The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-08-08
INSECTS.
The Loss Inflicted on the Country by
Insectiverous Pests.

Insecttverous Pests.
If any foreign nation should damage
us to one-tenth the amount of the loss
inflicted upon us by our insect pests we
should declare war upon it without any
hesitation and go right to work to spend
a hundred million dollars in building
up navy to protect our shores. But
when foreign enemies in the form OF
destructive insects invade our coasts
and spread over our whole territory, we
quietly submit to it and make no COM
bined effort to destroy them and pre-
vent their ravages. There is no other
loss suffered by the people so great as
this. The aggregate of the losses by
fire and shipwreck does not reach that
inflicted upon the country by pernicious
insects. We have numerous insurance
companies and costly fire departments
organized for our protection from fire,
and signal Office to give warnings
against storms for the security of our
shipping Recently we have heard a
great deal about the threatening dan
ger from contagious diseases Of ami
mails, and it was not long be-
fore the Legislatures took active
means to suppress every source OF
these diseases and appropriated large
sums of money for the purpose. All
these things show that when certain
persons find their interests threatened
aud endangered they are not slow to
take measures for defense and protec-
ton. But farmers submit patiently to
see their crops destroyed and their sub
sistence consumed without making any
cutlery or claiming, or even suggesting,
the need or property of any help from
the public authorities or making any ef-
fort to relieve themselves. A present
Instance occurs: The seventeen-year To-
Gusts are again visiting us in some To-
caities in large numbers. This insect
is known to be injurious to frui. and
other trees while it is in its perfect state,
and is strongly suspected of committing
damage to the roots of trees during its
long life underground. Butwe take no
thought of these things, and however
miscellaneous this insect may be or might
be we would still permit it to come and
go without any effort to prevent its raw
ages.
This is not wise. This let alone pol
i icy has brought many disasters upon
the farmers, and were it not that our
land is so broad there would have been
times when famine would have wasted
the people through the ravages Of insect
pests. Let us go over the list of the
most destructive of these insects
and try and figure up the
cost of them to the farmers. The pO-
tato beetle has easily cost us $15,000.-
600 every year for twelve years past 10
loss of crop and the labor in saving the
remainder. The cabbage worm has cost
$40. 900, 900; the plum curculio costs
in actual loss and in indirect damages
from the abandonment of the culture of
this fruit atleast S5, 100000 yearly. The
various pests of the apple cause a loss
of $40. 100000 yearly. The chinch bug
averages a yearly damage of $4,000,
900; the wheat fly and other pests
which destroy this grain cost us $780,
900, 000 the onion maggot should be
charged with damage of at least 3d.
| 100000, and the large number OF
smaller pests-the currant worm the
and bark lice, the spruce tree borer,
and scores of others-will help to raise
the grand total of losses to quite $780,
100000 annually. This is equal to a
loss of 10. 900. 900 head of cattle on the
plains, to twice as much as all our
sheep. to twice as much as all our
swine, to the present value of the whole
| of this years wheat crop, and were it
not distributed over the whole country
in small separate quantities the loss
would be considered too great to be
borne.
Now what is to be done about it? Are
| in our fields and quietly permit them to