Practical Considerations. 



159 



l)y a little tact and perseverance. Numerous other instances 

 of this kind might be given. I have seen people driving off 

 the young locusts day after day, in their endeavors to save 

 some small vegetable or flower garden — their efforts 

 eventually in vain — where one-tenth the time spent in 

 ditching would have effectually accomplished the object. 

 And when I should, perhaps, have been praying, I have 

 witnessed sights that prompted to thought and word the 

 very reverse of prayer. In a large portion of Johnson 

 county, Mo., the injury in 1875 was slight, and until the 

 end of May little damage was done around Warrensburg. 

 Happening to be in the vicinity of this town on the 3d of 

 June, I came upon a beautiful vineyard which had up to 

 that time escaped. The insects had got into it, and the 

 owner was advised to ditch to save it. His piety exceeded 

 his good sense, however, and instead of genuflecting on a 

 spade he was performing the operation in another way, 

 while his beautiful vineyard was being destroyed at so 

 speedy a rate that it would not show a green leaf by the 

 morrow. I respect every man's faith, but there are in- 

 stances where I would respect his work a good deal more. 



Where the soil is tenacious, and water can be let into 

 the ditches so as to cover the bottom, they may be made 

 shallower, and still be effective. Mr. Frank Holsinger, of 

 Kansas City, under date of May 23rd, 1875, sent me the 

 following account of his experience: 



Your very interesting communication to the St. Louis Globe was 

 reproduced in our Journal of Commerce on the 21st inst. I have no 

 doubt but that your counsel will be heeded by many, but to the 

 mass of our people it is as " sounding brass," etc. During the past 

 four days I have been at work, and although I spent less than one- 

 fourth of my time to the purpose.1 have destroyed between thirty and 

 forty bushels of wingless locusts. My remedy is so simple I con- 

 cluded to give it to you, as I think it better than any I have yet 

 seen, and had I known how easy it was to accomplish I would 

 now see growing crops where ruin and desolation appear. 



As they had entered my wheat (I took your advice and fall- 



