The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-08-18
LOSSES CAUSED BY INSECTS.
$500. 600, 900 DAMAGE DONE TO
THE CROPS ANNUALLY.
Estimates % tho Enfemciestst q the
Department ef Agriculture -Destruc-
ton Caused 90 Grains and Fruits
Most of the WORT Pests Imported.

CopvrisAf. isoi. sy ~. Z. o. Hs~srd.
. While II ~ true that the honey bee n
the silk worm 81 commerce. are the basis
Of great industries. and while Il IN true
that many insects. through thsir mnc-'
tons a. scavengens. rs croa--fertilizers
Of plants. and as parasites of destructive
species. do an enormou amoun Of good
In tho economy 81 life. Judging from the
standpoint Of human beings. tho actual
loss brought about by the work Of other
Insects. mainly to tho farmer. the fruit
grower and the stock raiser. goes far to-
ward of~ctting the benefits derived from
insects. II IL does not. Ia fart. completely
overhalancr them.
Many estimates have been made OF the
losses produced 10y insects In their des,ruc-
tion ~ certain crops. These lo.ses. when
expressed In dollars and cents. ara morn
or less m~isleading. because. for example,
In a year when the chinch bug Wipes out
n corn crop or a wheat crop In restricted
parts Of the country. the price Of wheat
or corn Is sure to 90 up. which restores
the money value Of tho crop NJ a whole
Nevertheless. this increaAed price lear
upon the entire country and there ir thus
a distinct and enormous economic loss
tnfpuSn inc Norh Ot tne mrrNth'
According TO the calculations Of con-
sentative investigators the amount Of
destruction caused by the jaws Of the vari-
Gus species 81 insects. most 81 which are
~ small that tho average man would hardly
note their existence. IL more h tsoo.ooo.-
90 a year. In other terms. II. for three
years. the destructive insects would In
sti,uto q fast. the amount saved In grain.
fruit. cereals. timber. sundry crope and
domestic animals would pay the national
debt.
A few Year, ago one farmer In the South
lost 5000 In a single season through the
damage lone 20 his extensive strawberry
crop by the furnished plant hug. In 1880
one farmer In Illinois lost 10000 through
the ravage~ Of the army worm. In Mary
land In the La, two or three years an or
chard grower has lost q p~.ch orchard
valued AZ s7s 600 through the destructive
ness 81 the San jose scale. n de-truo-
tive insect known as the oS-bot. or OK
MARBLE. damages cattl around Iexing-
ton. Ky. to an amount estimated az si2.-
zoo annually.
IN isas IN. oder willow industry In Q
res- part ~ the State % New York
suffered a lo.s estimated a. $4,000 from
danlage done by the cottonwood leaf beetle.
The Erie grape belt in Psnn-vlvania IN
1906 suffered = loss amounting To 10000
from the rRvagea Of the rose ch~fer. In
1885 the Hessian Nv cau-ed two counties
In the State ~ New York = l'ss- amounting
to $4,000. Ia 1888 the cranberry crop
In three towns on Cape Cod suffered a loss
Of si0o. Dn from the work Of tho army worm.
In 1875 and 1850 cut worms caused nj amount
OF damage 10 the onion crop Ia Orange
county. \. Y. estimated ~ ssno.0n each
year. In 1874 the buffalo gnst killed stock
In one countv IN Tenne-<ee valued at $500
op.
The lo<s 20 truck farmers IN Maryland
from the WORK OF the melon plan, lous-
eetim,ted AT tioHyoo annually. In 1870
Massachusetts, suffered a loss Ia tho grass
grain crop from the army worm
amounting TO s?oo,oo. Similar damage
hone va Pcnns ylvania by tho ssm.
In tho sam. year to the amount 81
$500 .o0. Ia iso3 the los 20 the Iib~ foi-
In West Virginia and n small part -
ou.NweStern p nn-yi,anis IRON bark
amounted II N.oo.en In 1893
the los. suffered b, the State ~ Alabama
In stored grain from the ruvages of the
iiisignifcnn. little Az weevil Wa closely
e~ilnlNfeu ~ NlfttNsN-a. Inc di'llldl lN-N
~ TeNas from this same insect anlouu
TO over 81 100 90
In 1901 the hof, industry IN tho State 81
v sshing,nn and Oregon i Said To have
suffered n loss ~ ss6S mo- from tho work ~
t,. hon plant ousa. Now that the stat.
~ Massachusetts has di~rontinued i's pN-
.e~rmiua,ive work against the gyp-v moth. |
fhe ~con,ni',.. " hich had the work In charge
an annual loss 20 that State -
81 ,OayO oo. after a few wears Increase.
The state % Illinois until rCcrntly SUI
fcr.d an annual loss 81 (, .S7S.OoD. or one
half tho value OF the avcrsg' apple crop, /
,hrpurh the work ~ the C,iling moth. !
Nebraska IT. ,so2 suTered a los 81 s. on .OO I
In the -an. way. New York " said to
suffer an nunual loss 81 ss!oco.oo from
the .,tne inset. 20 which g.. ". O0 l. in
ami $500 coo in p~ar-.
A. far back a. 1854 'he wheat crop ~ the
stat. a, New Work wa. damaged to tho eS
I.n, 81 s,sOoyGo by the wheat midg,.
Ohio In IN. same wear lbs, siS,Oon!0n from /,
no sane ca,,-e. aud Canada n 1857 from
no sang in-ec, lost ss.Oo.co. In 1919
ia. sre.n pea Iouae in MARYLAND ate - 100.
M ~or,h Of yre-.n ts.a- heinK raussi for
-~arnIng tac,orl,~. and IN ieOO incr"a~ri It's
.,I.tIt. IN ., or
Il, ,s.o ,La chinch hug damage the grim
49, - Illinois ,o .he amount IL sa.OON. OnO.
/, Isl, ,bc same ins-c 81 lmpovsriShci the
a hast orowe,s " Niss,uu 20 the extent
sIo On 0o hu, in the meantime Illinois
u,.,ab,.d a r,,cl larger loss in the
- =.