808 B. N. A. BOUNDARY COMMISSION, 

In 1874, winged swarms again came in from the west, arriving earlier 
than usual, and inflicting great injury on the crops in some districts.— 
Eggs were deposited in almost all parts of the Province, and the result 
has yet to be seen.* 
725. To the question: what can be done to prevent the ravages of 
these insects ? The answer is by no means so satisfactory as could be 
desired ; yet it appears that much may be done by combination, and the 
cultivation of'a self-reliant spirit among the frontier settlers, aided by such 
wise legislative measures as may be framed, and carried into execution 
with a breadth commensurate with the territory to which they should 
apply. It is now known that a very great area, comprising the chief 
breeding grounds of the locust, must always remain unsettled, or occu- 
pied only as pasture grounds. It cannot therefore be hoped, that advanc- 
ing cultivation will restrict the breeding area; yet even here it seems 
that some effort may usefully be made. The vast extent of the western 
plains might at first seem to preclude the possibility of embracing them 
in any comprehensive measure, but their character renders this less diffi- 
cult than would appear. By a system of inspection, in which many men 
need not be employed, the chief localities in which eggs were deposited 
in the autumn, over immense areas, might be learned. Then when the 
young brood appears in Spring, the systematic firing of the prairie grass 
over these areas, would, if it did not destroy the whole of the young in- 
sects—yet render the country for a time so barren that the greater part 
of them would probably perish. 'To preserve the prairie grass from fires 
the preceding autumn, would be the nost difficult part of this scheme, 
but by taking advantage of rivers and other natural features, and the 
addition of ploughed lines, as fire-guards in some places, a very great area 
might be so divided into isolated blocks, as to prevent the very wide 
spread of any accidental fire. This precaution seems a desirable one also, 
as a measure in the systematic preservation of timber trees. Supposing, 
however, that it became known that grasshoppers in, great numbers had 
hatched, and were likely to descend on the settlements, it would appear 
possible by preconcerted arrangements, to form, by firing the prairie at 
the appropriate time, a broad black zone across the line of their migra-_ 
tion, which the insects would not willingly cross. There would be little 

* With the idea of acquiring as much information as possible on the invasion of 1874, I issued a num- 
ber of circulars to Manitoba, the Western States, and various parts of the N. W. Territories. I have to 
thank the gentlemen who have been kind enough to return these circulars, for much valuable informa- 
tion. The number received has, however, not been so great as expected, nor has the information in all 
cases been precise as to direction aud date. I have therefore been obliged to abandon the idea of con- 
structing a complete map of their migrations for last summer, but may yet make use of the general 
information obtained, 

