APPENDIX III. 
REPORT OF JOHN MARTEN. 
Dr. Cyrus Thomas, 
Of the United States Entomological Commission : 
Sir : I have the honor to report that, iu obedience to your instructions, I have vis- 
ited personally Northwestern Iowa, Southeastern Dakota, Southwestern Minnesota, 
and Northwestern Nebraska. 
My investigations, under your letter of instructions, were confined to portions of the 
months of July and August, 1879. 
I started from Carbondale, 111., July 22, passing up the Iowa Central Railroad to- 
Ackley, Iowa. The grasshoppers flying here last year were not numerous enough to 
cause any serious alarm. They came from the north and northwest. No eggs were 
deposited by them, .and no 'hoppers have been seen this year. 
At Fort Dodge no 'hoppers were found this ye:*r. In 1876 the Des Moines Valley 
was visited in this vicinity by numerous swarms coining from the west and northwest 
and depositing eggs, which hatched in the spring of the following year, also, a few 
came in, but altogether there were not enough to do any serious damage. 
At Marcus, July 26, I saw the first locusts ; they were full fledged. 
July 25. at Le Mars,, I found the locusts quite thick. Iu 1873, eggs were deposited 
here in June, and returning swarms came from the south in August ; was again visited, 
in August, 1876, when eggs were deposited, which began hatching in March, 1877. 
In August and September of 1877 swarms came from the northwest and deposited, 
eggs, which hatched in the spring of 1878, aud full-fledged locusts were seen June 28. 
From September 15, for a period of twenty days, eggs were deposited, generally in 
sandy, compact soil, free from vegetation, and preferably on a southern or eastern slope. 
These eggs hatched from April 1 to June 10 at iatervals. The early and irregular 
hatching was supposed to have been caused by the dry weather and the deep plowing 
done by some of the farmers. 
The young 'hoppers moved in various directions; some were seen going northwest, 
others east, and still others south. They attacked the wheat, barley, aud flax most 
voraciously ; other small grains did not suffer so severely. Corn was not damaged 
materially, although there were a few instances in which a second planting was made 
of a few outer rows. 
The estimate of damage given me for Plymouth County was 90 per cent, for wheat 
and 50 per cent, for other small grains, but from observation I think this rather large. 
Swarms were departing from June 14 to July 7 or later, the first going to the north 
and west with the wind, a few straggling swarms going south after the wind changed 
and blew in that direction. 
At Sioux City, July 28, a few full-fledged 'hoppers were noticed. Swarms came 
about September 1 from the north and northwest, and remained all fall depositing 
eggs, which hatched June 18, 1879, at which time Dr. W. R. Smith, to whom I am in- 
debted for aid, reported his wheat, corn, and garden all devoured. 
From June 25 to July 1 the 'hoppers disappeared very notably, going south with the 
wind. The estimated damage in Woodbury County shows that the western part suf- 
fered most severely, wheat being damaged 75 per cent., oats and other small grains 50 
per cent., while in the eastern part the estimate is placed at 20 or 25 per cent, for all 
small grains. Corn was damaged considerably, but there will yet be a fair crop. 
Sorghum, broom-corn, and pease generally escaped. 
No means of destruction have been used extensively. A few coal-tar pans aud other 
machines used in previous years have been employed. 
The young 'hoppers, before obtaining their wings, have no particular direction of 
travel, some broods going in one direction and some in another; but when a brood 
starts in a direction it generally maintains it until wings are obtained. 
In Sioux County locust eggs were deposited in June, 1873, the locusts coming from 
the south, there being a south wind at the time, aud in the latter part of July they 
came from the north. In the fall of 1876 eggs were deposited, and in 1877 the 'hop- 
pers hatched and flew south. 
September, 1678, eggs were deposited in vast numbers, principally in the western 
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