The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-02-28
TALKS ON INSECT PESTS.
XXI.-0ur Insect Tax.

timated at one-tenth of the total agricultural pro
duction. Figure this down to North Carolina
and we have an annual loss in this State of $40,
100000, or thereabouts, which we pay to satisfy
the insects-we may, therefore, say that our in
sect tax is ten millions a year. A few weeks age
a very prominent judge in this State told me that
our total of State and Federal taxes is about
eight millions a year. We are intensely inter
ested In every movement affecting our State and
Federal taxes, but Fay little or no attention to
our insect tax.
The reason for this is that every campaign ora
tor and every political newspaper discusses the
State and Federal taxes in detail, but the insect
tax, greater than both the others combined, and
borne almost entirely by the farmers. is never
mentioned. Another reason why it is not much
thought of is b because very few persons are sufici-
emily careful In their observations to know what
harm the insects do. Then, TOO, many persons
only think of insects as disgusting creatures to be
crushed under foot at every opportunity, little
thinking that there are cheap, effective methods
for dealing with most of the injurious ones.
Then again, i don't suppost that one farmer in
a hundred in North Carolina really knows and
appreciates the fact that there is an office in this
State maintained for the special purpose of in
f0SIASdlIuS pcSIS duu recommending TeHS-
dies. If the farmers do know this many of them
think that it is merely a political make-shift to
give somebody a soft snap. Wish some of those
farmers could see some of the things that / have
known of in North Carolina-whole fields of wheat
destroyed by Hessian fy,whole fields of corn ruin
ed by chinch bugs, acres of tobacco damaged by
worms, flea beetles and cut-worms, hundreds of
bushels of grain riddled by weevils, thousands of
rnaob trooo GillaJ bu horor, % Al ~uo,.I H.
sands of apple trees stripped by caterpillars and
the fruit ruined by codling moth. If they could
see some of these things they would be convinced
that the insect tax is indeed a heavy one. Then
if these farmers could go with me to visit some
of the farmers and fruit-growers who are carrying
on a really intelligent warfare against these pests,
1 am sure they would agree with me, that if we
want to, we can save at least one-third of that
ten millions each year, over and above the ex-
penses necessary to do the work.
But, you say, insects do not do so much damage
as that. Let us see. Corn is the principal crop
gown In North Carolina. Is not more than one
stalk In ten ruined or seriously injured by cut
worms, bud-worms, stalk-borers, ear-worms. bill
bugs, army-worms and chinch-bugs? And after
these have done their work of destruction, is not
the stored grain riddled by weevil, and even the
meal in the sack infested with the m~eal-worm and
cock-roaches2 Let US see again. The apple is
our most widely grown fruit. Is not one tree in
every ten that you plant out killed, principally
from insects? And of those that remain is not
almost every fruit knotty, wormy and misshapen.
especially if you are living in Eastern or Middle
North Carolina2
Now, L want to repeat, that we can. in nv
opinion save at least one-third of all this insect