The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-08

mcstication it is warranted to keen
houses clear of rats. What it has done
for the sugar fields of the Hawaiian
islands it is expected to do for the grain
crops in the wheat belt and elsewhere.
The mongoose has never been known
to be harmful in any way, by killing
chickens or otherwise, and no damage
is likely to result if it should multiply
greatly on this side of the water
So much cannot be said of many other
animals which have been introduced in
this country with the expectation that
they would prove desirable. Awhile
ago some people in Oregon thought it
would be an excellent thing to bring
thither the Chinese pheasant. Six
species were brought over and colonies
of them were established on Protection
island in Puget sound, on Vancouver
island, and at the junction of the Will
lamettc river with the Columbia. They
were imported from China by cx-Minis-
ter Denny, and were taken care of, fed
and guarded from sportsmcn. Four of
the six lSinds-the golden" the
'grccn," the ring" and the silver
survive and have spread all over the
Willamette valley, which is the most
fertile in the world. Already they have
begun to do much damage and the
farmers are seriously complaining of
them. They multiply at an enormous
rate, each female producing two or
three broods season of from fifteen to
eighteen each. The cocks are very
courageous and will fight anything.
They even go into the barnyards and
thrash the best roosters.
The trouble is that an exotic animal
upon being introduced usually finds it.
self in situation of great advantage
s7Or multiplying. 1t has left all its old
enemies behind it. The crows in Oregon
have only just begun to prey upon the
eggs of the pheasants, having ascer-
tanned the nesting habits of the latter.
Inasmuch as nature always makes al
lowance for destruction by foes in pro-
viding for the propagation of any beast
or bird, the fresh immigrant is apt to
multiply enormously and to become a
nuisance.
Taxing all these things into view the
government of the United States is in
clincd to disapprove of the Importation
into this country of domestic animals
without its own authoritative superin-
tendcnce. Uncle Sam will bring the
mongoose and will keep an eye upon it
for awhile, So that, if it should prove
obtaoxious, it can be promptly extcr-
minated Icy concerted measures. Re
Gently the department of agriculture
has gone to some extent into the bust
mess of procuring insect parasites from
abroad to feed upon and thus destroy
other bugs which are harmful. The
most nota bic case of this was the intro
-duction of the ''vcdalia" bug from Aus
tralia, which has saved the orange in
dustry of California by preying on the
scale insect that threatened to wipe out
orange culture altogether in that state.
In the nature of things it is impossible
to avoid the importation of MANY OBJ
jcctionablc creatures through accident.
by such means rats and mice were
brought to America. Similarly pestif-
erous insects come over in the shape of
cocoons and eggs attached to cuttings
/, and seedlings of plants, and pretty
nearly all of the most injurious foreign
weeds have been introduced in like
tmanncr to American soil