The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-16
Friends of Fruit Growers.

Texas Farm and Ranch.
Man, by his thoughtless aggressiveness,
disturbs the equilibrium of nature by de-
stroying species that annoy him, and sud-
denly an unknown plague affects him, and
he knows not whence it come. But one
branch of this subject has received public
attention. We have been destroying birds,
and insect pests have multiplied, and COM
mon consent has connected these facts as
cause and effect. All the parts of universal
nature are so correlated that the most in
significant thing is necessary to the perfect
operation of the whole. Professor Malley
startled some of his hearers by the bold
statement that were our insect friends to
suspend their activity for a single season
not a single AGRICULTURAL crop would be har-
vested. The difficulty is to know which are
friends and which are enemies, so we may
protect the first and aid them in destroying
the second The first of our insect friends
mentioned In the paper is the praying man
tbs, often called the DEVILS horse This
insect is well known by it's long body,
prominent eyes, and its strong front legs,
which 1t carries in an apparently pious atti-
tude This mantis captures and eats num-
erous injurious insects. Its eggs are found
IN elongated masses on the trunks and
branches of orchard and nursery trees,
fence posts, etc. They are often gathered
and destroyed, which should not be done.
Soldier bugs are also useful. destroying
cut worms in great numbers. These soldier
bugs are greeniSh or duSky, and often
called stink bugs from the peculiar odcr
they emit. The lace winged fly is another
wings almost colorless, body delicately
unged with green and cleaning eyes. The
eggs are suspended in the air by a slender
sflken thread until Matched. The young
are active, and have pair of long sickle
like jaws, and travel rapidly all day over
leaf and bud in search of insects TO de-
stroy.
Many flies are beneficial, the most COM
mon being the surplus flies, which give
their chief attention to plant lice. There
are about 1000 specimens of this family
alone. Cut worms and caterpillarS are
often found dead on leaves or on the
ground, and from these maggots are
Matched, which develop into a tachina fly,
fetal flies, attacking mostly cut worms
and caterpillars, In the bodies or which
they deposit their eggs.
No group of insects has attracted more
attention as a friend of the fruit grower
than the family of ladybugs. These insects
feed upon the eggs of other insects, both as
larvae and adults. They lay their eggs
among the insect pests they would devour.
Matching. the larvae at once begins active
feeding upon the insect pests surrounding
1t. The ichneumon fly is another valuable
friend. These in myriads every year attack
well-known insect pests where they are de-
veloped in unusual numbers. The ichneu-
mon flies are small. delicate, four-winged
insects, generally known as parasites. They
deposit their eggs in the bodies OF their
hosts. and these Matching, destroy the
host. The important matter for us to con-
slider is how to foster and protect them.
This may largely be summed up In one
word-education. The nurseryman, fruit
grower, gardener, and in fact every ele-
ment of our industrial occupation should
be taught 10 recognize a friend well as
foes among insects. NurSerymen and or
chardists should be taught to recognize all
their insect friends, and taught how TO
harbOr them and to for them.