86 
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 
“ Jackson Co ., Kansas, about June 10,1867.—The Grasshoppers threaten the crops; 
saw wheat-crops entirely ruined. Spring backward. Small grains look well where the 
Grasshoppers have not made their appearance.” — “ W. M.f in Prairie Farmer, June 
15, 1867. 
“ Ottawa , Kansas, about June 10, 1867. — When the Grasshoppers first hatched out, 
they did a little damage to the young wheat and garden vegetables, but did no harm 
worth naming. Soon after hatching, they left the cultivated fields, and seem to have 
been disappearing ever since. I have a 25-acre field planted in young trees, which they 
are fond of, but they are all growing finely, and have not been injured, though millions 
of the ‘varmints’ hatched right among them. Moreover, I have cut within twenty 
feet of a park, where immense numbers of Grasshoppers hatched, a handful (?) of orchard 
grass two and one-half feet high, with no mark of a locust [grasshopper] tooth on it. 
The reports from other sections, so far as I can hear, are that they are disappearing 
without harming the crops, and nearly everybody is now satisfied that they will not 
injure us. What becomes of them all I can’t tell. There are immense numbers of birds 
devouring them, and the general opinion is, that they are dying off from some unknown 
cause. The season has been rather cool and backward, as in other sections. ” — S. T. 
Kelsey , in Prairie Farmer, June 15, 1867. 
“ Atchison, Kansas, June 11, 1867. —We saw and conversed with a prominent citizen 
of Brown county this morning, and in conversation about the Grasshoppers he assured 
us, that on his farm one day this week he noticed thousands of young ones that had 
just hatched out, and in a very short time he noticed a large flock of blackbirds in 
the same place, which he discovered had effectually cleared out all the Grasshoppers, 
not one being left. He assures us that the prairie chickens and quails are eating them, 
nearly as fast as they hatch out on the prairie.” —Atchison Pree Press. 
“ West Kansas, about June 18, 1867. — With us Grasshoppers have at no time been so 
abundant, as in the more eastern portions of the State, and their advent was followed 
by great numbers of birds (mostly blackbirds), which have taken nearly all of the 
little pests, and, at the same time, many fields of the late-sown wheat. [When was it ever 
known that blackbirds devoured whole fields of young wheat ? — b. d. w.] The black¬ 
birds, having done their work, have betaken themselves to other counties, and we find 
that new swarms of Grasshoppers are being hatched. So far as my observation extends, 
the wet, cold weather does not affect them either for good or evil, and we can only hope 
to be freed from them through their natural enemies, the birds. They are already so 
reduced in number, that we apprehend little or no trouble from them, unless they 
swarm from the east or west.” — N. Y. Sem. Tribune , June 18, 1867. 
“ Oskaloosa, Jefferson Co., Kansas , June 14, 1867. —We have had a very backward 
spring. The grasshoppers hatched early in large quantities, and are lively, industrious, 
and persevering. I think they will take all the wheat, oats and corn, if they do not 
leave soon. Farmers are very much discouraged.” — “ W. A. C.” in Prairie Farmer , 
June 22, 1867. 
Leavenworth , Fansas, about June 15, 1867. — The Grasshoppers are doing great 
damage on both sides of the Missouri River for a distance of 100 miles. Gardens and 
corn-fields are being devastated.” — Rock Island {III.) Union, June 30, 1867. 
“ Missouri, about June 15,1867. — The Grasshoppers have greatly injured the crops in 
Missouri.” — Carresp. of Chicago Tribune. 
