﻿274 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  the 
  Signal 
  Bureau. 
  The 
  information 
  should 
  be 
  as 
  minute, 
  complete, 
  

   and 
  prompt 
  as 
  possible. 
  These 
  movements 
  may 
  be 
  likened 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  

   a 
  storm, 
  and 
  the 
  people 
  should 
  receive 
  in 
  advance 
  the 
  danger 
  signal, 
  

   that 
  they 
  might 
  guard 
  against 
  calamity. 
  The 
  a 
  locust 
  probabilities" 
  

   are 
  of 
  far 
  more 
  importance 
  than 
  the 
  weather 
  probabilities 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  

   of 
  the 
  West, 
  and 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  having 
  them 
  telegraphed 
  over 
  the 
  country 
  

   does 
  not 
  appear 
  half 
  as 
  chimerical 
  to 
  us 
  now 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  having 
  the 
  

   weather 
  foreshadowed 
  did 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago. 
  

  

  "Iii 
  this 
  way 
  the 
  farmers 
  could 
  be 
  fully 
  forewarned 
  of 
  approaching 
  

   danger. 
  We 
  would, 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  have 
  the 
  western 
  farmers 
  adopt 
  

   some 
  general 
  plan 
  of 
  defense 
  against 
  possible 
  invasion. 
  The 
  straw 
  

   that 
  is 
  now 
  allowed 
  to 
  rot 
  in 
  unsightly 
  masses 
  as 
  it 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  

   thrasher, 
  and 
  which 
  encumbers 
  the 
  ground 
  unless 
  burned, 
  should 
  be 
  

   utilized. 
  Let 
  it 
  be 
  stacked 
  in 
  small 
  pyramids 
  at 
  every 
  field-corner, 
  and 
  

   there 
  let 
  it 
  remain 
  until 
  the 
  locusts 
  are 
  descending 
  upon 
  the 
  country. 
  

   Then 
  let 
  the 
  farmers 
  in 
  a 
  township 
  or 
  a 
  county 
  or 
  in 
  larger 
  areas 
  simul- 
  

   taneously 
  fire 
  these 
  pyramids, 
  using 
  whatever 
  else 
  is 
  at 
  hand 
  to 
  slacken 
  

   combustion 
  and 
  increase 
  the 
  smoke, 
  and 
  the 
  combined 
  fumigation 
  would 
  

   partially 
  or 
  entirely 
  drive 
  the 
  insects 
  away, 
  according 
  as 
  the 
  swarm 
  was 
  

   extended 
  or 
  not. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  short, 
  we 
  believe, 
  first, 
  that 
  by 
  proper 
  co-operation 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  two 
  governments 
  interested, 
  the 
  excessive 
  multiplication 
  of 
  this 
  

   destructive 
  insect 
  may 
  be 
  measurably 
  prevented 
  in 
  its 
  natural 
  breed- 
  

   ing-grounds, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  few 
  thousand 
  dollars 
  that 
  would 
  be 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  put 
  into 
  operation 
  intelligent 
  co-perative 
  plans 
  are 
  most 
  trifling 
  in 
  

   view 
  of 
  the 
  vast 
  interests 
  at 
  stake. 
  With 
  an 
  efficient 
  and 
  properly 
  or- 
  

   ganized 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  liberally 
  supported 
  by 
  Congress; 
  

   with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  War 
  Department, 
  the 
  Signal 
  Bureau, 
  the 
  Post- 
  

   Office 
  Department, 
  and 
  the 
  Indian 
  Bureau, 
  the 
  plan 
  could 
  be 
  perfected 
  

   and 
  carried 
  out 
  at 
  a 
  minimum 
  expense. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  every 
  

   signal 
  officer, 
  every 
  postmaster, 
  every 
  mail-carrier, 
  every 
  Indian 
  agent, 
  

   and 
  every 
  other 
  government 
  employe 
  in 
  the 
  Permanent 
  region 
  should 
  not 
  

   be 
  ordered 
  to 
  do 
  service 
  of 
  this 
  kind, 
  and 
  made, 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  an 
  

   intelligent 
  head, 
  a 
  medium 
  through 
  which 
  to 
  gather 
  the 
  desired 
  informa- 
  

   tion. 
  We 
  believe, 
  secondly, 
  that 
  where 
  the 
  multiplication 
  of 
  the 
  iosect 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  prevented 
  in 
  its 
  natural 
  breeding-grounds, 
  our 
  farmers 
  in 
  

   the 
  more 
  thickly- 
  settled 
  sections 
  may, 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  smoke, 
  measurably 
  

   turn 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  invading 
  swarms 
  and 
  protect 
  their 
  crops 
  — 
  oblig- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  insects 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  uncultivated 
  areas. 
  

  

  "Did 
  the 
  injury 
  continue 
  for 
  another 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  years 
  as 
  it 
  has 
  for 
  

   the 
  past 
  four; 
  were 
  the 
  western 
  farmers 
  to 
  suffer 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  annual 
  

   losses 
  of 
  $40,000,000, 
  such 
  schemes 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  suggested 
  would 
  soon 
  

   be 
  carried 
  out. 
  The 
  danger 
  is 
  that 
  during 
  periods 
  of 
  immunity, 
  indif- 
  

   ference 
  and 
  forgetfuluess 
  intervene 
  until 
  another 
  sweeping 
  disaster 
  

   takes 
  us 
  by 
  surprise. 
  The 
  other 
  danger 
  is 
  tha4; 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  our 
  

   Congressmen 
  and 
  Senators 
  at 
  Washington, 
  representing 
  constituencies 
  

  

  