Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1898 — Locusts in Algeria. [ARTICLE]

Locusts in Algeria.

The visitation of Algeria by locusts last year was of an extraordinary character. From an official report It seems that Algeria was visited twice during the year, the first flight appearing in the winter as far north as the Mediterranean coast, and a second one, which was normal, in the spring and early summer. There Is no record of any flight such as the early one in the history of Algeria, and as they appeared so early It was hoped that the insects were sterile; but the females fcegan to lay In the usual way, only several months too soon. But In place of being hatched out in the ordinary period! they took more than twice as long, something wholly new and unexpected In the life history of locusts. The appearance of the Insect so far north as the Mediterranean In midwinter is believed to bo due to the drought which In the previous year devastated the southern districts and the Morocco Sahara.

There being no vegetation in the Sahara, the locusts were forced to leave the grounds where they spend the winter, and to hurry forward to places where food was obtainable. Up to this it was believed that the maximum period for the incubation of the eggs was forty-five days; but it has been shown now that It extends In some cases to seventy days, so that the period may vary, according to the time of the year, from fifteen days to seventy. Oran, the province adjoining Morocco, was the only one Invaded. The area ov£r which the eggs were laid is estimated at 424,500 acres, and 270,120 bushels of young locusts were destroyed. These are below the real figures, for in many fresh grounds no estimate was made of the area covered. The barriers, or lines of defense, made of the Cyprus apparatus, or of zinc, extended over 322 miles, While 27,113 ditches were dug at the foot of these to cyMch the young locusts.

Edith —There Is one thiug in particular that I like Mr. Tactin for. He Is so frank, you know. He always tells me of my faults without the least hesitation. That was the agreement I caused him to make. Bertha—And you mean to say that you do not angry with him? Edith—Never. Berthl—Tell me some of'the faults he has found In tou, Edith—Oh, he hasn’t f< tiud any When I ask him to name them he always says that I am faultless. Mrs. Newlywed—“ What’s the matter, dear? You haven’t touched my biscuits. Haven’t you an appetite?” Mr. Newlywed—“ Darling, It would be unbecoming a patriotic citizen at this time to eat such valuable ammunition.”— Judge. , There is a growing tendency to speak of a girl as having “caught” a ' young man she will marry as If she deliberately dug for bait and went after him.