The Osceola times., 1886-02-27
INSECTS AND AGRICULTURE.
One Of the Evils That Follows in the wake
Of Civilization.

OF Civilization.
In the primitive condition Of the
country, as the white man found 1t. in
sects, doubtless, took their proper place
in natures economy, and rarely pre-
ponderated in any direction to the in
jury Of the wild plants, scattered for
the most part, sparsely throughout their
range. Harmony between organisms,
in the sense of the widest interrelation
and interdependence, had resulted in
the long course of ages. But civilized
man violated this primitive harmony.
His agriculture, which is essentially the
encouragement and cultivation, in large
tracts, of one species Of plant to the ex-
clusion of others which he denominates
weeds, gave exceptional facilities for the
multiplication of such insects as nat
urally fed on such plants. In addition
TO this inevitable increase of species
thus encouraged, many others have been
unwitngly imported from other coui-
tries, chiefly through the einstrumentalty
of commerce with those countries; for u
is most significant fact that the worst
weeds and the worst insect pests OF
American agriculture are importations
from Europe. Thus, in addition to the
undue increase in our native species, as
above noted, we have TO contend with
these introduced foreigners, and it is no
wonder that DR.. Fitch declared America
to be the land of insects, for, as COM
pared to Europe, we are truly bug-rid-
den. The losses occasioned by insects
injurious to agriculture i'm the United
States are, in the aggregate, enormous,
and have been yariously estimated at
from $500, 900, 900 to 500, 100000 an
nually. II will never be possible to
fully protect our crops from the ravages
of many species that iniuriously
affect them; but it is the aim of the
economic entomologists to prevent as
much of the loss as possible, and at the
very least expense To do so eflectual-
ly, the chief knowledge required is of
an chronological nature, 1. c., the full
life-history of the different species, and
this implies a great deal of close and
accurate work in field and laboratory.
BY means of it we learn which species
are beneficial and which injurious, and
the ability to distinguish between
friend and foe is of the first impor-
tance in coping with the latter, for it
is a notorious fact that the farmer
often does more harm than good by de.
stroying the former in his blind efforts
to save his crops. The economic ento-
mologist, to do eflectual work, riust
possess not merely a knowledge of the
particular injurious species and its hab-
its with which he wishes to deal, but
must study its relations to wild plants as
well as to the particular cultivated crops
it affects. He must also study it in its
/ relations to other animals. Indeed, its
| whole environment must be considered,
/ especially IN connection with the farm
| er's wants, the natural checks which
surround it, and the methods of culture
that most affect it. The habits of birds,
the nature and development of minute
parasitic organisms, such as fungi. the
bearing Of rileteorology. must all be
considered. and yet. with the knowledge
that study of all of these bearings
implies, he will frequently fail of practi-
cal results without experiment and me-
chanical ingenuity.
More study of insects. however, while
essential, is not often productive of those
important practical results which follow
when it is combined with field work and
experiment by competent persons. on
scientific principles. Many of the rem
edies proposed and recommended are
either ridiculous or else based on mis-
leading empiricsm; and economic ento-
mology, rs science, is of compare
lively recent date
Insects probably outnumber in species
all other animals combined, some three
hundred and fifty thousand having al
ready been described, and fully as many
more remaining yet to be characterized.
The proper and conscientious character
sation of a genus or of species of some
microscopic creature involves as much
labor as that of the higher animals. Oi
the above number goodly proportion
are injurious to cultivated crops. Lint.
ner records no less than one hundred
and seventy-six affecting the apple
Gardeners Chronicle.