The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-26

the, demand the Farmers Institute has
come into existence. 1t is 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 Gull
tivation of crops or suggestions for
protecting them from their insect foes;
but necessary if the information thus
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 host
of others which are of little economic
Importance, whose mission in life is
not we'll understood. The injurious in
sects feeding on the external parts of
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 mouth-parts 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 a beak or proboscis
| fitted for piercing the outer covering
and penetrating the tissues. The pro-
boscis 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,
as the melon-fiy, caneborer; those
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 of
its 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 will
be more lasting.
| BENEFICIAL INSECTS.
| Just a word in regard to the in
sects of benefit to the farmers. Aside
from those whose products are of value,
| as the honey bee, silk worm ct al.
| 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
equallze 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 impossibility 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
5 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 nc
5 general direct means of control have
5 been employed here as is practiced
elsewhere in the United States. The
: blame of the lack of a market, high
freight rates, and other conditions
: which have had to do with some OF
5 the non-Success
CAN CONTROL PESTS.
The control of the various pests is
not an impossibility. 1t means that
the farmers must solve the problem fol-
themselves by first understanding the
crops for which there is a demand that
can be grown here successfully, the
conditions necessary for their best
development, apd making a study OF
the various insect foes of the crop, the
possible methods of control and the
best time to undertake such methods
(This 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-
Gus and beneficial, in the various
: stages of development and in the case
of the injurious species, the manner in
! which they wrought their injury and
the proper time in the life-cyoIe of the