WASHINGTON, July 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
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FRIDAY, JULY 20: HISTORIC BUG PROBLEM
Profile America — Friday, July 20th. Beginning on this date in 1874, the largest swarm of Rocky Mountain locusts ever recorded blackened the skies from the Dakotas to Texas and stripped farm fields in minutes. The swarm is estimated to have been 1,800 miles long and 110 miles wide. The locusts not only ate crops but ate the wool off of living sheep and even brought trains to a halt. While not as large, similar swarms continued for several years. Then, in one of the greatest ecological mysteries, they simply disappeared, never to return. Today's farmers don't have to contend with such massive attacks but still have a large variety of pests to contend with. To ward off such damage, U.S. farmers use $11.5 billion worth of pesticides each year. Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 368
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 841
Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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