New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
THE arms 1ND ITS PARASITE

We again find il our duty to refer TO the in
sects which preyng on agriculture. This.
SAYS Professor Mastcrson. State Entomoogist of
Pennsylvania is the buggiest season that he ever
knew We presume that our own State Ento-
mologst DR.. Lintner, will concur substantially
i'm this view Of the matter. IL will he remem-
hcred that the doctor has already run the sawfly.
the horniy the rootny and the bulalo-ty to earth.
to say nothing Of the iccrya-scalo insect which
he is hunting with the Australian ladybug, an
industrious little creature filling the position
in the insect world which is occupied by the
pointer dog in the quadrupedal kingdom. Now
the doctor sounds note Of warning concerning
the grain aphls.
This grain aphs is combining its attention chiefly
TO the destruction Of rye, that is. growing rye
the better known, and in some quarters more
popular, liquid rye being, happily, exempt from
it's ravagcs. The doctor reports he aphis
worse than AT any time since 1861. In this
believe him to he right The aphis was bad in
1861 Since that though it has always been
present in rye fields to a greater less extent,
the damages which l. has wrought lave been com
parativcy slight. The years SCI and 800 must
go laundering down the ages good for the
grain aphis.
A blight in oai-felds is also reported from this
State and Ncw-,Icrscy, which DR.. Lintncr shrcwdy
suspects may nc traced 10 this same manuding
aphs. The doctor has no direct evidence that it
is the aphis which is responsible for the oat-bight
never having caught aphis in an oat-ield,
though he has sometimes detected them climbing
over the fence hurricdly when he has gone in
positive proof against the aphis, we repeat, is
wanting but we suspect that the aphis would
find it hard work TO get damages from the doc
tor the charge, whether II is guilty or not.
It's reputation is too bad. We know of nothing,
with the exception of the Democratic party, of
course which needs 10 reform more than the grain
aphis.
In the matter of fighting the aphis DIR. Lntner
regrets to say that he can do but little. Taking
two smooth stones placing your aphis i'll the mid
die of one and crushing him with the other is
sure but, the reader will Ne sorry to learn, slow,
The doctor estimates about 100000 to each
ordinary-sizcd field of rye But Nature when
/ she makes a bug, never ncglccts TO provide a
parasite TO 60 with it. The aphis is no exception.
Tribune readers WILL are sure, he pleased to
read dozen lines about this parasite. which, it
seems, is most peculiar creature Its name UNI
fortunately, appears to he lost. The aphis, per-
haps the reader will remember, is constructed on
the lines OF the mud-turtle, with shell and port
holes through which his head and legs are ex-
tended on occasion. When the cntcrprsing young
parasite matches out it finds itself on the shell
of the aphis. 1t is the most precocious parasite
known, and inside of two minutes it is boring
through the shell of the aphs. Once inside the
parasite begins round of gluttony. At first the
unsuspectng aphis merely experiences a tired
feeling, all do sometimes, but gradually it
finds that it is developing a pain which no amount
OF rye will relieve. The parasite continues to
eat, the aphis continues 10 rush about in a more
! and more agitated frame Of mind. The final re-