Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-08-23

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\R> Aerworld. Every evening
~ kfter a hot sunset it forms
an orchestra which shrills
out its prowess and faunts
us coming Enforcement. And in all the world
mere is p/orchestra well paid To be sure
II get little In the matter of attention but in
ways more substantial it is rewarded hand
somely For it is permitted to levy toll upon
the corn and the wheat. the cabbage and the
apple. as they grow. 1t 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 ssions In their greed
Not satisfied with money tribute thew exact
human lives. Their gcuesome tracks are mada
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
Ialr ana clean-homes where the inmates can
not concern themselves with life's wretcbed
ones And SO nature in her memorable circle
from Whlch neither the proudest nor the poor
est can escape, herself supplies the link which
brings the miserable home to the fair one
But reducing it to dollars and cents
basis which all of 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
sityi
moreover whole sections intended nv ma
ture for the production of particular crops
often are 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 If ever the life of this underworld
is brought upon the stage as that of the barn
yard has been, it may well open with this
plant Of the truck grower:
The insects busy in clover and grass
A-hatchin out sorrer fer my garden sass
They're happily hummin this giddy re-
frain
The old mule Will still 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 to 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 a microscope His
name is Stephen A. Forbes and he is state
entomologist of Illinois. His chief work in
this position Is to exterminate economic in
sects," as those which damage the growing
things are called. He Is also head of the
state laboratory of natural history and pro-
fessor Of entomology IN the University of ILL.,
nois. He has held these Offices 20 years.
century fighting the predaceous instincts of
economic insects, barring an occasional short
lapse to fight the economical instincts of state
legislatures. Naturally he is on intimate
terms with a vast number of bugs
For practical knowledge of an insect the
ability to recognize 1t In all It's phases Is
beginning. Its dietary must be known
not only what it prefers but what 1t likes next
best and what it will eat to escape starvation;
hom fha Ua Thor off ito
and it's power of multiplying; is 1t subject to
contagious diseases? If so, how may II be
induced to catch one? Also 1t Is we'll to know
how its neighbor bugs regard 1t. Whether the
sight OF 1t arouses the instinct to l.otect or
the instinct to 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 off
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 q devil-devastator whose evil intentions are
backed with energy and resourcefulness. When
It starts to take what 1t wants from the farm
there is just one thing 1t leaves-the mort
gage. For more than a generation scientists
in all parts of the country directed their intel
ngence against its instinct; and instinct
the victory 1t seemed that could not
fathom the cause of the outbreaks nor find a
way to prevent them. In despair the men of
science were for saying as did the old Irish
woman of the rain that spoiled her potatoes,
There's no raison in it, It's just the will Of
God!"
And right there 1t seemed the problem
would have to rest. But 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 so 1t was work that proceeded
slowly The chnch bug hard TO make
rules for. Indeed, 1t seemed more an excep-
ton to rule than the French language. For
instance scientists iattered themselves that
one thing was proved concerning his chinchship
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
enlghtening the men of science. that the aban-
donment of wheat may even Increase the
chinch devastation. For il they have become
numerous and can find wheat, they will
accept oats, barley, grass or corn. The aban-
donment OF wheat to be effective against the
chinch. must take place at the beginning of
an outbreak.
Therefore DR.. Forbes Strengthened his NOR
tarboard, polished his microscope and prepared
for wholesale slaughter. He was going to
wade deep, not in gore but in bug juice. The