306 
The extent of fanning in the area is variable hy connties and involves 
from nearly 15 percent of the: iand in some connties to 75 percent or more 
in others, with an estimate of alsout one-fourth or one-third of the 
S. longipennis ^rea, under cultivation* Wheat and grain sorghums are pre- 
valent and the following Is a list of the chief crops: (l) Sinall grains, 
principally winter wheat with small acreages of "barley and spring wheat; 
(2) sorghums, principally grain sorghums, including Kafir com, Milo 
maize, Sudan grass, and cane; (3) corn; (4) legumes. Along the rather 
narrow creeks and strips of river-bottom land where irrigation is possible, 
there are small fields of alfalfa, sweetclover, peas, and beans, also small 
grains, corn sorghums, melonsj and vegetables. Irrigation is very limited, 
as streams are not permanent in most of the southern part nf the D. longiuennis 
area and over much of. the whole area. The, Arkansas River and several of its 
tributaries provide irrigation water for ad jacent i iand in Colorado and 
Kansas, This is the principal irrigated- section of the D. longiuenni s area. 
Most of this area has received an average annual precipitation of 15 to 20 
inches and in recent years of abnormal drought was included in the well- 
known • dust-bowl. * 
"Although known as the S. longj-pennis area, in honor of the most im- 
portant species, Melanoplus differentialis . M. mexicanus . M. bivittatus . 
Aeolorlus t-ornbullii and other species were the dominant grasshoppers in 
crop land, A second generation of M. mexicanus became sufficiently 
numerous to warrant special attention late in the summer and in the fall. 
Eggs of D. longj-pennis were found in all environments common to grasshopper 
oviposition. However, egg beds of this species were not scattered promis- 
cuously, for it is estimated that more than 90 percent of the egg beds 
occurred in range and in pastures covered with buffalo and grama grass. 
There were a few beds in tall native grass and weedy grassland, several in 
small grain, sorghum, and corn stubble, and some in abandoned land. On 
typical beds in buffalo-grama range, egg pods were placed around the edges 
of grass plants, and in the intervening bare spots between plants well 
below the surface of the soil* :i 
"A total of 75 D. longipennis egg beds were examined dviring the 
spring of 1939 in Colorado, fexasi an-<i Hew Mexico, The following table 
shows the average results of -the examination of typical beds in the heavily 
infested portion of the area. 
Table 6,- -E. longiuennis egg beds surveyed in the snring 
of 1939 in Colorado. Hew Mexico, and Texas 
; Beds 
State : surveyed 
..-Average size 
of: 
beds 
Pods per ’ 
square 
. foot 
Reduction by 
predators 
! Humber 
Acres 
Humb er 
Percent 
Colorado - - - , 38 
25 
5.3 
9,6 
Hew Mexico - ’ 23 
5 
6.3 
15,0 
Texas- 1; ' ' 14 
5 
6.6 
10*0 
