Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-10-08
A c. RICU LTU r a l.
THE PEsTILENCE OF INSECTS

THE PEsTILENCE OF INSECTS.
i Either we are u very patient or long
sutfsring race of men In this age or th
ancien we're very easily disturbed
For 1t would be difficult to perceiv
how the plague of insects could b
farmers could live. Fully one third o
the farmers time IL now occupied il
lighting insects, or, If not, one-third O
his cropis lost by ravages, which come
in the end, to the sam. thing. 1t Is Ger
tainly sore trial, and 1t is increasing
in its proportions until the time mus
soon arrive When something must b.
done about it.
| 1t has already become so serious a
matter as to set thoughtful farmers con
sidering if legislation should not be
evoked to help in its repression. 1t is
quite useless for any one farmer t.
make an effort to save his crops,
would be equally useless for four out OF
five, 80 long an the fifth makes his
farm a nursery for new generations
The Hessian fly is now disturbing our
peace Of mind, and the farmer who
sows wheat does 80 10 fear lest his crop
may be destroyed. Thousands Of fields
of wheat were partially destroyed last
fall by this insect, and appeared dead
and bare in the Spring,
The loss was in many cases attribut-
ed to the effects of the weather too
much snow here too little suow there
too much rain, or too little in other
places but II WAS this little hidden pest
which did the mischief, and 1t promises
to bo very injurious this season which
has been favorable for its increase. The
most effective remedy, viz, burning
the stubble and clearing away the
grass from the fences, is OF no use so
long a. a neighbor leaves this too late
to be of use, or leaves it uudone alto
gether. One acre will produce flies
enough for hundred, and there will
be enough to 60 around even then. 1t
Is not too late to take this best of al
preventive measures now, ifonly every
farmer could be induced or forced to 40
it.
1t Is the same with all other kinds of
which we can mention but few. The
potato beetle, the apple-worln, the web
worm, the curCuliO or plum weevil, the
cut-worm, the white grub, the onion
fly, the canker worm, the bent cater
pillar, the peach, apple and ounce
borer, and all the rest OF the tribes of
noxlous Insects are true pestilence
which is beyond our power to cure, but
within our ability to prevent.
1t is precisely the same as the pesti
lence of disease, the yellow fever and
the Aslatic cholera of manhood, and
the contagious disorders OF cattle, which
we are quite helpless to control hut Of
which we may prevent the existence.
And rs laws are made for the purpose
OF preventing the existence of these
pestilences, so we require law to meet
this pestience of insects. 1t is plain
that the plague cannot be staid any
other way, or that the loss, which is
fully one-third Of the products of the
farmers labor, and which is equivalent
to public calamity, cannot be avoided
by any other method.
In the meantime we would urge every
farmer to do what he can in his OWE
way. Just now the potato beetles are
less numerous than they have been for
years, and it will be easy to make an
snd of them. II only not one was per.
nitted to escape on the whitening vines,
low that the crop of tubers is safe, and
very larva and beetle were killed, they
would disappear, perhaps forever. The
'aIne applies to the cabbage worm,
which is just now playing havoc with |
he late crop. II all the worms were
Iilled there would be no seed left for
mother year, and 80 too with the apple
worm, If all the fallen fruit were de-
trOyed.
Europeans are wiser than we.-|
The French are in dread Of a parasite
weed known as dodder, plant which
wines about their clover and lucern
nd destroys il. When information is
odged before a French magistrate, that
farm or field is infested with dOdder,
lie proceeds with his constable to the
'lace, spreads straw over the infected
pots and burns 1t completely. There is
n end Of it, And SO the Germans an
INFLATED our Colorado beetle when il
IN their fields. The farm was
arcfully burned over, every beetle was
,illed, and rigid search was kept up
mil 1t was certain that not one had
scsped. Then only Did the Germans
est in peace. And these were not in
ividual efforts, bur were made in &C
with laws to that end, or it is
most probable they would have either
ut have been made al all or would
ave been ineffective.