Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-10-10

, ness sufficient number Of enemies to
keep II In check. For instance. the
wheat nudge. or red weevil," as II r.
more popularity called, committed
frightful depredn lions during the years
from 1850 to 1856. But finally things
adjusted themselves 80 that proper
checks were established, and at the
present time. though the nudge often
becomes 20 abundant az to threaten se.
rious injury to the crop. II never quite
reaches that point. The reason II sim.
ply that Its enemies keep It down. n
those enemies were swept out Of ex.
istence, even temporarily, its ravages
would be on disastrous scale.
A recent experiment was aimed at
the green bug"--a species Of plant
louise which did enormous mischief In
the Southwest last year. In 40 much
as this insect begins Its work in the
South, gradually extending its opera.
lions northward with the advance OF
the season, It seemed practicable to
collect great numbers Of specimens OF
Its principal enemy In the Southern
fields. and. by throwing them In nd
vance Of the pest. to head II of. so
to speak. The attempt, however. was
not successful. nature evidently pre-
ferrlng her own methods.
The Green Bug's Enemy.
The enemy referred to 10 very
minute four-winged fly, called Lysiple-
bus. Crawling over an infested plant.
1t lays an egg In the body of each
green bug 1t meets. The eggs thus
deposited quickly hatch, and the larve
feed upon the vitals Of the victims, pre-.
venting them from breeding, and I'm.
ally killing them. At the end Of ten
days they cut their way out and ap-
pear rs files, ready to start the per.
formance over again by laying their
own eggs In more green bugs by this
means the pest Is soon disposed Of. A
plague Of green bugs (such 40 occurred
last year In Texas and Oklahoma, do.
ing $20.OOOOOO worth Of damage 10
wheat and oats) arrives only when q
cold spring follows mild winter. I'm.
der such conditions great numbers Of
the bugs live over the winter. multi.
plying continuously, while their little
foes, which cannot breed when the
temperature 10 below 80 degrees, do
not have a chance to get In their work
until the season Is fur advanced.
The army worm Ito cite another ex.
ample In pdint) 10 q naked striped
caterpillar an inch and quarter long.
which makes Its appearance In early
summer, devourlng grains and grasses.
II climbs the seed stalks and cuts OF
the heads. Under favorable conditions
II multiplies In fabulous numbers, and,
migrating In search OF food, travels
and feeds both day and night. inlet.
Ing enormous damage. The crops
quickly disappear before the march Of
it, Unsuitable legions. Eventually,
when full fed. II burrows into the
ground, from which II energies later 40
q large brown miller.
Foes Of the Army Worm.
Now, anybody who goes about In q
neld that 10 being devastated BY these
worms will notice that many, and even
a majority Of them have small white
spots on their bodies. These are the
eggs of Q little fly that looks somewhat
like househy, and which 10 known
to science as Winthemla. When they
are Matched the grubs that emerge from
them will bore through the skins Of
the caterpillars and feed on their vi.
tails. This will not prevent the worms
from doing damage. but II will render
them incapable Of Transforming into
the adult form-0f becoming moths, In
other words. Only those individuals
which escape attack by the parasite
will survive to perpetuate their species
the result being that the pest Is 30
nearly exterminated that several years
usually elapse before It again occurs In
sufficient numbers to make serious
trouble.
After the caterpillars have disap-
peared from an infested field, one who
vtaita ~ will And thara grant numhora