The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-22
FARMERS DANGER.
Strange Creatures We Must Keep
Out.
Mongoose Dreaded ny Agricultural De-
partment.

The dangers which threaten the Amsri-
can farmers are ssriousiy worrying the
department OF agriculture. The intro
ducsion Of plant diseases and insect, bird
and animal pests that now afiliot our new
possessions-Porto Rico. hawaii ard the
Philippines 10 threatened. The intimate
relations and increased Interchange Of
roduots that may he looked for between
thssU pited States and our island depend
sucies aud the new Cuba as rejuvsp ated
through American energy, will greatly
incrsas, the chances Of briaGins hithsr
and disseminating through the country .
host Of unwelooms animal and vegetable
immigrants with which We are now
familiar.
Accordingly the department 10 now un-
dertaking special Investigation on the
ground with view to the enastment.
later on, Of legislation to prevent their
Introduction here and to stop their ravsg-
o. In the Islands themselves.
Uncle Sam 10 especially apprshensive Of
the Introduction Of the dreaded mon
aooss, Q kind Of weasel, from Cuba,
Porto Ric, and ths West Indies generally
into our Atlantic coast and southern
states, and from Hawaii into the Pacific
states of the destructive NINA bird, and
the big Malay fruit-eating bat, from tbs
Philippines into Hawaii and our Pacific
coast states, and of the so-oallsd morelos
orange worm from Mexico into the citrus
groves of California and Florida.
Many pesnioious weeds, or plants which
are here regarded rs weeds, were original
IL introduced from abroad ~ useful or
ornamental growths and flowers, but es-
Gaping control, have become noxious and
ungevernable, as for instance the chioory
and wild onion Of the eastern states ana
the water hyaointh OF Florida. Likewiss
In the case OF many birds and useful ami
mails, specially imported for the purpose
Of discriminating particular pests. AL
lowed run wild ana adapting them.
selveb readily to their new conditions and
gu rroundings, thsy often multiply with
alarming fapidity when food 10 aoundan,
and natural enemies are absent, and
crowding out the native species, come to
be regarded a. nuisanoes themselves,
more undesirable indeed than the pestf
they were expected to destroy.
A pertinent case In point a. to birds is
our expsrienoe With the English sparrow,
tirss successfully ihported here IN 1867.
and in the case Of domesticated animals
the valuation upon Australia Of jack
"a bbits and Of Wild horsss-tha rabbits In
tr ,duoed from Europe for objects OF sport,
in 1864. Wild horses also have become s0oh
q nuisance In some of our far wsstsru
states that hunters are paid to shoot
them. :,
The dreaded mongoose, Of In dia, a well
known destroyer Of rats, lizards and
snakes, WAS introduced ye1rs ago into
jam aica for the purpose Of Kidding sugar.
cane flslds Of rats. The loss sustained
by the island previously on account Of
the ravaess of rats, including the ex-
Isnse Of fighting re- pests. amounted 1nsd, 20
had teen tried without success the mong-
oose was introduced from India IN 1874.
IL soon increased 20 rapidly that IL over
spread the entire island, even to the tops
OF the highess mountains.
simultaneously there was marked
iminution Of rats. and In ten years the
saving to sugar planters was rated ut
sees, OCO year And still the mongoose
Increased. Its omnivorous habits, how
ever. became more apparent az the rats
diminished. 1t destroyed young pigs,
kids, lambs. kittens, puppies, poultry,
game, birds that nestled on or near the
ground. eggs, snakes. ground lizards,
frogs, turtle eggs and land crabs. 1t also
deyoured ripe bananas. pinsapples, young
coauuts and other fruits. Toward the
CLOSE Of the second decade 10 was regarded
as the most destructive pest that could
have been introduced into the island. In
addition to Its dsprefations upon poultry
a. ~ at aA ms
useful species of birds, including the
ground dove and quail. Harmless snakes.
represented by at least i've speoies, and
about 20 species Of lizards were greatly
diminished In numbers by reason Of Its
ravAges.
Large numbers Of the mongoose ware
also introduced 10 years ago inso ouna ina.
santa Cruz. 1t 10 established firmly In
Haytl and on the leland Of vieques. east
Of Porto Ric3, and on st. Thomas. In
Porto Rico par tioulnrly IL has become o
nuisance.
Lotto the Hawaiian islands the mongooss
was introduced In 1889 from importattons
brought from Jamaica. The Islands OF
Hiio, Oahu and HamAk 10 are now report
cd TO be ovsxrun by it and 1t 10 rapidly
extsrmtnating many species OF the native
birds, particularly the Hawaiian duck,
. peculiar species, and she Hawaiian
goose, whtch 10 founu only ABOVE the
altitude Of 1000 feet.
The Malay fruit bat or flying fox ID
found In great numbers In the Philip
pines, as Indeed In most Of the Southern
Pacific island groups. and II regarded az
psrhaps the worst enemy Of the fruit
grower. The genus includes some b0
species. native to the tropics OF the old
world, from Madagascar and the Comro
islands east to Australia Apd the Samoan
Islands, and north 20 India, the Malay
arohi pelago, the South Ssa Islands and
southern Japan. What is known as the
as occurring In the Philippines and likely
10 occur In Hawaii, 10 the largest speoiss
OF all, full grown specimen measuring
I've feet across the tip Of les wings.
In Australia these fruit bats live In i'm
msnse communities or camps In the most
mace .ssibls parts Of the dense scrub OF