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Temuka Leader, Issue 2133, 4 December 1890, Page 3

From Kerang, in "Victoria, under date Wednesday last, the report says : —“ Yesterday morning great swarms commenced to arrive in the town from the surrounding country, and to-day the streets, paddocks, and gardens are thickly covered with vast multitudes of the insects. The greater portion of the vegetables, flowers, and grass is already devoured, the ground in many cases being left perfectly bare. The insects have not as yet, except in a few instances commenced to fly, being in the Lopping stage. They travel at the rate of several miles a day. When a wall or some other obstruction stops their onward progress they are collected in heaps often Sin deep. The verandahs are so crowded with them that householders have to keep the doors shut t© prevent the insects coming in. During the day men were engaged with brooms and hose driving them from the doors of most of the shops and public offices in the town. The landlord of the Royal Hotel (Mr O’Donnell) had to keep his house closed during the whole of the morning and afternoon to prevent the locusts obtaining admission. In the cattle nits on the railway line the locusts are some feet deep, and as large numbers have already died the stench is very bad.”

Reports from Yattala, Wamboota, and other places in New South Wales also give alarming accounts of the inroad of locusts. At Wamboota Cramp’s Hotel has practically been closed for days in the effort to keep the insects out. They are about the hotel and enclosures five inches in depth, and the inmates are constantly employed by every means they know killing them in countless numbers. The bedrooms, parlours, and diningrooms are fairly alive with them. Fields are being rapidly invaded on all sides. Mr Sands, of Yattala, in a little over a day had a splendid field of wheat practically destroyed, the flags and beards being completely eaten off. The Deniliquin and Moana railway line is covered with the locusts and the engines and working parts on the journey become one mass of insect life. In a few' weeks more the general opinion is that Victoria will be inundated from the river and immense injury done.”