THE LOCUSTS. Ill 



Still others have saved their crops by a system very generally in 

 use in the spring of i S77. Pans made of sheet iron, from five to 

 ten feet long, low in front and high behind and at the sides, with 

 cross partitions from front to rear, is the general plan of the ap- 

 paratus used. A little coal oil is placed in these pans, and 

 dragged over the fields by hand or horse power. The young 

 locusts jump into or over the pans, and even the fumes are fatal to 

 them. In this way I have known fourteen bushels to be captured 

 in one day by one man. The combination of these two plans — 

 ditching and coal oil pans — will save any farm in the spring from 

 the ravages of the brood hatched in that localitv, if commenced in 

 time. Unfortunately, farmers too often simply look on until their 

 crops are partly destroyed, before anything is done to protect them- 

 selves. It requires energy and decision to do this, but when it is 

 properly commenced and persevered in, it is successful. 



Nature's Method of Destroying Loeusts. — Nature has placed limits 

 to the increase of the individuals of a species. When there is an 

 undue increase from exceptional favoring conditions, either natural 

 enemies soon proportionally increase or the need of food compels 

 migration, which often forces to unhealthy regions. This is the 

 case with the migrating locust. Its native habitat is a high, dry 

 region, where the rainfall is from ten to twenty inches a year. It 

 cannot long endure a combination of low altitudes and moisture, 

 combined with extreme and sudden changes of temperature. 

 Hence, the locust can never become localized in Nebraska. The 

 memorable spring of 1877 is a notable illustration of this fact. In 

 March and April immense numbers hatched out, and then followed 

 cold rains, with sudden alternations of extremes of temperature. 

 Countless millions of young locusts died. Many spots where the 

 ground seemed to be covered with them, none could be found in a 

 few days. Nothing often convinced me that death was the c;uise of 

 their disappearance, until, getting down on my hands and knees 

 and examining the groundjwith a huge magnifying glass, I found 

 their dead carcasses. The young brood just hatched out disap- 

 peared as if by magic from whole counties. The localities where 

 much damage was done were exceedingly few. In fact, the brood 

 was so impaired constitutionally that it fell an easy victim to the 

 extremes of a moist climate in a comparatively low altitude. I also 

 noticed, in previous locust years, that moisture accompanied by an 

 extremely hot or cold day was always fatal to many of them. 



