Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-06-13
THE GREEN BUG RAvAGEs.


The green bug, a little insect be-
longing to the aphid or plant louise
family, which has done the crops IN
southern states considerable damage
III some years during the past twelve
or fifteen, Is this year proving very
serious menace to the wheat oat and
other small grain crops in several of
the southern states, especially Texas,
Oklahoma. Indian Territory and Kan
sas. The eggs of this insect are laid
iii the fall, which hatch in a few days
as females, some winged and some
wingless They are yiviparous, or
produce their young alive, which ac-
counts for their remarkable repro
ductiye power and capacity for de-
structiveness. In ordinary seasons
the pest is held in check by its natural
parasitic enemies, but due to the I'M
seasonably cold weather which has
prevailed this spring the propagation
of these parasites has been held in
check. with the result that the green
| bug, so called, has multiplied without
restraint In some grain growing sec
tions of the south as high as so per
cent damage has been reported in
wheat and oat fields, and even greater
damage viii result unless the para
sites develop very soon. The agricul-
tural department at Washington, to
which a great many inquiries have
been sent, reports that practically
nothing can be done to hold the pest
in check, but that if fields of small
grain have been seriously damaged
the only thing to do is to plow them
up and plant corn, potatoes or other
later field crops. AS the warm weather
comes on the parasites referred te will
get busy and put the green bugs out of
business.
THE MISSION OF ARBoR DAY.
With the gradual consumption Of the
forests of the country in the manufac-
ture of lumber and paper products and
use as fuel, increasing interest may be
looked for in the matter of Arbor day
observation and the Importance at
taching thereto While it seems to
have been quite largely commercial
greed that has been to blame for the
ruthless and careless destruction of
the forest areas Of the country, 1t
seems likely that pure patriotism and
sentiment will have to be invoked to
right the wrong and bring about
change for the better. 1t may be
charitable view to say that it is in
difference and a failure to realize the
importance of perpetuation of our
forest resources that are most largely
responsible for the deplorable con-
dition in which matters have been al
lowed to get. President Roosevelt is
entitled to the thanks of all good peo-
pie for the stand he has taken on the
question of preserving our forest areas
and for the public sentiment which he
has been able to arouse on the matter.
This sentiment must be kept alive and
deepened if possible. In no way can
this be done more effectively than by
investing Arbor day observances with
increased interest and meaning and
a still further development of the
thought that trees are in a very true
sense friends Of man and are not to
be valued merely from the standpoint
of their convertibility into dollars and
cents. The children Of today will be
confronted with the forestry problem
of tomorrow The teachings of Arbor
day viii help them to realize their re-
sponsibility.