The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-08-27

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D1zSI ton. Nor Ii II a noiseess
ST/ underworld. Every evening
after hot sunset 1t forms
an orchestra which shrls
u out its prowess and faunts
its coming achievement. And in all the world
there is no orchestra well paid To be sure
It gets little In the matter OF attention, but In
ways more substantial 1t Is rewarded hand
somely. For Il Is permitted to levy toll upon
the corn and the wheat. the cabbage and the
apple, as they grow. II is allowed to eat the
profits Of the miller and the grain dealer. Ger
tain members Of the shrilling tribe go farther
and demand greater concessions In their greed
Not satisfied with money tribute. they exact
human lives. Their gruesome tracks are made
upon the faces of little children. Then from
places where poverty forces women and ba-
bies into filth and sickness. they take wing
and they bear their death message into homes
fair and clean-homes where the inmates can
not concern themselves with LIES wretched
ones. And nature In her memorable circle
from which neither the proudest nor the poor
est can escape, herself supplies the link which
brings the miserable home to the fair one.
But reducing II to a dollars and cents
basis which all Of US understand. what would
you say the insects Of this country cost us
each year! Millions of dollars, More in fact
than our entire system of public school edu-
cation. from the kindergarten to the univer
sity
Moreover whole sections intended BY ma
ture for the production of particular crops
often compelled TO abandon them for no
other reason than insect infestation. This is
especially true of horticulture Myriad In
deed, are the insect foes that infest vegetables
and fruit II ever the life OF this underworld
is brought upon the stage as that of the barn,
yard has been. II may well open with this
Slaint OF the truck grower:
The insects are busy in clover and grass
A-hatchin' sorrer fer my garden sass
They're happily hummin' this giddy re-
The old mule viii SIN be your airy-o-
plane
Now the farmer has found himself help
less before this foe which must be fought
with microscopes and laboratory mysteries.
Consequently he has appealed 70 the man
Of science whom everyone despises in the
day Of prosperity and rushes TO consult when
the world is awry.
Let me tell you Of what has been accom-
plished by one man with microscope His
name is Stephen A Forbes and he is state
entonolcgist o: Illinois. His chief work In
this position Is 70 exterrninate economic In
sects," as those which damage the growing
things are called. He is also head o. the
state laboratory Of natural history and pro-
lessor Of entomology In the University Of I'LL
nois. He las held these Offices IS years.
which means that he has spent quarter OF
century fighting the predaceous instincts OF
economic insects. barring an occasional short
lapse 10 fight the economical instincts Of state
legislatures. Naturally be is on intimate
terms with vast number Of bugs.
For q practical knowledge Of an insect the
ability 10 recognize II In all It's phases Is a
mere beginning. It's dietary must be known.
not only what IL preferz but what II likes next
best and what II will eat 10 escape starvation;
how the weather affects its health. its temper
and its power OF multiplying; is it subject 10
contagious diseases? II so. how may il be
induced 70 catch one. Also II IS well TO know
bow its neighbor bugs regard Il. Whether the
sight Of IL arouses the instinct TO protect or
the instinct 10 kill. For there are bugs so
kindly disposed toward other bugs that they
will carry them TO their food supply. hatch
their eggs for them, and bring up their of
spring. The sole duties they leave TO those
they protect are breathing. eating and multi.
plying.
First let me tell you about the fight against
the chinch bug As everyone knows the chinch
Is a devil-deyastator whose evil intentions are
backed with energy and resourcefuness. When
II starts TO take what II wants from the farm
there is just thing 1t leaves-the mort
gage. For more than a generation scientists
IN all parts OF the country directed their intel
ligence against its instinct: and instinct won
the victory. II seemed that reason could not
fathom the cause of the outbreaks nor find a
way to prevent them. In despair the men OF
science were for saying did the old Irish
woman of the rain that spoiled her potatoes,
There's no ra.son in 1t. It's Just the will OF
Cod"
And right there It seemed the problem
would have to rest. But an occasional per-
sistent brain was unable to accept this solu-
ton. Observations went on not only week by
week but day by day. and often even hour by
hour. Even 30 II was work that proceeded
slowly. The chinch bug was hard tc make
rules for Indeed, II seemed more an excep-
ton to rule than the French language. For
instance. scientists iattered themselves that
one thing was proved concerning his chinchshp
viz. the abandonment Of wheat culture meant
an end to chinch bug ravages But farmers
made the sad discovery. quite Internationally,
You may be sure, not at all for the sake Of
enlfghtening the men of SCIENCE that the aban-
donment Of wheat may even Increase the
chinch devastation For II they have become
numerous and can md no wheat, they will
accept oats. barley, grass or corn The aban-
Comment Of wheat to be effective against the
chinch. must take place ct the beginning OF
IN outbreak.
Therefore Dr.. Forbes Strengthened his NOR
tarboard. polished his microscope and prepared