The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-05-27
THE NOXIOUS INSECTS OF
NORTH CAROLINA
Wheat Insects.--The Grain Plant
Louse.--The Hessian Fly.
ny eRRALD MCCARTHY, B. Sc, N c EAF7@NN%N
STATION.
FIRST PAPER.

FIRST PAPER
Among the many pests when
aeffct the farmer and consume his
substance noxious insects hold a con
soicuous place. Competent authorl-
ESas have estimated the annual loss to
f6e agriculture of the United States
from this source alone at $500,
600, 900.
In these papers the writer proposes
TO treat of the insects more common
and troublesome in North Carolina.
But first it must be promised that
hY insects we mean not only bugs,
aies, moths and beetles, but also
urubs, caterpillars, maggots and
$3worms" in general. These " worms"
etc, are all merely immature stages
IN the growth of insects. With
q few exceptions all. genera OF
winged insects lay eggs from which
maggots or worms are Matched.
In this worm" state the insect lives
for a period which for different genera
and different seasons varies from a
week to several months or even years.
During this, the larval stage, the in
sect eats voraciously and IS most
hurtful to the farmer. Eventually
the larva or worm ceases to eat,
AIls itself up in a case OF cocoon and
Hes dormant for a period short in
summer, but lasting in winter for
months. During this, the pupa stage,
they eat nothing. From the cocoon
or "pupa" as it is called the perfect
or winged insect comes forth, and the
female o after lays eggs for the
next cycle of changing forms.
To many it is a great puzzle what
becomes of insects when the cool
days of winter arrive, and where they
come from in spring, AS a rule SO
out of every 100 insects die of cold
during the first cold spell of winter.
The one that escapes hides itself in
some crack, or creeps into some snug
burrow and there lies in a dormant
or "hibernating" state until warmed
up by the returning sun in spring. A
great many species Of winged insects
perish utterly on the approach of
winter, but leave behind them eggs
which remain Unmatched during the
winter, but in spring assume ne life
and produce maggots or "worms"
from which come flies or bugs like
the parent. The alternate freezings
and thawings of winter are very useful
to the farmer for they cause more or
Less destruction to alternating insects
and their eggs. Many insects burrow
into the ground to pass the winter or
lay their eggs, but probably the
larger number Of species seek shelter
under piles of rubbish or boards or
under bushes in fence corners, etc.
In this matter prevention is much
cheaper and more practicable than
cure, and the farmer who during the
winter thoroughly cleans up his fields
and burns all trash in fence corners,
etc, will find that it pays, for in do.
Rng the work he has destroyed mil.
lions Of insects and their eggs and
weed seeds without number. Special
remedies for particular species Of in.
sects will be given under each head.
THE GRAIN PLANT LOUISE, SJphomophoro
GUenGe.
The plant louise family is n of the
mostdestructive known to entomology
There is scarcely q tree, vegetable OF
plant cultivated in field or garden
which is not attacked by these little
Vermin. The grain plant louise is a
Greenish, usually wingless insect
abOut one eighth inch in length. II
Increases with wonderful rapidity in
spring, as at this season all the insects
are females and each one produces
4 to 8 living baby lice every day.
These, too, are al females and after
six or eight days begin to produce
other lice at the same rate, so that
during one season the entire product
of a single mother may amount to
SE& thousand millions!
AS early as January 18th, 1890,
this insect appeared in vast mum.
bers in the winter grain in diff
ferent parts Of tie State. Mr.
A. W. Colson, Secretary of Oak
Ridge Farmers Alliance, of Iredel]
: county, sent to the Experiment Sta
ton samples of cat plants infested
by lice and also by another insect
called False cbince bug, Piesmo
0jnera. About the same date Mr..
Jasper Stone, of Mecklenburg county.
sent to the Station samples of oat
plants fairly alive with these lice.
Fortunately for the farmer these
pests have active enemies among theil
own kind, and eventually they are.
dlspite their prodigious fecundity, re-
duced to comparative insignifcance
But as their enemies cannot increase
rapidly until the Ice are present in
sufficient numbers to furnish ample
food, the farmer is often severely
damaged before t1e lice ale cleared
out by their natural enemies.
AS a rule, It will not be