which 
  

   should 
  be 
  connected 
  with 
  and 
  under 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  Signal 
  Service 
  

   Bureau, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  essential 
  to 
  study 
  carefully 
  the 
  climatic 
  conditions 
  under 
  

   which 
  the 
  locusts 
  increase 
  most 
  rapidly. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  

   predictions 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  migrations 
  will 
  depend 
  largely 
  upon 
  the 
  

   forecast 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  and 
  the 
  knowledge 
  of 
  climatic 
  influence 
  on 
  these 
  

   insects. 
  After 
  a 
  few 
  years* 
  observations, 
  this 
  corps 
  would 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   inform 
  Congress, 
  through 
  the 
  Chief 
  of 
  the 
  Signal 
  Service 
  Bureau, 
  

   whether 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  advisable 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  burn 
  over 
  the 
  infested 
  

   areas 
  or 
  to 
  offer 
  bounties 
  ; 
  and, 
  in 
  case 
  the 
  latter 
  plan 
  should 
  be 
  adopted, 
  

   could 
  act 
  as 
  agents 
  of 
  the 
  government 
  in 
  measuring 
  and 
  paying. 
  

  

  