Page Eighteen
THE UNITED AMERICAN
JULY 1925
American Fields and Forests Ravaged by Foreign Insects
Foreign Pests of Strange Insect Species which have Accidentally been Imported into America are
Taking a Fearful Toll of Destruction in Our Fair Woodlands, Fields and Gardens
ITH EVERY passing year the battle
W
between the human race and the
food plant devouring species of insects, is
land, found in its new environment a
chance to flourish unmolested by its
natural enemies. Immediately the strange
insect multiplies and becomes a menace
* * *
growing more intense, in fact when the
government records at Washington are
being consulted and the fight that is
The cotton boll weevil, most noted of
on today on every farm and in every
backyard is given some thought and ’ insect pests, was originally a little known
attention, it becomes a serious question and an unimportant bug which lived
to determine whether the chances for on wild cotton in the mountains of
victory are with the human race or Mexico, Its food supply was strictly
with the insects. The city dweller who limited. Introduced by chance in the
neither sows nor reaps, may be in fringe of the cotton belt in southern
ignorance of the battle royal that is on, Texas, it suddenly found in the endless
except for the increased cost in food and fields of cultivated cotton a limitless
clothing, which is charged up to the in food supply._________
Witha birth rate which it has been
sect pest, but the farmer feels it more
keenly in the wastage the insects produce estimated produces over 12,000,000 off
which takes definite form in losses in spring to a single pair of weevils in one
season, the pest spread like wild fire
dollars and cents.
Perhaps it does not interest you, but through the cotton fields of the south.
you should know that the experts of It lodged in Texas in 1892. Despite all
the United States department of agri efforts to resist the plague, it spread as
culture, who are making man’s organized far as North Carolina in the succeeding
efforts to conquer the insect enemies, thirty years. The bug, which was of
looking beyond the present cost in no importance in its natural wild state,
money, wasted labor, and destroyed had been given an opportunity by the
crops, regard the future of the struggle natural conditions brought about by
as potentially the greatest crisis ever civilization .to become a menace to one
of the staple crops of the country, cost
to confront the race.
annually losses of from $200,000,000
Though greatly accelerated resistant ing
to $300,000,000.
measures are being taken by the depart
The history of the- boll weevil
ment, the destructive insect pests are
constantly gaining. The most the de illustrates the general insect menace.
partment has been able to do in many Pests which in their natural state faced
cases is to retard the spread of insect so serious a fight for existence they
blights.
Insect depredations among barely were able to get along at all have
American crops cost hundreds of millions suddenly been presented with an abound
of dollars annually and each year cost ing food supply, been freed of their here
more than the last. If the increase in ditary enemies, and as a result have
insect destruction continues at its pre- multiplied with speed and vigor.
The Japanese beetle was accidentally
sent rate the time will come when what
the insect takes will amount to so much introduced in Burlington county, New
that there will not be enough left to Jersey, in 1916. Like the boll weevil,
it does not seem to have been a serious
satisfy man’s needs.
Incidentally this new insect menace pest in its original environment but it
has become acute within the last genera- has already bcome the most dangerous
tion. Conditions brought into effect by insect menace in New Jersey and Penn
civilization gave the insect its great sylvania. It eats almost everything
opportunity. Originally, under natural green from young fruit trees to weeds.
conditions, for every insect there was Measures so far taken have failed to
a natural enemy. Parasites infested restrict its rapid spread and it is feared
them. Birds ate themJ Other carni it may become as important a crop
vorous insects ate them. One species menace as the boll weevil.
* * *
of insect lived on -the eggs of another
species. This natural balance restrained
The corn borer was introduced from
dangerous kinds of insects from be- Hungary or Italy in 1909 and has already
■ coming too numerous.
become a corn pest of prime importance.
Nature’s balance was distorted by At present it has been indentified only
civilization. Man denuded vast stretches in portions of New England, New York
of country of its natural forest, Bird and the borders of Lake Erie. Aside
life was restricted. With natural con- from attacking corn by tunneling in the
ditions destroyed various species of in- stalk and in the actual ears, the corn
sects found a sudden opportunity to borer attacks many other forms of eco
nomic plants, including beans, beets and
expand.
International commerce spread in- celery. The department is taking drastic
sects in strange parts of the world steps to prevent the spread of the pest
where, freed ¡from their natural ene to the great corn region of the midlie
mies, they could expand unhampered. west.
Plants brought from Asia to America
The codling moth is the most notable
might carry two or three specimens of example of the hundreds of insect pests
an insect; which, innocuous in its home- which cost apple growers approximately
twenty per cent of their crop annually.
The larva of the moth burrows through
the apple, either totally destroying it or
spoiling its commercial value.
The cattle tick, formerly prevalent
through most of the south, injures cattle
by blood sucking and -by transmitting
“tick fever.” It has been placed under
some control by rigorous quarantine and
dipping methods. Nevertheless it con
stitutes a menace to cattle which must
be constantly guarded against and apart
from the loss of cattle causes an im-
portant economic loss due to the ne-
cessity of preventive measures.
The southern pine beetle is smaller
than a grain of rice and yet its attacks
ruin millions of the finest southern pine
trees every year. Its larva burrows un
der the bark, feeding on the tender in
ner surface of the bark, eventually
killing Hie tree. Depredations of this
beetle have caused far greater loss than
forest fires in the south. The one practi-
cal method of control recommended by
the department is felling infected trees
and burning the bark to kill the hibernat
ing beetles.
* * •
In the war against insects the depart
ment of agricultural is man’s general
staff, with scientists as field marshals
and entomologists as general officers and
the war is waged with every scientific
method of frightfulness that can be
devised.
The insect enemy is assailed with
every variety of poison, is starved, his
winter quarters destroyed, is surrounded
and cut off from his base, while every
ally, parasites, carnivorous insects, birds,
snakes and lizards is engaged to assist
man in his battle.
But the general staff can only plan
and direct. Against an enemy §o numer
ous the general staff must have an army.
In this army the department enlists
farmers, children, housewives and every
one who can be persuaded to help.
Farmers are educated to realize the
serious financial losses caused annually
by pests and then taught how to combat
them. Children are enlisted in the cause
and taught to become bug killers. House
wives are urged to fight the pests which
infest their gardens.
But in the long run man cannot
successfully combat his unbelieveably
numerous enemy; Airplanes may be
resorted to to spray miles of cotton
fields with poison, but boll weevils con
tinue to flourish. Millions may be killed,
but other millions, secreted in hiding
places, continue to destroy cotton. The
only outstanding success ever won by
man in fighting serious insect pests have
been won by the use of insect allies.
The boll weevil, withstanding all man
made attacks, is routed again and again
by parasites,^ ants, and other tiny
(Continued on Page Nineteen)
PTS
I
D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer
Oto«,—> ~< m 0.0» ¿is 9.22
om
¿ m
" x ) °«