The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-07-22
INSECTS ON OUR CROPS
A Scientific Authority Speaking Of The
Various Destructive Pests.
BIRDS ARE The CROP PRESERVERS
Formulas tor the Various washes
which Are best TO KIN tue tn
seCts. Protection Can Ise>, se >e-
cured By Hard work.

George Ethelbert Walsh, in the Scien-
tifc American: The protection Of our
birds from ruthless destruction assumes
a new importance in the eyes OF many,
now that special attention il drawn to
the great economic value of these crea-
lures bv the Department of Agriculture.
1t is estimated that about 800, 900 600
are saved to the farmers Of the country
by the birds; and II this is true today
what must have been the case fifty years
ago. We had ten song and field birds
then to every one that il now in exist.
ence in this country. Insect life has
been steadily multiplying in direct pro:
portion to the slaughter Of the birds
AMI with the disappearance of every
species of birds there has come into ex.
istence new insects that help to make
agriculture more uncertain and precari'
GUS
Our birds were the appointed guardians
of our crops in field, forest, and garden.
Most Of them depend for a living upon
insects, vermin and rodents When
Audubon stated that the woodcock world
eat its weight in insects in one day, he
merely called attention to the general
omnivorous habit Of most OF our insect
ivorous birds. They are all great insect
destroyers.
For quarter OF century science has
been laboring in the cause Of agriculture
to reduce the number Of garden pests
and to hold them in check. The annual
battles with the insect foes are carried on
energetically from early spring until late
never quite sure of his crops until they
have been actually harvested, In spite
Of all the protective agencies that science
has surrounded the fields and gardens
with, disasters OF gigantic proportions
will break out occasionally through the
sudden growth OF some species Of obnox
ions insect or fungus growth.
II is the destruction of the potato croI
one season by the Colorado beetle the
total failure Of the wheat yield in certain
states 10y the rust or blight another year
or the widespread injury to the cotton
plants by the boil worms. Somewhere
within the United States some crop ii
pretty sure to he seriously damaged 10y
the insects o. fungus growth nearly every
season.
An idea of what this annual hattl,
means to the farmers can he family ap
preciated 10y examining some OF the com
mon insect pests that regularly appea ii
our gardens and fields. Spring has bare
ly opened before the first foes appear
Usually in our northern aud middle
states the Currant worms are the first for
midahle enemies TO appear in numbers
These appear early in June and some
times late in May. THE saw tly week,
before this has deposited its eggs on the
gOoseberry and currant bushes and from
| these eggs emerge the deadly and deslruc
! tive Currant worms. Before fruit has set
| they will completely deiplate the hushrr
unless the farmer theoretically sprays
| them with hellehore in Kerosene emulsion
the best remedy go far devised.
An early, and two subsequent, spray
| ings Of this emulsion must Toe made tC
save the currant and gooseberry bushes
| While work Is in progress on the cnrran'
| bushes, the cherry and plum trees will be
attacked by their most formidable foe
| the plum curcullO. The cherry trees dC
not suffer SO severely from tie Curcul'
| been tried and suggested Tor this tough
| little insect but 80 far nothing has beer
/ found that will Kill the curcullo that vii
| not also destroy the foliage Of the trees
! \ peculiar habit Of the curculio ha.
/ been discovered, which enables the farm
er with n little labor, to capture it, Wher
the limb Is Jared, the currulios roll az
and drop to the ground, feigning death
| II not disturbed IN the grass, however
| they very quickly recover their norma
activity and return to their work. By
! spreading white sheets under the tree,
and by jarring the limbs with n long
pole, the farmer can very easily collect I
| crop Of the insects and burn them. I,
avoid doing injury to the trees, the poles
are shod with a piece of rubber, wnict
can strike against he limbs and not eat
/ the bark
! The cooling moth comes next upon th'
scene. The moth begins active opera
| tons on the apple trees before the bios
SONS have fallen. and it j. at this season
/ that the farmer must begins spraying fOi
/ them. The curcnliD has not been dis
/ posed Of by any means before the cooling
moth appears on the trees. The t"C
must be fought AT the same time. tn.
apple trees must he sprayed with Londor
| purple just as soon "a the petals begr
to fall, and second spraying should be
administered in tao weeks or less. A
the codling moth may also appear on the
pear trees, il is safer to spray with the
same mixture.
The srapevines are subject 10 attack
from anthrax early ia the season, am