Semi-weekly herald., 1908-08-20
DRILLING THE BUG POLICE
TO PROTECT THE CROPS

1 ~ VhOtG GSb pHG OnOFS
To quell plague of the hessian fly
which is doing great damage to wheat
in southern Kansas and northern Ok,
lahoma. the government is sending to
that region large consignments OF
gnats OF species hostile to the dis.
astrous insect. which will be dlstrib.
uted over the infested areas.
The gnat. very minute species, is
the principal enemy of the fly, which
but for It's interference. would practi.
cally annihilate the wheat-growing In.
dustry I'm this country. 1t is known to
science rs Polgnotus. and operates In
very peculiar fashion. laying It's
eggs in the eggs of the hessian fly
before the latter are Matched. This
does not prevent the maggot-like lar.
vac OF the pest from Matching out, and
their destructive capacity-they suck
the sap OF the young wheat plants--is
not diminished. Blu: they do not trans
form into flies. Instead gnats emerge
from their bodies, to repeat the per
formance and continue the business of
fly destruction.
The distribution OF gnats for the
protection OF the wheat crop Is in line
with new plan Of operation by which
friendly bugs are to be systematically
utilized for policing the cultivated
areas Of the country. to regulate the
rogue insects. This plant, 1t might be
said. was long ago adopted by nature
herself. All that the government is
trying to do Is to offer intelligent as.
sistance. the idea In view being to aid
the farmers by keeping the whole
United States under surveillance.
When 1t is found that any destructive
pest is rapidly increasing in GER
tain section, 1t may often be practica.
bic to fight 1t, or perhaps to ward of
a serious outbreak. by the Transports
tion of Insect enemies from some other
region to the scene of the trouble.
Thus at the present time there is a
very bad outbreak Of the wheat.de.
stroying insect known a. the wheat.
straw worm" in eastern Washington,
northeastern Oregon and northern Ida,
no. No natural enemies of the pest
appear to be on the scene. But con.
signmsnts Of It's most deadly enemy
little fly called Eridontomerus-are
being sent thither from the east, in
the hope that further mischief may be
prevented. In like manner another
little fly is being forwarded to Van
couver. in the state Of Washington, to
protect the wheat growers OF that
neighborhood against the depredations
OF the dreaded Joint worm"
The question is not how much the
farmer could raise without the pro-
lection Of friendly insects. but wheth.
ei he could raise anything 1t all. He
does not realize that these tiny help
ers are working for him all the time.
1t is not merely when serious out
breaks threaten that they are useful,
but continually. To put the matter
In other words. the agriculturist Is de-
riving a steady and constant prof,t
from one Of natures most powerful
forces. that Of parasitism-a force that
has probably been more largely instru
mental in shaping the status Of AMI
NAL life over the face OF the globe
than we can, with our present limited
knowledge. comprehend.
This is the force which the bureau
of insects is trying to utilize. in some
instances by transporting friendl,
bugs from one place to another, ir
order to give them an opportunity tt
do their work where 1t is most wanted
There seems to be good reason for be
lievfng that certain parasitic flies ma,
be utilized for fighting grasshoppers
which even At the present time arr
a very destructive pest in parts Of ths
west. The cultivation Of the soil hal
to great extent destroyed the grea
grasshopper-breed areas which--th,
eggs OF these insects being laid In tn,
ground-formeriy supplied such innu
merable Bwarms. totaisy devastating
whole districts. Bot plaques Of then
still occur at Intervals.
The flies in questson---one species 1
called appropriately enough, sarcc
phaga-lay their eggs in tho bodies O
the srasshoppers. Once hatched. tn
grubs do the rest. Under date Of Jul
10. 1907. = correspondent Of tho II
sect bureau. writing from Coulee Cit,
in the state Of washinston. reports
that grasshoppers in that nsighbol
hood were dying by millions, and tbs
in the body Of each was = worm.
doubtless the nagst of aas Of Ties
little flies.
i Nature IL trying al ths time
preserve = balancs. and thus unds
, ordinary circumstances thsre are K
every kind Of insect Of possible pssti
/. erousness . sufhcient number Of -
niles TO keep Il IN chsck. For
tafanao Nh~ .k~~k 49, - 49, -