The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1890-03-01
WARM Writers.

It Is common belief that cold win
ters ere helpful to the farmer by des-
troying injurious insects. This opinion
is probably incorrect FOX two reasons:
One, that whist some are foes to the
farmer, some are his friends, the lat
ter preying upon the former and keep
ing them in check. + we assume
then, that cold does kill insects, it
kills friend and foe alike, and the &C
count remains abont evenly balanced.
Second, IS ii trlss'stt1at cola kills III
secs? It SO, why arc not I'll insects
killed IN cold northern regions, where
freezes, harder than We experience in
our coolest winters, occur every wear?
1t IS said that mosquitoes are more
numerous in the far north than any
where else. Some one may reply,
because the kinds oG insects are differ
.ent III the two sections. Whilst this
Is true III part, it is not true altogctE,-
,er. Che domestic fly, the cabbage
worm, various plant lice, the peach
ana apple boreEs, the tent caterpillar,
the bean and pea wecvil. the ifessial
tlg, cut worms and many others, are
found al over the country, north and
south. The real state Of the case is,
that some burrow SO deep in the
ground that cold cannot reach them,
and some pass into a dormant state in
which cold canuet XIII them. We ven
ture the opinion that the reverse of
common opinion on this subject is
nearer the truth, viz: that warm win.
tcrs are more destructive Of insects
than cold ones. Why? Because SOME
insects that pass through the wiatei
III the papa or gSuo state. when warm
weather prevails, develop premature
y into the perfect insect, find nothing
to feed upon and no growing plants
upon which to deposit eggs, and thus
die without propagating their Kind
Again, those that pass the winter as
perfect insects, are induced by warmth
to come cut FROM their hiding places,
and are preyed upon by birds and bats
who with less abundant supplies Of
food, are excited to increased activity.
When spring comes, therefore, aud
with il, temperature, food and other
conditions favorable to the propaga-
tioas and multiplication OF insects,
there is & ssnaller stock to begin the
work OF increase.
There is at present a feeling Of un-
easi,aess that the present mild winter
will be followed by 8 sickly summer;
that ga green Christmas makes a full
graveyard" This may or may not be
true; we have no statistics at hand to
confirm or refute the statement or be-
lief. But we must dissent from the
popular explanation Of the fact, if
It be fact, that because cold kills the
germs Of disease. True, we know
very little about the germs Of disease.
We infer the popular belief is, that
they are akin to bacteria, very simple,
minute forms Of life that multiply
with astonishing rapidity under favor
ing conditions, and which the medical
world is fast drifting into the belief,
cause many forms Of disease. This
ne are not prepared either to affirm
oa deny; bat admitting its truth, we
may state that these lower forms Of
life, in some stage OF their existence,
at least, are extremely tolerant Of ex-
ifemes OF temperature, and many Of
the diseases attributed to them abound
iii cold as well as in warm climates.
The explanation probably is, If the
statement is true that a warm winter
makes sickly summer, that our sys-
tens need the bracing up Of cold TO
make them strong and vigorous and
able to resist disease. Among plants
and animals it is the weak that most
easily suceumb to attacks Of disease
or of insect and fungus enemies Er.
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