Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-04-11
Farm and Garden Insects.

Farmers and gardeners seldom attempt
to study the habits of those insects which
they meet on every side This is a great
oversight, and the destruction of fruits,
flowers, and grain by insects is owing, in
a great measure, to want of knowledge
in regard to their habits. Most people
consider that the study of entomology is
the special business of few scientific en-
tomologists, who rarely attempt to do
more than to classify and describe the
species, leaving the practical part of the
science to others.
To learn the habits, history, and vari-
Gus transformations of species is the prov
ince of those who work in the fields and
forests, but we regret to say that the num-
Der of persons who do this, or take any
interest in the subject, is comparatively
small; hence the widespread and prevail
ing ignorance of this all-important branch
of natural history. Who should know,
or have greater personal interest in
knowing, something of insect life, than
farmers and gardeners, who cannot escape
being brought into contact with it almost
every day of their lives? Injurious as
we'll as beneficial insects abound every
where, and when we consider the fact
that every species has one or more enc
mics of its own kind, it is self-evident
that the names and history of both friends
and foes must be known, else all may
perish by our hands alike.
Ignorance is certainly the cause or
source of all our troubles in farm life, as
well as in every department of human in
dustry. For instance, a farmer may find
that his meadows are being destroyed by
what is generally known as the "white
grub, :" but if he has no knowledge of this
insect he will make very slow progress
in destroying it, and perhaps waste time
and money upon nostrums recommended
by itinerant vendors who are ever ready
to take advantage of the ignorant.
beetles are the parents of the white
grubs found in our meadows and
gardens, some requiring one year, and
others three or four, to undergo their
transformations; therefore it is evident
that if we destroy the beetles we will
have no grubs, and rice gersG. If man
desires to break up a meadow infested
with white grubs and plant potatoes upon
the same, he must expect to have his crop
badly damaged by this pest. If straw
berries are set out the chances are that
every plant will be killed by the grub.
Snch land should be planted with corn
the first year, followed by wheat, rye, or
oats, until the grubs have either been
killed by tillage or nave finished their
transformations and become beetles, at
which time they will surely leave, for this
insect breeds almost entirely in meadows
and uncultivated fields.
All insects pass through four different
stages: First, the egg; second, larva,
known as grubs, worms and caterpillars;
third, pupa; fourth, image or perfect in
sect, whether it be beetle, moth, butterfly
or bug. Some species of insects are read
lily destroyed in one of these four differ
ent stages, while it is almost impossible
even to find them in either of the others
As ru' ,, to destroy a. brood of any
particular species of insect while in the
egg would be difficult task; but there are
few noted exceptions. For instance,
the eggs of that noted pest of our orchards,
the tent caterpillar CgsssocGnapa americana,
may. be found at this time of the year in
compact clusters of several hundred, sur
rounding the small twigs of apples, pear,
and other trees in our orchards. Simply
by knowing these eggs and where to look
for them, man may in few hours
gather and destroy the entire brood that
would appear few months later in the
form of innumerable caterpillars, defoli
ating the trees. Other insects are more
readily destroyed while in the pupa or
chrysalis state The chrysallds of the
lately introduced cabbage worm (Pserfs
rdpo) can be found all through the winter
upon the sides of outbuildings in the i'm.
mediate vicinity of vegetable gardens, and
they may be readily gathered and destroy
ed, thereby checking, if not wholly pre-
venting, the spread of this great pest. 1t
is true that the natural enemy of this
cabbage worm has also followed it to this
country, and is now making great havoc
in its ranks. and will probably very soon
get it entirely under control, but little
aid on our part may not be labor lost.