The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-08-02
CAUSES GREAT LOSS.
Worm, Bugs and Flies Destroy Seven
Hundred Million dollars

Hundred Million lollars
Worth cf Products OF Different kinds
on the Farms of the United
States Each Year.
According to a careful estimate
made in the year book just published
by tina department OF agriculture,
loss OF 800, 900, 600 is cccaSioned to
American farmers every year by in
sects. The losses on all the plant pro-
ducts of the soil, both in their grow.
irg ard in their stored ststes, exceed
the entire expenditure OF the national
government, inc!u1irg the pension roll
and the maintenance Of the army and
navy. Enormous as is the total value
Of the farm products in this country,
it would be very much greater we're It
not for the devastating work OF tbs In
curious insects. Tee lessening or pre-
venticn Of this loss is the problem the
entomologists OF the agricultural de-
partment are attempting to solve.
A considerable item OF loss properly
chargeable to insects is the annual ex'
denditure devoted to their control.
This amounts to considerable per
csntage of the value Of the crop in
the case Of orchard fruits, truck crop,
and such field crops as cotton and to-
bacco. IL the case Of cereals, protec.
tion is chiefly secured by farm prac-
tices, such as rotation OF crops, vari-
atlons in the time Of planting, etc. 1t
is shown that SIS. 600, 900 is expended
or spraying apple trees, allowing a
cost Of only five cents per tree.
The estimate then goes on to speak
Of the actual damage to the crops
every year. Tie annual farm value OF
she corn crop has exceeded 81, 900, 0O0,
600, but the amount would be consld.
9cably greater we're it not for insec'
pests. The work of several Of these is
obscure and many farmers are entire
ly ignorant o1 the existence even Of
some Of the worst enemies Of this
crop. AmoIg the latter is the corr
root worm, which feeds on the roots
OF young corn and causes an annua
damage Of s2o, ,00C, 600. The next most
Important insect pest OF this cereal Il
the boil CT ear worm, which attack!
from 90 to 100 per cent. Of the ears o.
sweet corn throughout the country
and il the South practically an equa
percentage Of the ears Of field coru, a.
shown by actual counts in the field
The corn crop Of 1904 was damaged
by it at least $40, 10000 TIE de-
predationS OF the chiCch bug are ais!
Important, though its injury is more
marked where corn is grown in tht
oeighborhood of wheat for in sucf
cases the migration OF the bug from
wheat to corn may result in the tota
destruction Of considerable areas O.
ccrn. The loss from the chinch bus
will in year foot up to $50, ,0o0,00(
more. With minor insects the tota
icss to the corn crop every year is $50,
0o0,0o
| Wheat suffers most from insect de
predations. The Hessian fly, th
cainch bug, and the gan plant lous
work an annual havoc amounting to
per cent. OF the crcp. The Hessial
dy Is distinctly wheat pest, inhictins
damage 10 Indiana and Illinois alon
ast year OF s24 900 900. Twenty pc
cent. Of the planted area Of Michigan
vas abandoned on account Of it, ant
the loss in the United States during
a single season has been estimated a
s100, 100000. Last year the loss va
$40, 900, 900. From al pests, the whea
crop suffers an annual damage o
500, 900, 900.
The principal insect depreciation
on cotton are the cotton boil weevil
the boil worm and the )eat worm. To
sether they cost the planters Of thu
South $4,000, 900 every year. The or
chard and small fruits suffer heavil!
from insect pests, there being sever
al hundred which feed on the apple
tor instance. The important pests arr
5he woolly aphis, injuring the roots
the truck and limb borers, the leas
worms, canker worms and tent cater
pillars ard the various pests, including
the San Jose scale. Injuring the fruit
are the codling moth, the curculio anc
the apple maggot. By all OF them the
producriveness OF the fruit crop Is less
ened II per cent. year. The tota
loss to apples alone reaches an aver
| age OF IS per cent. every year.
! The loss to the farm forests Ii
large. The leaf defliators, the black
locuSts and other insects, indict q
damage Of $40, ,000,0 900. Another $780,.
100000 is lost through insects in stor'
ed products. Domestic or household
insect pests do much damage, such as
mosquitoes, flies, moths, reaches and
ants. The white ant in Washington
alone causes losses Of thousands OF
dollars yearly, and is much more de-
structiVe in southern districts. The
total loss from these household pests
every year amounts to $50, loco, 900.
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 500, ,G00,-
900 loss is a low estimate.
CHINESE DOCTo2 SrBAKGLED
With His Own Queue While Making
Call in a Lodging House.