The Red Cloud chief., 1881-07-07
r y,xfs o, fhe Insect Army.

In the great war against weeds we
aro in danger of forgetting that we have
an enemy abou: of far grestsr power.
because working often insidiously and
unseen. which requires 10 be n mnch
guarded against namely. the insect
enemy. We complain of weeds be-
cause hey rob the plant OF food, and
like the place where a good plant Onght
To re; and we fight with the feathered
I enemy because he takes the fruit. which
| have struggled through all other truu-
bles: Tut the insect which We do not
see rarely troubles rs very much.
! though after IL is too late 20 apply 4
/ remedy. we see what terrible havoc has
been done. Teen. overwhelmed with
: our great loss, we think there Is No help
FOR il. Yet We hayeihe evidence every
where about Us that much less labor.
| than is often expended b. the eNasp r
aied farmer or irdit-gTower in shooting
/ birds that are rather his friends than
his enemies. would be more than suf-
fcient * preserve II fruit cr,p against
the worst insect enemies that ever eN-
i,Ied.
We are moved 10 these remarks By n
communication We recently read In a
horticultural journal IN regard 10 the
celery-grub. All VINO hly. hal expert
ence in the culture uf this vegetable
know that they have much trouble
some seasons from the operations al a
very small worm. wh ch gets under
meath the surface of the leaf and feeds
on its green cellular matter. Celery.
when attacked b. this insect, rare Y
does any GOOD. This correspondent
had tried lime. and ashes, and sulphur.
and all the easy remedies So often
named. but with no good nj All. Finally
he wrote tn some one whom he thought
could tell him what u do, and WAS iald
! to 20 oyer the leaves on the first ap-
peararce of the j sect AMI pinch them
dead" He thought this very absurd;
but he waS tempted ID try the advice.
an. found la his surprise that IT took
more I me { IAN one or two COOL water
IRIS or weddings, and he Their fore
writes 10 thank his friend forhis advice.
and To praise his own good sense ia
having taken it. Yet. this is no more
than we in this department, aud most
other agricultural labCrrrs. are coltin-
ually intoxicating. namely: the necessity
of personal labor il We would do ny
thing in this way with much hope Of
success.
This has been excmplifed in the case
of the curculio on the pun. Al! sorts
of easy scarewecviis nave been thought
OF. Some dust the trees with lime,
with sulphur. with ashes Others stick
tar in rags about the tree. Numerous
other nosrrums have been popular, but
the first great blow at the curcuiIo was
To cut Of a bough close upto the trunk
place sheets TN Ter the trees, and with 4
mallet Suddenly strike the stump and
thus shake the insects of, which were
then burnt. Do this every morning for
n coup pie of weeks. and % can get
plenty of plnmS and they viii ray hand
somelv. II is. indeed. the experience
of every one that thc war against in
sects. as against weeds, is one IN which
We must personally engage il we
would have success. People think that
the climate is a fearful one. and look
with envioIS eyes on foreign countries
from which fruit !'ows so freely To- our
shores. But AL who have had personal
experience in these countries tell Us
that personal eIort To keep oil these
animal pests is something enormous.
and they laugh ut us because we st
down and do nothing but cry owe our
hard fate.
OF course, we can get some help from
outside agencies. and of these birds are
the best. But even these we have Ia
assist in order TO get the best results
from their work. We remember nee
when the cut-worm question was one of
most engrossing with the press general
". Asking a farmer friend what he
regarded rs the best remedy. we
suspect that the great world of dispu-
tantS would have been surprised at his
answer that he encouraged the 6!dck-
birds, rs the purple grakle is called in
these parts. This. the white grub, aud
and similar root-devourers, he thought
he kept completely down by encourag-
ing them. Ills neighbors shot them
whenever they had Il chance. and they
!!ockel To his farm, where they were
protc ted; and they followed his pillow
and hoe-ha-row. TO use his own words, |
like a flock Of ducks, and thus kept
them closely checked. When he found
his corn or any of his hoed crop troubled
in this way he put the c~ultivator at
once to work, and this gave the birds a
chance.
These little hints may be of service
a. this season of the year. The war
must be begun early, and with personal
effort. The WAYS and means need not
be specially referred to. Only let il be
~rcrorni ed that personal labor of some
kind must be at the bottom of success,
and how to do it will often suggest it.
sclf.-Germant0tCn telegraph.