Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-13
DIES TRUCTIVE INSECTS
Secretary Morton Speaks Of the Work of
the Entomologists
Money Saved to Farmers and Fruit
Growers the Result of Follow
ing Their Directions.

Secretary Morton in an interview today
said:
Il have noticed in the newspapers la tely
review of a compilation by Prof. Panton
of the Ontario Agricultural College, in
which he brings together once more the
figures concerning the annual loss from the
work of destructive insects. These figures
mostly drawn from American sources and
mainly from publications of the United
States Department Of Agriculture serve a
good purpose in directing attention to the
necessity for active work on the part of
economic entomologists, but in one way,
they are somewhat misleading. The losses
to individual farmers, and occasionally to
the agricultural population of more or less
restricted portion of the country, are fire.
quently very great, summed UP in dollars
and cents, yet the actual money loss to the
agricultursts of the country at large is by
no means expressed by these same figures
for the simple reason that the loss of a por-
ton of the crop means an increased price
for the remainder. We may express the loss
from insects in terms of bushels of produce
but in turning 1t into money value this fac
tor of increased price must not be overlook
ed
Actual Money Value of the Result.
There is no doubt, however, of the
actual and great money value to indi-
viduals as the result of the labors Of the
government and state entomologists. For
example, prominent fruit grower in lir-
ginia says that his income has been in
creased during the past few years by from
$1,000 to $4,000 annually as a result of .ol-
lowing the advice of the entomologist of
the United States Department of Agri-
culture The proprietor of large orchard
in Maryland said the other day that the
advice of Mr.. L. o. Howard. the present
entomologist, at a time last fall when
more than 5000 of his young trees were
badly affected by the San Jose scale, had
resulted in a clear saving to him of s., 600
In California 1t is a common estimate that
the difference between the income rom a
healthy orchard and one infested with in
sects Is about s15 per acre for a single
season. The expenditure of So per acre.
following the latest methods ascertained
by the entomologists, will keep the orchard
healthy. The work of the division of en-
tomoiogy during the past few months on
the cotton boil weevil in southern Texas
Will result next year in the saving of many
thousands of dollars to cotton planters in
that section, If the recommendations are
followed.
Examples of Saving Work.
These Instances are new, and are SIM
ply examples of saving work which Is going
OH from year to year. 1t is probable that
IN the aggregate they result in the saving
OF even greater sums than do the much rarer
but more striking instances, such as the
introduction by the department of the Aus
tralian lady-bird into California, by which
the entire citrus industry OF that state was
saved from destruction.
Not a small item in the total value to be
accredited to the chronological work of the
department is the exposure of fake rem
edies. Only the present season the ento-
nologist has shown that tree-inoculating
company in the New England states, which
claimed to be able to inoculate trees
against the ravages of leaf-feeding insects,
had been basing it's claims upon the dis
guised application of a method which was
proved to be totally inefficacious fifty years
ago.
incidentally, and although not pertain
ing strictly to agricultural interests, 1
might mention that the application of a
remedy against mosquitoes, first practically
used by our Mr. Howard. and recommend
ed in his publications during the past year
or two, has resulted, in two instances, at
least, in rendering habitable large sections
near Long Island sound, and in so greatly
Increasing the value of real estate that the
owners have made large sums of money as
a direct result.