The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-22

- : = :, i = " IL <.
II win probabiy etaffle tns ayesass
American citizen r. learn that esesy;
year insect pests damage our i've
stock and the agricult ural products oil
cur soil TO an amount exceeding the
entire expenditures OF the national
government Including the pensi On roll
andSth maintenance OF the army and
navy. In mo- other country In the
world do insects impose so heavy "a
tax on the products OF the fern as In
the United States. A scientific agri-i
cultural writer &c. L. a1arlatt, assis-
tant entomolisist in the national BIZ
reau Of Entomology estimated few!
years ago that a. total OF more than
500, 100000 annual loss due to insect
pests in the United States Is below
rather than above the actual damage.
Despite the careful and thorough
work done to eradicate these pests
great damage is. still inflicted by them.
Before the cotton worm was studied
and the method Of controlling It by
the use OF arsenic sprays naG pecur.
common knowledge this plague had
levied q tax Of s3o.0oO.oOo in bad years
On the cotton crop. This estimate and
those that follow are based on the
official figures of the Department OF
Agriculture for the calendar year 1904
the latest statistics available. Much
saving has been effected since then
by the methods OF the Bureau OF En-
tomology and the State Entomologists.
but the aggregate less Is still enosm-
GUS. A knowledge of the habits and
the methods OF controlling or avoid
ing the Hessian fly. including impror-
ed agricultural methods. has resulted
in, the saving Of wheat values to the
farmer aggregating from $1,000. 900. 600
to s200.000,000 annually. The apnle
crop OF the country Is worth from
sG.600,000 to ss.00o.0o0 more since the
as yet incomplete control of the cod-i
Cling moth has been generally under
stood. The root worm was almost !
batfled by the principle of rotation of !
corn with oats. thus saving the corn
crop to the extent OF many millions
annually. The annual losses occa-
stoned to forests and porest products
by insect pests have been estimated /
ut not less than sloo.000.000. OF which
$40. 100000 is damage sustained by the |
growing timber. The tobncco crop
suffers from insects to the extent OF
more than S5,00O.0o0. The white scale
would have completely destroyed the
orange and lemon orchards OF Call
fornia but for the Introduction OF one
Of Its natural enemies from Austral-l
ia. while the control of the Mexican
boil weeril has already saved the
farmers OF Texas an enormous sum.
and has really made the continuance
of cotton-growing possible.
Besides these direct losses ennrm-
ous damage is done by insects to cat.
tie and in the transmission of dis.
ease to man. The loss In the value
of horse sheep. and cattle products
directly chargeable to insects tthe OK
~arble) the buffolo gnat, and the vari.
Gus biting flies and ticks) would ag.
"arble) the buffalo gnat. and the vari.
nre, not less than st75.00o.oo0 an
nually. To this must be added the
cost OF protection from insect dam.
age to stores products and from the
ltoxious mosquito. fly. and other dis.
ease bearing insects. Undoubtedly
mosquitoes as carriers OF malaria and
yellow feaver. and flies as transmittersi
Oh typhoid. occasion the loss of lessen.
ed economic pro1uctivity.-From
How Science Fights the Insect enc
mics OF our Crops by Louis E. Van
Norman. in the American Review OF
Reviews for June.