Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-09-05
BUGS KEEP FARMERS POOR.
UNREMITTING WAR ON THE IN
SECT TRIBE.
They Destroy $S,OOo,OOO Of Earths Pro-
ducts In Year Maryland Suffers
More Than a PrOportiOnate Amount
Ernm 1nsanfs

From Insects.
The present season has been a fairly
prosperous one TOR Maryland truckers
and farmers. who have experienced the
unusual combination OF abundant crops
and fairly remunerative prices. These
crops have not been raised, however,
without ceaseless vigilance and unremii.
ting war on the insect tribe. which now
seems to furnish a clan of specialists
thoroughly equipped for the destruction
OF each variety OF irui, or vegetable.
Maryland. being largely a trucking
and truit-growing State, suffers perhaps
more than proporlionate amount from
the Tavages OF insects. One peach-grower
has within the last three years seen his
orchard. valued at S75 eco, entirely de-
stroyed by San Jose scale, pest which
came here from Asa. 1t is estimated
that the loss caused 10 Maryland truckers
by the work OF the melon louse is 500,
900 year. The ravenous appetite of
the pea louse cost the growers of peas
So .ooo, 900 in 1899 and 81 900. 900 last
year. The squash bug, the plum cur
culio, the potato beetle, the corn louise,
the wheat hY and host OF other spotted,
striped and variously decorated bugs oil
different sizes. tastes and idiosyncrasies
made up total bill of damages which
would be appalling could the sum be
accurately written.
In fact, to such dimensions has this
scouTge attained that the fighting of in
sect pests is now the most important part
OF the truckers labors. Hardly a vege-
table or species of fruit can now be
grown without the administration OF some
poison to destroy the insect life which
swarms to feed upon the fruit OF the
gardeners labor even with the most
unremitting at ION the crop is frequent
ly a failure, either because the right
poison is not found or because the bugs
congregate in such numbers as to render
its use futile. The application of paris
green and such compounds to cabbages,
tomatoes, cucumbers and even tobacco
has become a necessary evil, and while
il is said TO result in no injurious effects
upon the human consumer, the universal
absorption Of such virulent poisons is not
viewed with great equanimity by the
timid diner.
Much valuable assistance has been
given to the farmers. gardeners and stock
raisers by the Federal and State govern
ments by investigating injurious insects
and devlslng proper remedies against
them, but much more could and should
be done. The whole Government and
State appropriations for work OF this
class do not, 1t is said, amount 10 more
than SIoo. 900 annually. Until very re-
Gently the State of Maryland expended
no more money for this purpose except
what was incidentally given through the
Maryland Agricultural College, which
supports chair Of entomology. An
appropriation OF 81 900 a year is now
made to the State Horticultural Society,
which makes some investig ations OF in
sects which prey upon fruit trees. The
damage caused to the agricultural inter
ests OF the country by insect pests, while
enormous in the aggregate and some
times disastrous in the case of the indi-
vidual. is the result of process which
has become so usual that the general at
tention arrested by it is comparatively
slight. Yet if is estimated by competent
authorities that the destruction brought
about by the various parasites which iced
upon the crops and stock OF the farmer
is more than $500, COO. 900 a year. or
sufficient in three years to pay the entire
national debt.
A striking feature is that most of this
havoc is wrought by insects OF imported
species and not by those which are native
to this country. Just as the descendants
OF generations of European peasants come
to our shores in poverty and then wax
fat in their new and richer environment
and acquire the control of large business
enterprises, cities and great political
parties. so do these chronological stowa-
ways. which pass through the custom
houses undetected in importations of for
eign fruits and plants, attain an import
ance unknown TO them in their former
home. Ii is safe TO assume that all
native species OF insects have already
tried their powers in destroying the pro-
ducts Of human labor and that the worst
is not known concerning them, but it is
by no means assured that there are not
many varieties of bugs OF enormous appe-
tites still waiting to find a lodgment in
this fecund country, where they may de-
velop in numbers unknown to their native
habitat. Rigid inspection laws and iacili-
ties for their prompt determination should
they once find lodgment here would
seem to be only measures OF common
nxuIanra