GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1924, Page 4

GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE

AX AUSTRALIAN PE.ST. SYDNEY, December 10. Legions of grasshoppers are just now causing much loss and anger to farmers in some parts of the wesL of New South Wales. These, like the periodic visitations of catcripllars and locusts, mow down great areas of green crops, and appear in such vast numbers that it is almost impossible to contend against them. During the past week countless millions of grasshoppers have been hard at work around the western town of Wellington. They came from the northwest in one perfect formation, and darkened the skv, whilst the rustling of llieir wings is like the noise of the wind amongst ii forest of trees. On they came, and soon the roads and vacant allotments were one living mass of creeping and hopping insects. All the afternoon of their first appearance they came from out of the northwest living in the one direction—due south. At nightfall they settled to rest on green patches ol grass or on young crops of maize, lucerne, Sudan grass, etc., where they remained until midday oil tin* following day, when lliev again took wing and made south. During the alLernoon there were no winged pests about, the next morning another swarm came along. Hying in the same direction, and devouring all young green stall. ’I hc.su arrivals have continued daily since. One wonders where they will end their long pilgrimage, for they appear to be making for districts where the herbage is still green down about Aloloiig. where they will be in millions ot millions. In Wellington a L’o-acre crop of Sudan grass, the property ol a dairyman named llcinberger, was levelled to the ground within half an hour, whilst another small paddock of tin- same grass disappeared in a much shorter period of time. Young maize ami lucerne crops and vegetable plots were wiped out in double puick lime.

x,, realises it bat amount of damage the pest can do within s" short a snare of time except those who ride about a devastated region and see the havoc that lias been caused. 'I lie insects are seen inches deco in places, devouring crops as hard as they can v.o. 'The hoppers lly in one solid toruiti I i"l* aid <an be seen in ll|() all’ „.. j;,|- . 111,, eve can s.-e 'I be Miami extends miles wide. Day alter day they are Hying southward, and their Night averages live miles a day. 'I be pest lias been further west for a week and is now making its wav to the smith and south-western areas. Fortunately the lineal crops were too fill advanced for tla* pest to do any damage. but bad the plague come along six weeks earlier hardly a grain of wheal would have been harvested ill the district over which the hoppers passed. As it is one crop still in the green stage bad all the leal eaten, leaving only the ears standing on bare stalks.

This season lias also seen a big increase in caterpillar and cut worm pests, whirli did much damage to early wheal crops. Tile present plague of grasshoppers is the worst that lias been seen ill the west lor many years, and there are grave fears that them nmv be a bigger plague next year which will be spread over a much wider area (.wing to the lemales laying llieir eggs in tlie ground as they travel through different districts, so runners will have to be prepared lor a bigger and much mole lormidable visitation.