The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-01
GREEN BUGS AND THE CROPS.
Dreadful Stories of the Doings Of an
Old Friend Heard in Wall Street.


New York, April 24.-With dull
market moving uncertainty and un-
fruitful of gossip, the wlsacres of
New street fell back last week upon
the crop prospects. Interest In calam-
litous prediction this year is stlmulat-
ed by novelty Of the attributed cause,
the green bug which veracious re-
ports from the wheat fields Of the
southwest say is advancing north
ward like locusts Of old Egypt, leay-
| ing dollar wheat in its wake. There
was little chronological information
to be had about the pest, though
anybody around the stock exchange
or in the New street cafes could tell
you all about the terrible ravages in
Oklahoma, and Of the rapidity of the
advance, which has brought the in
vading army already into Kansas
and Nebraska. Down on the produce
\
ed. intimate knowledge was profess
ed about the bug, but positive infor-
nation as to what damage he has
done so far was hard to come at. To
the grain men, the green bug is an
old friend He, along with weather
conditions, has always been s-.en the
credit for the great bull campaign in
wheat in 1890 which sent the price
above 81 a bushel.
Properly described he is an aphid
of the same species as the green
aphid, which the suburbanite finds
eating his rose bushes in June, but
| the particular variety now loose in
/ the southwest differs from anything
ever seen before, as described by
market scientists, in having mouth
at each end Of his body. With this
double armament he tackles the
young plant Of the freshly sprouted
winter wheat, now only few inches
above the ground, and suck its liv-
| ing juices Ordinarily, and according
to the encyclopedia, cold rains or
freezing weather are fatal to the
young aphid. Here again the wheat
destroying variety in Oklahoma, Kan
sas and Nebraska differ from its cou-
sins known to science. Veraciouis cor
respondents in the field assert that
the frosts which have been common
this spring have only destroyed the
parasites of the green bug" leaving
him sound in wind and limb for the
northward march. The same CORES
pondents vindicate their conservatism
by reporting that they can find no
ground Off the reports current near
er the market that the aphid army
is destroying railroad ties and pulling
spikes on the railroads encountered
on the way.
| According to crop authorities on
the produce exchange, the green
! bug" last made his appearance i'll
alarming numbers in the spring of
| 1889, which had been preceded by
weather conditions identical with
those Of last fall and winter. In that
year, the effect Of the green bug"
first made itself felt in the May crop
| ropor+c ,1,bick, FOIL off heavily from
the conditions reported in April and
March. The wheat harvested in
1890 was only 3e9.OOO,0OO bushels.
compared with 4eS, 900, 600 bushels in
the previous year One consolation
found in the visit Of the green bug is
that, if precedent is followed, the crop
succeeding the year Of its ravages
should be nearly double in quantity
After the short crop Of 1890 the crop
of 1891 was 611,OOO,00O bushels.
Produce exchange authorities say
tia: it Will be impossible to tell what
damage has ben done so far by the
aphid until there has been rain in
the affected belt followed by grow
ing weather. The plant viii then
show whether its roots have been at
fected and will either die quickly or
grow as if the aphid were fiction.
*Rest is the great restorer. We tie