Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1876 — Mortal Enemy to the Grasshopper. [ARTICLE]

Mortal Enemy to the Grasshopper.

There has heretofore been some talk about a parasite having been found adhering to the grasshopper, which, it was fondly hoped, would ultimately exterminate that destructive insect. Early in the spring several parties forwarded to this office specimens of the ’hoppers, underneath whose wings could plainly he seen a little bug which, it was alleged, was surely killing the grasshopper. It is needless to say that this hope was never realized and that no substantial relief was fur , nished by any labors of the parasite upon the live ’hopper. Now, however, we have a different stoiy to tell, and there is almost positive evidence to prove that a remedy is at hand in the shape of an eggeating" bug, which is surely and certainly destroying all the eggs laid by the grasshoppers this year, thus insuring Minnesota an exemption from the ravages of this voracious and destructive insect next year. This bug is of a deep red color, about the size of a flea, or rather a louse, resembling the latter somewhat also in its shape anu movements. Ex-Gov. Stephen Miller has forwarded to President Drake, of the Bt. Paul & Bioux City Road, a box full of earth which originally contained a mass of grasshopper eggs, but which had been transformed, by these parasites, into a quantity of loose soil, mixed with the remnants of discolored egg-shells, with a multitude of the fat little red bugs prancing around on the surface, apparently in punuit of something more to eat. As to the utility and complete success of these bugs as destroyers of grasshopper eggs, there would seem to be no doubt in the minds of those who have given the subject a general examination, as well as of those who have personally inspected their mode of operation and the places where they have already utterly destroyed the eggs laid by the ’hoppers a few weeks ago.— St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer-Prm.

The finances of the Cherokee Nation are in a very bad way. The annual income of the Nation is $80,500, and the annual expenditures about $160,000.