The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-05-03
Making Nature Fight the Insect Foes

Scientists are now realizing that the
abundance of insect pests which the
farmer of today has to battle with, is
due largely, if not entirely, to the up
setting of natures laws.
Before man placed the woods and
prairieS under cultivation, excessive
increase of any insect species was per-
haps unknown, or at most very rare.
Nature has always provided forces
which operate against each other, as
it were: and with insects, as with other
creatures, balance between the num-
bers of different species has been main
tanned.
Modern methods of farming have
often decreased the natural enemies OF
injurious insects, and in other cases
have afforded conditions favOring the
rapid multiplication of insects not
formerly present in dangerous num-
bers.
The practical entomologist of today,
while not discOunting the value of
poisons and sprays as implements of
war against the six-footed host, recog-
nizes that really satisfactory control
is to be brought about by a partial or
total restoration of the conditions I'M
der which nature formerly prevented
the different species from becoming
too numerous. The entomologist ac-
cordingly studies parasitic enemies
and diseases which destroy the injuri-
GUS insects and oftentimeS he is ell
abled to encourage the parasites to
such an extent that they largely or en-
tirely control the injurious forms.
An interesting bit of work of this
character is at present being done by
the State Crop Pest Commission of
Louisiana. In the orange growing
parishes of the state, one of the most
destructive pests to the orange and
lemon trees is the white fly" This
insect not only sucks the juices from
the leaves, but is indirectly response
BILE for the "sooty mold" which chokes
up the breathing pores of the leaves.
Over in Florida a disease called the
"red-pink fungus" has for several
years been attacking and killing the
white flies. This beneficial fungus
did not occur in Louisiana until in
the spring of 1906, when the Crop Pest
Commission sent to Florida for trees
bearing the ripe spores, or seeds OF
I this fungus, and distributed them in
orange groves in about a half-dozer
! localities in Louisiana. The weather
! following this introduction was very
dry and the fungus paintings did not
take" except at Lake Charles. In
an orange grove at the latter place
the fungus is increasing rapidly anG
on the trees where it is abundant
more than 80 per cent of the white fly
Larvae on the trees were killed during
the past winter.
Encouraged by this partial success
the entomologists of the Commission
are now planting the fungus il
orange groves in Orleans and Jetfer
son parishes and the recent wet wealth
er-which is favorable to the develop
nent of the Ifungus-is indicative O
success. AS rapidly as material from
the groves already infected with the
Fungus can be secured, the Commits
sion will start this disease in Other
orange groves where the white fly il
prevalent. The present outlook fol
the success of this experiment is very
bright and should it prove success,
this beneficial fungus will save the
orange growers of the state alone.
many times all the money that has
been expended by the Commission il
it's various lines Of work