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  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  last 
  two 
  methods 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  which 
  at 
  present 
  we 
  have 
  any 
  faith 
  in 
  

   as 
  capable 
  of 
  sufficiently 
  general 
  application 
  or 
  as 
  resulting 
  in 
  general 
  

   good. 
  The 
  first 
  question 
  to 
  consider 
  is 
  whether 
  the 
  insects 
  can 
  be 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  from 
  migrating 
  from 
  their 
  permanent 
  breeding-grounds, 
  and 
  — 
  

   considering 
  excessive 
  multiplication 
  the 
  immediate 
  cause 
  of 
  migration 
  — 
  

   this 
  virtually 
  means 
  whether 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  prevented 
  from 
  becoming 
  

   excessively 
  multiplied 
  in 
  such 
  breeding-grounds. 
  At 
  first 
  view 
  it 
  would 
  

   seem 
  hopeless 
  to 
  attempt 
  anything 
  of 
  the 
  sort, 
  and 
  a 
  year 
  ago 
  we 
  had 
  

   such 
  a 
  vague 
  and 
  imperfect 
  knowledge 
  of 
  these 
  permanent 
  breeding- 
  

   grounds 
  that 
  any 
  proposition 
  looking 
  to 
  wholesale 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  

   insects 
  in 
  them 
  would 
  have 
  appeared 
  Utopian. 
  But 
  we 
  have 
  learned 
  

   enough 
  of 
  the 
  laws 
  governing 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  

   country 
  designated 
  as 
  the 
  Permanent 
  region 
  to 
  give 
  us 
  faith, 
  not 
  only 
  

   in 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  thus 
  keeping 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  check 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Eocky 
  

   Mountains, 
  but 
  in 
  its 
  feasibility. 
  

  

  " 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  popular 
  notion 
  that 
  this 
  pest 
  breeds 
  in 
  and 
  comes 
  from 
  

   sandy, 
  desert 
  countries. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  popular 
  error. 
  The 
  insect 
  cannot 
  live 
  

   on 
  sand, 
  nor 
  does 
  it 
  willingly 
  oviposit 
  in 
  a 
  loose, 
  sandy 
  soil. 
  It 
  does 
  

   not 
  thrive 
  on 
  cacti 
  and 
  sage-brush. 
  It 
  flourishes 
  most 
  on 
  land 
  clothed 
  

   with 
  grass, 
  in 
  which, 
  when 
  young, 
  it 
  can 
  huddle 
  and 
  shelter. 
  It 
  can 
  

   multiply 
  prodigiously 
  on 
  those 
  plains 
  only 
  that 
  offer 
  a 
  tolerably 
  rich 
  

   vegetation 
  — 
  not 
  rank 
  and 
  humid, 
  as 
  in 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  prairie 
  of 
  Illinois, 
  

   Missouri, 
  &c, 
  but 
  short 
  and 
  dry 
  — 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  found 
  over 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  

   prairies 
  and 
  plains 
  of 
  the 
  Northwest. 
  Now, 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  eggs,. 
  

   which 
  is 
  so 
  practicable 
  and 
  effectual 
  in 
  settled 
  and 
  cultivated 
  sections, 
  

   is 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  question 
  in 
  those 
  vast 
  unsettled 
  prairies 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  destruc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  locusts 
  is 
  possible. 
  Those 
  immense 
  prairies 
  are 
  not 
  

   only 
  susceptible 
  of 
  easy 
  burning, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  fire 
  

   from 
  sweeping 
  over 
  them. 
  Some 
  system 
  of 
  preventing 
  the 
  extensive 
  

   prairie-fires 
  in 
  autumn 
  that 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  that 
  country, 
  and 
  then 
  sub- 
  

   sequently 
  firing 
  the 
  prairie 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  after 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  

   hatch, 
  and 
  before 
  the 
  new 
  grass 
  gets 
  too 
  rank, 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  untold 
  value 
  

   if 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  adopted. 
  The 
  more 
  we 
  study 
  the 
  question, 
  and 
  the 
  more 
  

   we 
  learn 
  of 
  those 
  breeding-grounds, 
  the 
  more 
  feasible 
  the 
  plan 
  grows 
  

   in 
  our 
  minds. 
  The 
  Dominion 
  Government 
  has, 
  fortunately, 
  a 
  well-or- 
  

   ganized 
  mounted 
  police 
  force, 
  which 
  constantly 
  patrols 
  through 
  the 
  

   very 
  regions 
  where 
  the 
  insects 
  breed 
  north 
  of 
  our 
  line. 
  This 
  force 
  is 
  

   intended 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  peace 
  is 
  kept, 
  to 
  watch 
  the 
  Indians, 
  to 
  enforce 
  

   the 
  laws, 
  and 
  perform 
  other 
  police 
  duties. 
  It 
  could 
  be 
  utilized, 
  without 
  

   impairing 
  its 
  efficiency 
  as 
  a 
  police 
  force, 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  we 
  have 
  indicated, 
  

   or 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  augmented 
  for 
  that 
  same 
  work. 
  We 
  have 
  conversed 
  with 
  

   the 
  ministers 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  Interior, 
  and 
  with 
  Governor 
  

  

  ranged 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  to 
  have 
  them 
  taken 
  care 
  of 
  at 
  

   the 
  Department 
  grounds 
  before 
  shipping 
  them 
  West. 
  Those 
  that 
  had 
  not 
  died 
  on 
  

   the 
  way 
  arrived 
  in 
  such 
  feeble 
  condition, 
  however, 
  that 
  they 
  soon 
  perished, 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  one 
  which 
  is 
  probably 
  yet 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  Washington 
  

  

  