The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-01
INJURIOUS INSECTS.
They Are Particularly Numerous
This Seasou

Wilmington Island, June 27.-Editor
Morning News-In my book Truck
Farming at the South" 1 published in
1853; In whatever state an insect species
is accustomed to exist through the win
ter, or to hibernate (and 1t is done in the
case of few In more than one condition.
no degree of cold likely to occur will af-
feet them; therefore the popular idea that
hard winter Is destructive to insects is
fallacy; except that such as are turned
up by the plow in very cold sunless wealth
or may In their benumbed state, become
an easier prey to insectlvorous birds.
There is more truth in the reverse state
ment, that a wild winter is destructive to
insects.
THE influence of a certain degree of
heat for a sufficient time will hatch the
worm as well as the chick, or bring forth
the butterfly from its chrysalis. If a
worm is born after mild spell in
winter, and finds no food in readiness, It
naturally must perish from starvation,
and if butterfly appears, it must suffer
from the same cause. Either may perish
from cold it was not expected to encoun-
ter. Even in case of survival, there would
be no breeding during the uncongeniaI
weather"
The very great number of predatory in
sects reported from every part of the
United States during the present season.
following the coolest winter we have ever
known, corrobrates the above.
Ten years ago $4,000 species of insects
were known, a great part of which are
injurious to crops. Prof. Lintner emu
merated 176 species affecting the apple
alone. When we remember the usual es-
timated annual damage by insects to ag-
rlculture in the United States is between
$500, 0C0 900 and S4O0,000000, the Importance
of their comparative abundance, or scar
city, in a season becomes evident.
The principal insects infesting the to-
mato here are:
/. The large green tomato worm, larvae
of Sphinx Carolina" and sphinx "quin-
que maculata," which are very similar in
appearance
?. The cotton boil worm. 'Heliotnis ar
migera."
8. The potato stem-borer, ''Gotyua nj
tela.''
The abundance of the first named on
this island has been greater this season
than / have ever known during a con-
tinued residence of % years. During 1894
about forty worms were noticed and killed
on IS acres of tomatoes, while the crop
was being cultivated. The injury to 80
acres TINS season mas Dee0 very great,
notwithstanding diligent Manipulating.
plants being stripped of every leaf and
every fruit. In a single forenoon my son
killed 1883 on a half acre. In case this
insect should be again so abundant in
Florida and elsewhere, as reported, it is
probable that arsenical poisoning may be
resorted to for their destruction Should
this be the case the poison should not be
applied when the fruit are nearly full
grown. and London, Purple should be used
instead of Paris green. 1t is not as dan
gerous poison TO man, and owing to its
reader sombility, will be washed off by
rains The cotton boil worm has also
been very abundant here, first on snap
beans and then on tomatoes. 1t has also
been reported as exceptionally destructive
elsewhere on tomatoes, in Florida par
ticularly, and to cotton in Texas In
tested fruit should be fed to cattle or
otherwise destroyed to kill the worms.
have observed a few specimens of the
potato stalk borer for several years, but
never heretofore in sufficient numbers to
infict noticeable injury. In fact, the
United States entomologist was not aware
of it's being noticed here until I recently
informed him of its presence. 1t bores
into the branches and excavates them. In
appearance it resembles the green speci-
mems of the cototn boil worm, but is more
slender with two lighter-colored longitu-
dinal stripes. A. Oemler.