﻿GENERAL 
  REPORT 
  FOR 
  1881. 
  49 
  

  

  Plateaus, 
  where 
  tliey 
  hatched 
  last 
  spring. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  in 
  particular 
  

   was 
  quite 
  extensive, 
  though 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  have 
  committed 
  any 
  injuries 
  

   to 
  crops 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  learn. 
  This 
  swarm 
  was 
  hatched 
  along 
  

   the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  Northern 
  Pacific 
  Eailway 
  and 
  westward, 
  where 
  they 
  ate 
  

   off 
  the 
  grasses 
  in 
  many 
  localities. 
  I 
  was 
  unable 
  to 
  ascertain 
  anything 
  

   definite 
  about 
  their 
  movements, 
  if 
  any. 
  Some 
  individuals 
  told 
  me 
  that 
  

   they 
  did 
  not 
  leave, 
  but 
  died 
  off 
  towards 
  fall, 
  while 
  others 
  said 
  they 
  had 
  

   not 
  noticed. 
  Was 
  not 
  able 
  to 
  obtain 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  live 
  insects, 
  but 
  gath- 
  

   ered 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  their 
  carcasses 
  that 
  were 
  lying 
  about 
  on 
  the 
  ground. 
  

   Another 
  section 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  reported 
  to 
  have 
  hatched 
  this 
  season 
  

   in 
  eastern 
  Washington 
  Territory 
  is 
  between 
  Colfax 
  and 
  Dayton, 
  where, 
  

   at 
  one 
  place, 
  they 
  did 
  much 
  injury 
  to 
  several 
  fields 
  of 
  grain. 
  Others 
  

   were 
  reported 
  as 
  having 
  hatched 
  in 
  the 
  ^acinity 
  of 
  Lewiston, 
  and 
  farther 
  

   up 
  the 
  Snake 
  River, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  portion 
  of 
  eastern 
  Oregon. 
  

   Yery 
  few, 
  however, 
  were 
  noticed 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  

  

  It 
  therefore 
  appears 
  that 
  at 
  present 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  these 
  insects 
  within 
  

   the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  is 
  comparatively 
  small, 
  and, 
  if 
  there 
  are 
  

   no 
  more 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Possessions 
  to 
  the 
  north, 
  we 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  alarmed 
  

   the 
  coming 
  year, 
  as 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  no 
  probability 
  of 
  invading 
  swarms. 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  now 
  naturally 
  arises 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  we 
  shall 
  be 
  visited 
  

   in 
  the 
  near 
  future 
  by 
  swarms 
  of 
  these 
  locusts; 
  and, 
  if 
  so, 
  how 
  can 
  we 
  

   ever 
  expect 
  to 
  become 
  rid 
  of 
  them. 
  In 
  answer 
  to 
  the 
  former 
  question 
  

   I 
  will 
  say 
  that 
  this 
  depends 
  altogether 
  on 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  locusts 
  in 
  the 
  

   Permanent 
  Region 
  of 
  Mon 
  tana 
  and 
  northward 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  ; 
  and 
  also 
  

   upon 
  the 
  seasons 
  in 
  these 
  regions, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  upon 
  the 
  prevailing 
  winds 
  

   while 
  the 
  locusts 
  are 
  ui3on 
  the 
  move. 
  If 
  there 
  are 
  but 
  few 
  locusts 
  in 
  this 
  

   region 
  we 
  can 
  receive 
  but 
  few 
  from 
  it. 
  Again, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  their 
  numbers 
  

   are 
  few 
  in 
  any 
  locality, 
  their 
  flights 
  are 
  correspondingly 
  shorter. 
  Should 
  

   there, 
  however, 
  be 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  favorable 
  seasons 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  we 
  

   may 
  expect 
  them 
  to 
  call 
  in 
  the 
  Temporary 
  Region 
  just 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  

   done 
  in 
  the 
  past. 
  Of 
  course 
  Dakota 
  and 
  Minnesota 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  in 
  

   danger 
  than 
  those 
  States 
  lying 
  farther 
  southward, 
  for 
  reasons 
  heretofore 
  

   mentioned, 
  and 
  therefore 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  will 
  always 
  have 
  

   more 
  to 
  do 
  in 
  fighting 
  them 
  than 
  will 
  those 
  who 
  live 
  farther 
  from 
  their 
  

   breeding 
  grounds. 
  However 
  this 
  may 
  be, 
  they 
  are 
  favored 
  to 
  some 
  ex- 
  

   tent 
  in 
  the 
  crops 
  they 
  raise, 
  viz., 
  wheat, 
  oats, 
  rye, 
  and 
  barley. 
  Should 
  

   the 
  locusts 
  come 
  into 
  our 
  section 
  of 
  country, 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  probable, 
  

   the 
  only 
  thing 
  for 
  its 
  to 
  do 
  is 
  to 
  take 
  matters 
  coolly 
  and 
  philosophically, 
  

   and 
  do 
  all 
  in 
  our 
  power 
  to 
  prevent 
  their 
  offspring 
  from 
  returning 
  to 
  the 
  

   Permanent 
  Region 
  the 
  following 
  season; 
  and 
  not 
  do 
  as 
  many 
  farmers 
  

   did 
  during 
  past 
  invasions, 
  viz., 
  init 
  our 
  hands 
  in 
  our 
  trousers-pockets 
  

   and 
  exi^ect 
  the 
  Commission 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  locusts, 
  and 
  the 
  government 
  

   to 
  clothe 
  us 
  and 
  our 
  families 
  until 
  Providence 
  gives 
  us 
  another 
  crop. 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  any 
  excuse 
  for 
  not 
  knowing 
  how 
  to 
  fight 
  this 
  in- 
  

   sect 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  stages, 
  since 
  almost 
  every 
  county 
  paper 
  in 
  districts 
  vis- 
  

   ited 
  or 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  visited 
  has 
  hinted 
  at 
  the 
  various 
  means 
  suggested 
  

   4 
  E 
  c 
  

  

  