The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-06-11
FARMERSNCOLUMN.
insects killing insects.

II is often found that the human interfer-
ence with the arrangements Of animal life
docs more harm than benefit. Many time
the destruction Of birds as the supposed foes
of the farmer has left the ground free for the
worse devnstations Of unchecked insect lf,.
In a recent article, commenting on some OF
Sir John Lubbocks chronological observa-
tions, the writer SAYS
"while men have been deviJing scientific
schemes for the amelioration of insect
plaques, and fondly imagining that upon
ourselves has rested the burden of keeping
the animal world within proper limits, the
insects themselves have taken the matter in
hand, and been actively carrying into effect
the plans and suggestions which, If left to
us, would never have got beyond the pre-
| liminary stages of consideration. In the
orchard the fruit farmer watches with lam
entation the depreciation ofthe wasps among
his plums, and his children come crying to
| him with the tale Of their suflerings, how
they picked up fallen PEAR and were stung
by the wasp inside. Yet all this time, so
naturalists tell us, there are wasps that
sting wasps and hornets that lie in wait
among the tempting fruit to carry off or de-
captate the smaller depredators. In the
hot summer days flies annoy US, but it is q
comfort to know that whenever they sit
down on bushes their enemies are on the
watch for them; that not only spiders catch
and eat them, but winged things of their
own kind dovjur them readily. The cock
roach is an abomination in kitchen; but il
| he ventures to walk abroad the PompiluS
takes him by the nose, and having stung
him senselessj drags him away to some CON
venient chnk that serves 1t for larder.
The spiders that creep about where they
have no business to be, and spin threads
across pathways, so as to catch the faces of
passers by, are constantly beset by fly foes,
who treat them with delightful contempt,
using their fat,round bodies to lay their eggs
in, and even storing them up like apples to
feed the young flies when they are hatched.
The caterpillars that destroy our vegetables
and work havoc in the flower garden are
not the irresponsible tyrants that they SEEM,
f,r they go in mortal terror Of their lives al
day long. not only from other caterpillars
that eat them, but from a number ofwinged
creatures that take truculent delight in
their tender bodies. The beetle which we
all call cockshafer, and which in France
docs almost incredible damage, has another
beetle told off to it, whose only duty is to
hunt and kill it. The wheat fly snug though
it thinks itself tucked up inside the husks OF
tho grain, is found out by special fly whose
whole work in life is to lay its eggs in the
others body; and even the gall flies inside
their secret chambers, the clover fly hidden
in the lit,le flower, and the wireroom under
ground, are each of them the particular OBJ
jects Of pursuit and slaughter to appointed
insects. To this complete chain of crime
and punishment man can add nothing, but
he can at any rate take the broad hint
which the insects give aim, and assist them
to indulge their beneficial appetites."