a THE SUNDAY OREGOMAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 10, 1D19.
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OF what practical value 13 the at
tempt that Is being: made to direct
. the activities of the Vast ladybug
rmy that each season, invades the
grain fields of the Pacific Northwest,
there to feed upon their favorite deli
cacy, the aphid?
This is a question that is being: asked
by farmers throughout Oregon and
Washington and also by scientists of
the agricultural colleges and else
where. There is no question by any
one that the ladybug is a great natural
enemy of the aphid. Left alone, they
eeek out and devour many millions of
aphids each season. The problem is
whether it is best to leave the benefi
cial ladybug free to find its prey
where it will or to direct the flocks of
beetles to the localities where they are
most needed.
Millions of Buss Studied.
Probably the best answer to the
question is that the collection and dis
tribution of ladybugs has been serious
ly undertaken. News accounts of what
Is being done already have been printed
in The Oregonian. Under the direction
of District Forester Cecil, of the
United States Forest Service, 25,000,000
ladybugs have been placed in Winter
quarters where they will remain until
time for the Spring assault. Then they
will be sent out on their invasion of
the grain fields, their distribution being-
in charge of the county agricultu
ral agents. The Bureau of Entomol
ogy of the Department of Agriculture
also is co-operating to the extent of
.supplying data for the work.
The work is not entirely new. It is
being tried in California by Federal
and state authorities. It has been
tried, too, in different localities by in
dividuals who sought through the in
tervention of the ladybug to save their
crops. J. L. Dumas, of Dayton, Wash.,
is said to be the first man to experi
ment with the beetles. He gathered
them to fight the aphis as long as 15
years ago.
It seems to be the general opinion
that ladybugs may be used to advan
tage in places where the-aphis has not
pot too strong a hold and where weath
er conditions are favorable. Professor
A. L. Lovett, entomologist at Oregon
Agricultural College, asserts that the
bugs could not have controlled the out
break of aphids in the vetch fields of
enLcrn uregon in ana warns tne
farmer not to put too much faith in the
experiment. C. W. Creel, In charge of
the station of the Bureau of Entomol
ogy at Forest Grove. Or, agrees with
Professor Lovett that the use of lady
bugs for aphid control is in the experi
mental stage and would have been of
BY A. L. LOVETT.
Entomologist. O. A. C.
Insects comprise three-fourths
of all animal life.
Aphid "stem mothers" give
birth to fatherless young.
Nearly every plant has its own
aphid parasite.
Ladybugs but one of many nat
ural enemies of aphids.
Aphids always present on farm
crops, outbreaks bad in 191S, '12,
02.
Hatching of beneficial insects,
but not birth of aphids retarded
by cold weather.
Not hot weather, but enemies
active in hot weather, kill aphids.
Ladybugs seek hills in -Winter
and fly to cultivated fields in
Spring:.
Artificial storage and distri
bution of ladybugs tried in Cal
ifornia. Practice could not have suc
ceeded in Oregon in 1S18.
25.000.000 ladybugs necessary
to control aphids on 77 acres of
vetch.
Growers advised to depend
upon practices of tried value.
THE continual war between the- in
jurious and the beneficial insects,
with the everchanging balance of
power, affords a most interesting ohap
ter'in nature's great story book of
"facts that are stranger than fiction,"
To delve into these interesting fields
is a 'more fascinating pursuit than
peeking thc-m in our favorite fairy tale
of youth.
This may be called the age of in
etaets. These creatures of insignificant
size and frequently with little or no
bodily protection, constitute in num
bers more than three-fourths of all
animal life. By their very manner of
growth, reproduction and habits for
eelf-protection they are peculiarly fit
ted to cope with present-day conditions.
Far from approaching extinction, they
evince a tendency toward continual In
crease both in numbers and in species.
Among those forms of -insect -life
particularly fitted for multiplication
and Increase are the-aphids or plant
lice. s?o far as any physical-or body
protection is concerned, they are en
tirely lacking. They are small and
fragile, the integument of the body af
fording no protection from the attack
of their natural enemies. To offset
this fundamental weakness, however,
they are provided with wonderful pow
ers of reproduction, carried forward
in a rather unusual manner, and have
developed habits of life which afford a
no value in the epidemic of last vear.
However, he thinks that the distribu
tion may prove of value in certain
Eastern Washington counties.
Mr. Creel Supplies Data.
"In connection with the recent pub
licity given ladybug distribution, the
impresion lias gone out that the United
States Bureau of Entomology fully in
dorses the collecting and artificial dis
tribution of these insects for the pur
pose of controlling aphis epidemics."
writes Mr. Creel. "This is by no means
tho case, as the bureau still regards
this work as being in the experimental
stage. On the other hand, we have not
stood In the way of authorities who
wished to try it out and have co-operated
with them to the extent of se
curing and furnishing them with infor
mation as to the distribution of these
Insects.
"As an instance of this, our special
field agent, assigned to the state of
Washington, this sesson, Mr. A. C. Bur
rill, has through the co-operation of
the Forest Service, been able to secure
much information with reference .to
ladybug caches in the National forest
reserves. This Information has been
furnished to county agents and other
interested parties in the state of Wash
ington who deEired it. In no case, how
ever, is the bureau doing any collecting,
storing or distributing of these insects
in the Pacific Northwest. In California
such work is being done in an experi
mental way, I understand, in co-operation
with the State Commission of Hor
ticulture. In Oregon no work of this
kind is being done at all. as far as I
hiiow, unices il is Deing aone Dy pri
vate parties."
Survey Made by Mr. Burrill.
Mr. Burrill, rnentioned by Mr. Creel,
is making a complete historical survey
of the subject. It is probable that it
later will be pubished by the Depart
ment of Agriculture and will be im
portant in calling attention to the
aphis pest, which causes a $10,000,000
to $20. 000, 000. loss in the Pacific North
west each season. Two other men who
have been greatly interested in the
ladybug experiment and who have
given valuable assistance in the collec
tion and storage of the bugs, are J. M.
Lewis and B. W. Cconey, county agents
at Dayton and Goldendale, Wash., re-
spectively.
Professor Lovett, quoted before in
this article, who perhaps takes the
most conservative view among those
engaged in the experiment, haa pre
pared an interesting article, here pub
lished in full, for which sketches were
drawn by Frank Cole, entomologist, at
the Forest Grove station.
degree or prqtection from their ene
mies This fs best illustrated in a
brief resume of the life-cycle of tha
aphids.
Life-Cycle of an Aphid.
During late Autumn sexed forms oc
cur and eggs are produced. These eggs
hatch in the first warm days. of Spring.
The aphids hatching from these eggs
mature in about 12 days and are termed
"stem mothers." They are wingless
ana nave the unusual ability of giving
birth to living young without sexual
intercourse. They reproduce at the rate
of one to seven young per day, the
progeny maturing in about 10 days and
n their- turn giving birth to li-ine
young at a similar rate. All the forms
occurring during the Spring and Sum
mer months are these "asamic females"
capable of producing living young. No
true sexed forms occur. After a few
generations In the Spring, both winged
and wingless forms cccur. The winged
forms frequently fly to new fields and
set up colonies there.
In early Summer most aphids occupy
an "alternation of host plant." Migra
tory winged forms occur and fly to
some new host, often entirely unlike
the Spring host plant. For example,
the prune aphis flies to the hop and
constitutes the destructive hop aphis.
This habit affords protection from
their natural enemies. Where colonies
are about to be wiped out these migra
tory forms may set up new colonies
in situations where the enemy is ab
sent. About 12 to 16 generations occur
during the season. "Fall migrants" oc
cur in late Autumn. These return to
the host plant the species occupied
In the Spring. Here true sexes are
produced and eggs deposited.
There are some 300 distinct species of
aphids in the United States. Nearly
every plant is attacked by its own par
ticular species. The vetch aphis is dis
tinct from the cabbage aphis, etc
Within, reasonable limits the problem
of aphid attack then becomes an Indi
vidual proDiem lor eacn crop, as" sel
dom do they transfer their attack from
one adjacent crop to another.
Beneficial Insects In Control.
To combat a group of insects so well
equipped for increase and injury there
has been developed a multitude of nat
ural enemies which prey upon it.
These beneficial forms include lady
bugs, beetles, and their larvae; the lar
vae of syrphus flies; the larvae of lace
wing flies and lampyrid beetles. These
forms actually devour the aphids. In
addition there is a variety of minute
wasplike flies which sting the aphids
and so kill them. All these natural ene
mies reproduce sexually and from eggs.
This fact proves the weak point in
their chain of control.
Thus w i.ve the two groups: the
aphis adapted by habit and life-cycle
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to rapid increase in countless numbers;
their horde of natural enemies actively
endeavoring to wipe them out.
In the normal season then, as the
first warm days of Spring appear, the
aphids hatch from their eggs and the
seasonal cycle begins, fhe effects of
the warmer temperatures react in a
simllai manner on the beneficial In
sects, which resume activity, emerge
from their Winter quarters, seek out
the plant lice and prey upon them. Ev
ery Spring there are aphids present
In the fields on the grain, the vetch,
the clover and other crops. The activ
ities of these natural enemies, however,
serve as an effective check to their un
usual increase, and the average grower
is not aware that aphids are present
in his field.
Since aphids are present on crops
every-year, what conditions permit a
serious outbreak such as occurred on
vetch and grain In 1918? similar
aphid outbreak, though somewhat later
and therefore not so severe, occurred
in 1912. One of unusual severity to
grains occurred in 1902.
Seasonal irregularities and tempera
ture conditions are responsible for the
serious aphid outbreaks. In the normal
season when warm weather- advances
gradually, the phid and their natural
enemies develop at the same time and
are equally favored by conditions. In
the eason.of 1918, April, particularly
18, 19, 20. was unusually warm, the
temperature reaching 80 degrees on the
19th. The last half of the month was
warm and dry. May was cold, cloudy
Motor Transport Workers
Complete Difficult' Tasks.
Ambulance Section Cited for Bravery
Voder Terrific Shell Klre.
CITATION for bravery under unusual
circumstances, and the odd tasks
to which motor-transport workers have
been assigned since the armistice was
signed, are narrated in a letter written
by Sergeant Howard Shearer to his
relatives in' Portland.
Sergeant Shearer wrote from Sedan
and gave the designation of his unit
in true French terminology, as "Eche
lon AmerlcaJn. Pare E. Convols Auto
mobiles, Par B. C. M-, Paris."
"I am with our advance echelon,"
he writes, "which is 50 to 60 miles from
our main echelon. We are doing a
great deal of work, as we have at
tached to our pare about 26 ambulance
sections, which are doing all sorts of
work. Some are taking refugees back
to their homes, while others are car
rying the sick to the different hospi
tals. "One night while we were in Eper
nay, which is about 25 miles from
Rheims, I was ordered by our Captain
to take a kitchen trailer to one of the
advance ambulance sections which was
operating on the front. When I got
there they were so Vsy that the Cap
tain ordered mo to drive one of the
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and disagreeable, with frequent show
ers. The warm days of April stimulated
Insect activity and the aphids com
menced reproduction. The disagreeable
weather of May was decidedly adverse
to the beneficial Insects. Reproducing
from eggs as they do they need me
dium warm temperatures to develop.
Plant lice, -reproducing living young,
are bjjj; little affected by temperature.
They have been found reproducing un
der the snow and even at temperatures
below xero. The inevitable result was
that soon the plant Ice were present In
ever increasing numbers with no ef
fective check from their enemies, and
quickly assumed the proportions of a
real menace t crops.
A careful study of previous years of
aphid outbreaks shows this condition
always present. Whenever a season oc
curs in which we have a few warm,
pleasant days in early Spring followed
by an extended period of coftl. rainy
weather, aphids will be prevalent and
generally Injurious. There is a common
saying that hot weather kills aphids.
The fact Is that hot weather provides
the requisite conditions for the rapid
development of tho natural enemies
and where present in numbers and with
favorable weather they can quickly
cope with the aphid situation.
-'Rconomte stauia ef Inareta,
Ladybird beetles and their larvae
constitute one of the most efficient
factors In the control of the aphids. In
the serious "Greenbug" outbreak in the
South In 1907, however, it was the
ambulances that night. From bravery
in action that nlsht the section was
cited, and. of course, my name was
mentioned along with the rest of the
men to get a citation. Surely had many
funny feelings como over me as the
shells were breaking all about me. and
I was wondering if I would ever get
home again, but thank God, I came out
all right."
Figure "13" Follows Organ
ist in Army Life.
Ernest orcUlrum K.nliata Jane 13
nd Is Discharged January 1U.
Pay ltecclved Is l.t.7.
ERNEST NORDSTRUM. who- before
enlisting was the organist at the
Columbia Theater, haa returned, and
he sums up his Army experience under
the heading "IS."
He enlisted on June 13. arrived at
Camp Lewis on August 13, was assigned
to the headquarters company of the
76th Regiment (7 and 6 13). of the
13th Division; waa discharged from
Depot Brigade 166 (1 and 6-7 and
S 13), on January 13. and received
his pay, 113.76. "The 13 follows me to
the very end." said Nordstrum, "even
the 7 and 6 cents make another 13."
Mexican Trade lo Kcsume.
MEXICO CITY. Representatives of
several large British steamship lines
have announced the resumption In the
near future of ocean traffic between
British and Mexican ports.
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parasitic flies which were finally re
sponsible for the control of that serious
pest. In 1912 in Oregon it was the
Inrva of a syrphus fly which finally
checked the vetch aphis. Ladybug
beetles constituted the major defense
in the conflict against the aphids in
1918. but their effects were so retarded
as to fall to save the .vetch or to pre
vent serious Injury to the grain.
Ladybugs have developed a habit or
are possessed of a "troplsm" which
cauues them, as Fall approaches, to
quit the lower altitudes and seek hi
bernation in sheltered areas In the
hills. Buttes rising abruptly from the
surrounding fields usually are found
with these caches of ladybugs, as are
also the higher points In the foot
hills. Advantage has been taken of this
habit in California to locate the lady
buKS in the caches. Later they are
collected and held in cold storage, and
finally sent out in small lots to grow
ers suffering from aphid attack. They
are collected by tons, and kept in
excellently equipped insectory and cold
storage plants. Tet the mortality in
handling them Is from 20 to 4Q percent.
The work In California has attracted
much attention, but Is so far only an
experiment. Even with excellent fa
cilities for handling the beetles and
with the work under the immediate
direction of expert entomologists the
practice Is reported of questionable
value.
We may safely state that no con-
18th Engineers Prepare to
Leave for America.
Lieutenant Shaver, nn Special Huty,
(ompletra History mt tna(lar.
THE 18th Engineers, with which
many Portland boys went overseas,
was being mobilized near Bordeaux.
France, during the middle of Decem
ber, with intent to leave for America,
according to & letter recently received
from Lieutenant John Wlllard Shaver,
formerly a member of The Oregonian
staff.
Sailing with the lth Engineers as a
private, the newspaper man-campaigner
won his commission by hard work and
application, and is now attached to the
office of the chief engineer, at Tours,
France.
"I am now associated with the techni
cal information section of the office of
the chief engineer," wrote Lieutenant
Shaver, "where 1 have bean engaged
on the compilation of technical articles
on various engineering projects in the
A. E. F.
"Just now I am preparing" history
of Searchlights.' aa a special service of
the Engineer Department, and have
completed the history of 'Camouflane.'
The office Is charged with the com
pilation of historical, biographical and
technical data on all Engineer person
nel, organization and services In the
A. E. F. '
"Troopa have been moving out of
here and through here pretty regular
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celvablo shipment of stored ladybugs
could have coped with the aphid situa
tion in the grain and v-tcli fields of
Oregon in 191S. The climatic factor
presented an insurmountable barrier to
the successful use of natural enemies.
In the normal season, and we may
reasonably expect that sfl-h a season
as last will not occur in Oregon again'
for a period of years, the beneficial
insects unas.Uted are able to handle
the situation. There is at least a
question .is to the comparative effect
iveness and value 'n control where the
beneficial forms are collected, held in
artificial conditions during the Winter
and liberated in the Spring, as hkhiukC
their liberation in nature and their
natural distribution to the adjacent
cultivated areas in the Spring.
In an experiment carried on last
yesr. 210 pound of aphids wr re col
lected from a 12-acre field of vetch. It
s estimated that this constituted SO
ly this month, small detachments of
them leaving almost daily. The dif
ferent porta of entry have been turned
into enormous rest camps, and they are
all pretty well filled with Amexra on
their way home. It will certainly be a
happy time for me when orders come
removing me to God's country once
more. 1 love France, but it is that
eort of affection that miiM have Veen
thought of by the wiseacre who was
moved to remark that 'absence makes
the heart grow fonder."
ARMY CHAPLAIN IS CALLED
Captain Wlllard Klklns Named Pas
tor of Dallas Church.
DALLAS. Or.. Jan. IS. Special.)
Captain Willard A. Elkins, formerly of
Monmouth, now a chaplain in the Coast
Artillery, has been called as pastor of
the Dallas Curitlan Church. Captain
F.lklns succeeds Lieutenant Howard
McConnell. who left here last Octo
ber to become a chaplain in the Na
tional Army at Camp Lewis.
Chaplain Elkins will assume his du
ties here some timo within the next
few weeks.
Norwegian Hank Proposed.
- MEXICO CITY. Representatives of
Norwesian capitalists are arranging
for the establishment in this city of a
Norwegian bank. - which will have
branches in various parts ot. the repub
lic, particularly In the states of Tarn
aulipaa and Jalisco.
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Strata yr r.ir&oty.
per cc:it of all present. Therefore, on
this field there were approximately
Jin pounds of plant lice. One gram of
1 bids were counted, amounting to M3
There would be then approximately
254.000 aphids in a pourd. or S8.:m'i.noi'
on the li-acre tract. Figured on this
basis. j:.imio.OhO ladvhus would, if de
vouring t?eir maximum of -00 apliii
rlailv, succeed In controlling tho phint
lice on 77 acre. When ue consider
the hundreds of acres of veteh and the
I lius.4ii'ls of acres cf grain i::f-sie-with
aphids. Inst season the. task be
fore the beneficial forms and number?
of them required becomes apparent.
Summarized, it iray be staled that
In a normal season the beneficial form-
untrS'stcd rnav be expected to c-p
successfully Aith tho aphid situation
on field crops.
ected from a 12-a:-re field of vetch. It
It is a reasonable supposition tha
an apnid outbreak such as that of I'M
will not occur again for u period o
years.
Ladybug beetles are but one of sev
eral of the active agencies In producing
the finl result.
In the abnormal sesson. In spite- of
the presence of these natural enemies
climaiie barriers prevent their success
ful employment.
In the artificial handUic of ladv-
buirs there is a very hih mort-iM-
These beetles oc-ur naturally on th
buttes adjacent to the cultivated area
from whicii they distribute themselve
naturaily lo the surrounding aphid
infested fields. Finally, it may b
slated that the artificial collection an 1
dltrlbution of tadluss is Mill in an
experimental sinus and for Oregon
conditions, of doubtful value.
Growers may rest assured that the
Utopia for all apuid troubles has not
yet arrived and muy still s-afely ar.'i
sanely pursue such cultural practice
and precautionary measures as are of
tried villi n-1 are
ril.-rllv sound.
GET RID TC A T
OF THAT iT ii
(it Trtl Treatment on Ke-
qurM. Ak for my "p--w
hrn-rfducfd ' of f ?r. il y
treatment haa oftn r-dncr.l
nl tbo rat1 of M ponml iImt,
No dnMnn. T erc!. to
lutfly eafe and ure rm'thvl.
Mr. K. Mt email write:
Have t.ikfn our trentTtent
ami It m aonrtiTlul how it r
flUtra It rfrp JllSt US Voil !".
I h rotiuti a. iounvl a
d ly and feel t -nr.
Mm. Anna Srhmlrtt wrMen: I we'uhr"! 17
pounds twfnre I started tour trr.itmrnt n-i
I now wwish pounds. You may pr.ni
this if ou like.
These are Jurt ex.init'l'-g T w Ktl tn
treatment can accompiia?!. l.c t nvj n -ou
more proof at my exprns-'.
IR. K. KHMV, I.tremtefJ hT.t'lii.
2o 1 .fU A en ue. rw ork. Desk s-l.o
WHY SOCIETY WOMEN
WASH THEIR OWN HAIR
j
They do. not hecauso it s a fad. but
because they wish to obtain the great
est possible hair beauty and be sure
they are not using anything harmful.
They have found that In washing the
hair It is never wise to use a make
shift, but Is always advisable to us-e a
preparation made for -hampooin:r onlv
Many of our friends s;- they pet the
best results from a simple home-made
canthrox mixture. You can use this at
a cost of about S cents a shampoo by
genius some canthrox from your drug
gist and dissolving a teaspoonful In
cup of hot water. This makes enouc'i
shampoo liquid to apply to all the hair
Instead of Just the toi of the head, as
with moHt preparations. Oandruff. ex
cess oil and dirt are dtsole1 and en
tirely disappear InMhe rinMnc water.
Your hair will be so fuffy that it will
look much heavier than it is. lis luster
and softness will also delight you.
Adv.
I