Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-23
DREADED GREEN BUG
NOW ALMOST EXTINCT
SCIENCE ExTERMiNATEs' THE
LITTLE PEST
Insects Last Year Threatened to Do
One Hundred Million Dollars
Worth Of Damage to the
Wheat Crop

wheat Crop
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.-Elxit the
$1oO,OO0O0O bug. The advent of the
Hessian fly, which is now bringing ter
ror TO the hearts of the farmers in
Kansas, marks the passing from the
spotlight of what was probably In It's
beyday the greatest wealth producing
insect in the records of commerce.
This bug, the spring green aphis, was
worth s100,000,000 to bank accounts of
people in this country in 1907 who es-
capped Its call. At the same time it was
so destructive that desperate efforts
were made to exterminate it. Men wise
III bugology were on their knees in the
fields examining 1t with gmagnifying
glasses. The scientists discovered other
bugs or flies which took such a fancy
to the little bug in question that they
actually began to feed on it. Then
these scientists Matched and turned
loose millions Of these parasites to- de-
YOUR or destroy the $100,000,O00 bug.
They were partly successful and a
threatened calamity was averted.
The green aphis made sleepless nights
for wheat raisers of Oklahoma, Texas,
Kansas and Nebraska for period of
sixty days last year. Before 1t was ex-
terminated the department of agricul-
ture, the bureau of entomology, and an
| fight to save the wheat crop of the
country. The green bugs were van
| ouished and their spread into the wheat
states least of the Mississippi and the
| f1ring wheat states of the northwest
finally checked on the principle of
fighting the devil with fire." A small
| LACK fly in Oklahoma and Texas was
found to be the natural enemy of the
green bug. This fly was propasated by
| the millions under advice of scientists.
| Agents of the bureau of entomology
were sent into the fields to direct the
work f distributing the diminutive
black parasites. In thirty days after
the "war on the bugs" began the dan
ger was declared over, but not until
Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas had suf-
fered great injury and wheat raisers
had a great scare over what looked
like calamity for time.
Bug Worth $10o,ooo,ooo
Now for the $100, 100000 part of the
story. When tho first real scare over
the green bugs began what was selling
on May contracts at "a 5-8 cents. This
was when the sun crossed the line
March 81 and the growing season for the
big winter wheat states fairly began.
The country had O visible supply of
1906 wheat on hand amounting to nearly
! 49, 900, 600 bushels. Argentine was ship
ping 100000 bushels a week to Europe
and underselling American exporters.
| Shipments from that quarter from
January 1 to May l were 64O00,0O0
bushels. Official figures show that pri-
groaning under the receipts of 100000
to 100000 bushels day above normal
movement of previous years. The ear
| lier reports on the growing crop sent
| out from Secretary Wilson's crop bu-
reau were hattering and caused great
depression in prices. 1t looked like so
cents a bushel for the 1907 wheat crop
to the farmers west of the river.
Then came the green bug and the
| speculator.
At the first serious mention of insect
| damage to wheat in Texas and Okla
| homa experts were dispatched from
| Chicago Minneapolis and st. Louis
grain exchanges to learn the facts. The
| reports wired back to members OF these
exchanges first informed the press, the
public and even the wheat raisers of
! the southwest of the danger which
| threatened the crop. Buying of wheat
in all the big markets began like
whirlwind. Experienced operators saw
| that any calamity to the 10O00O,OO0-
bushel crop of Kansas on top Of ravages
| already established in Texas and Okla
homG would mean high-priced wheat
| for the world BY taking risks these
| operators made prices for producers
while making profits for themselves.
BY April 1 the price on the Cincago
board of trade was up from f4ss 10 fo7s
cents. In May the green bug got IN
| its deadliest work in Kansas ana even
made much headway in Nebraska sIne
| spread of the pest was like prairie
| fire. The public saw the danger 10 the
great wheat states extending away
north to the Dakotas.
The Story of the Boom
Buying on the exchanges simply re-
fected the damage already done ana lne
possibility of a greater calamity. by
May II the Chicago price was up 70
SO Ia cents, by May 1S to "a IL cents,
and on May I6 the wave of buying was
so great as to advance the price Z cents
| in one day, and the market landed at
991h cents. Ten days later the May
| "a cash month) contracts .reached q
high point at $1.0S IL, while prices Tor
the new crop months deliveries-July
and observation-disclosures 10 $l.V4 IL
and $1.05 IL, respectively.
The best part Of the story is that
prices did not recede much after the
| battle with the bugs was over. Condl-
ltions were unfavorable for the wheat
crop of Russia. There was very late
season in the Canadian northwest.
Every exchange in this country 5,
watched all these adverse signs, and IN
anticipating the short yields for the
wear held prices well ID around VI Tor
the entire harvest season in this coun-
| try.
The early rush of the marketing by
farmers was at prices 80 cents bushel
higher than expected sixty to ninety
days earlier. Applying the increase OF
| 30 cents to the portion of the years
Weld which left first hands, say boO,-
/ 600 900 bushels, and allowing otner IN
fiuences outside of the insect damage
and scare caused one-third Of the aa-
vance, we have 20 cents hushei on
Zoo. 100000 bushels, or $100O00,0 900 addi-
tionaI money secured by wheat ralsers
Of the United States as the direcs result
| of the green bugs invasion. II apss
not require much skill to CONTRAST Inls
condition Of things with wnat Woulo ~
exist were the making Of prices 70 ne
paid wheat growers in the nanas OF
powerful buyers combine rlstu lns.ead "b,ch G5
broad competitive world maLne's Is;a,s WHICH
have reached great perIecllon.
MAN, 1o4, KEEPS ENGAGEMENT
TO MEET WOMAN; is TILTED