The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-10-27

! Their demand the Farmers Institute hm
come into existence. II IL the purpose
of this organization to give TO the,
farmers the principles underlying sue
cess in the raising of farm products.
This work is distinct from the WORK
OF investigation in regard to the cub
tivation OF crops or suggestions for
protecting them from their insect foes,
but necessary If the information thur
obtained is to be of practical use.
INJURIOUS INSECTS.
AS regards economic entomology the
farmer should at least be able to dis
tinguish the beneficial from the injuri.
GUS insects in his locality. Besides
these two classes there will be n host
of others which are of little economic
Importance, whose mission in life IL
not well understood. The injurious In
sects feeding on the external parts or
plants are divided for convenience mere
| ly. into two great classes; the so-call-
ed biting insects and the sucking in
sects The biting insects are those hav-
ing mouthparts fitted or constructed
for biting Off portions of the plants on
which they feed and actually eating
these parts. The sucking insects, ON
the other hand, have the mouth-parts
differentiated into n beak or proboscis
! fitted for piercing the outer covering
and penetrating the tissues. The pro-
boscs being tubular permits the insect
to suck up from the plant the sap or
juices upon which it feeds. In addi-
ton to the injurious insects feeding on
the external parts of plants. we have
those feeding on the internal portions,
III az.
feeding beneath the surface of the
ground on the root system, as the lar
vac of certain insects, root lice, etc.;
the various household pests and those
preying on or infesting stock.
1t Is commonly the case in insect at
tacks upon plants that the insect it
self is not noticed until the effects or
It's attack have become evident by the
appearance of the plant. And there Is
often doubt as to which of the many
insects present is responsible for the
destruction. Many times the blame is
placed upon an innocent or perhaps a.
beneficial species. Much of the de-
struction of vegetation Is done by in
sects in the young or larval stage. We
do not always recognize the adult OF
these forms. 1t Is difficult to believe
that the beautiful moth or butterfly
is the crawling worm that destroyed
our plants. The farmer, then. must not
only be able to recognize the different
injurious species and according to the
nature of their work decide upon the
best methods to combat the pests but
he must also study the development,
habits, time of breeding ETC., to know
when to apply these methods success
fully. The illustrations will show these
various points better than I can ex-
press them and the impression VIII
be more lasting.
BENEFICIAL INSECTS.
Just a word in regard to the in
sects of benefi' to the farmers. Aside
from those whose products are of value,
as the honey bee, silk worm, ct all
there are many others of vastly more
Importance because of their intimate
relation to flowers, bringing about
cross-fertiliZation and those which are
either predaceous or parasitic to the
insect pests and lastly those which act
as scavengers in Kidding places of con-
Eliminating objects.
OUR INTRODUCED INSECTS.
While the parasitic and predaceous
insect enemies cannot be relied upon
to control the injurious species yet
these beneficial insects should be fost-
cred and encouraged wherever posi-
Bile, especially here in Hawaii where the
injurious insects are almost exclusive
ly introduced ones. The presence OF
these beneficial forms will tend to
equalize the struggle between the
plants and their pests and render more
successful the attempts Of direct means
OF control. In some instances, no doubt.
exaggerated statements have been made
In regard to the impossbility of rails
ing successfully certain crops here in
these Islands because OF the many
pests. 1t is quite true that the pests
occur In unusual numbers and In the
case OF some are continually present
throughout the year. accounted for by
the facts that the cultivated areas are
small In comparison to the areas CIV
en- over to natural vegetation, the
evenness of the temperature, the lack
of any definite wet or dry season, and
absence of the natural enemies which
preyed upon them in their native home
1t Is just as true. however. that no
general direct means OF control have
been employed here as is practiced
elsewhere in the United States. The
pests should not moreover receive the
''"''c Va TIC itiSh VI Il HluThtt, Hlsh
freight rates. and other conditions
which have had to do with some OF
the non-success.
CAN CONTROL PESTS.
The control of the various pests Is
not an impossibillty. 1t means that
the farmers must solve the problem for
themselves by first understanding the
crops for which there Is demand that
can be grown here successfully, the
necessary for their best
development, and making n study or
the various insect foes of the crop, the
possible methods of control and the
best time to undertake such methods
CThis paper was followed by a series
Of about fifty lantern slides, many OF
them representing photographs of in
sects, colored from life. The slides.
were used to illustrate insects, injuri-
ous and beneficial, in the various
stages of development and in the case
IF the injurious species, the manner In
which they wrought their injury ana
he proper time in the lfe-cycle OF the
a.