The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-04
CAUSES GREAT LOSS.

CAUSES UREAI LUSS.
Worms, Bugs and Flies Destroy Seven
Hundred Million Dollars
worth OF Products or D~iffsFons kinds
on the Farms OF tho United
S,atSs Eaoh Yss-.
According to a careful estimate
mace In the year book just published
by the department of agriculture, q
loss OF 500. 600, 900 is Cccasioned to
American farmers every year by in.
scots. The losses on all the plant pro.
ducts OF the soil, both in their grow.
Ing and In their stored states, exceed
the entire expenditure of the national
government, including the pension roll
n the maintenance Of the army and
navy. Enormous as Ia the total value
or the farm products In this country,
1t would be very much greater were 1t
not for the devastating work of the in,
curious Insects. The ~lessening or pre-.
vention OF this loss is the problem the
entomologists of the agricultural de-
partment ere attempting to solve.
A considerable item Of loss properly
chargeablc to insects Is the annual ex
denditure devoted to their control.
This amounts to a considerable per.
cNntage Of the value Of the crop In
the case Of orchard fruits, truck crop,
and such field crops as cotton and to.
bacco. In the case of cereals, prOteo.
tion Is chiefly secured by farm prao.
tices, such as rotation Of crops, vari-
ations In me time of planting. etc. 1t
Is shown that SO, 600, 900 Is expended
for spraying apple trees, allowing a
cost OF only five cents per tree.
The estimate then goes on to speak
or the actual damage to the crops
every year. TIE annual farm value OF
the corn crop has exceeded 81, 600, 0OO,.
600, but the amount would be consid-
erably greater were 1t not for insect
pests. The work Of several of those is
obscure and many farmers are entire
ly ignorant OF the existence even OF
some OF the worst enemies of this
crop. Among the latter Is the corr
root worm, which feeds on the roots
OF young corn aud causes an annual
damage OF $40 600, 900. The next most
Important insect pest Of this cereal is
the boil or a worm, which attacks
from 90 to 100 per cent. Of the ears of
sweet corn throughout the country,
and II tho South practically an equal
percentage OF the ears of field corn, as
shown by actual counts In the field.
The corn crop Of 1904 was damaged
by 1t at least $40, 900 600. The de-
predations Of the chinch bug are also
Important, though It's Injury Is more
marked where corn Is grown In the
neiRhborhOod OF wheat for in such
cases the migration Of the bug from
wheat TO corn may result in the total
destruction Of considerable areas of
corn. Tho loss from the chinch bug
will In a year foot up to $40, 600, 600
more. With minor insects tho total
loss to the corn crop every year is $780,
600, 600.
Wheat suffers most from insect de.
prcdations. The Hessian fly, the
chinch bug, and the grain plant louise
work an annual havoc amounting to S
per cent. OF the crop. The Hessian
fly Is distinctly a wheat pest, inllicting
a damage In Indiana and Illinois alone
last year Of S24 600, 900. Twent5 per
cent. OF the planted area Of Michigan
was abandoned on account Of it, and
the loss in the United States during
q single season has been estimated at
500, 000, 900. Last year the loss was
SAC, GOO, 600, From all pests, the wheat
crop suffers an annual damage Of
800, 900, 900.
The principal insect d%epredations
on cotton are the cotton boil weevil,
the boil worm and the Jeaf worm. To.
Rether they cost the planters of the
South $4,000, 600 every year. The or
chard and small fruits suffer heavily
from insect pests, there being sever
al hundred which feed on the apple,
for instance. The important pests are
the woolly aphis, iujuring the roots,
h truck and limb borers, the leae
worms, canker worms and tent cater.
pillars and the various pests, including
the San Jose scale. Injuring the fruit
are the codling moth, the @curculio and
the apple magRot. BY all OF them tho
productiveness Of the fruit crop Is less.
cned l7.per cent. a year. The total
loss to apples alone reaches an aver
age OF 80 per cent. every year.
The loss to the farm forests is
large. The leaf %defliators, the black
locusts and other insects, infict a
damage of $40, 600, 900. Another $780,.
OOO, 900 Ia lost through insects in stor.
products. Domestic or household
insect pests do much damage, such as
flies, moths, reaches and
ants. The white ant In Washington
alone causes losses of thousands of
yearly, and Is much more de.
structive In southern districts. The
total loss from these household pests
every year amounts to $50, OCO, 600.
And then there Is the loss to commu
mites by diseases inflicted by Insects,
such as malaria and yellow fever,
caused by mosquitoes; typhoid fever,
caused by house flies, according to
DR.. Howard, and Texas fever. 1t IS
considered that the total OF 800, 600.
)0O loss Is q low estimata.
CHINESE DOCTOR sTRAEGLgD
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IIin (Nx-. $500. |