The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-08-24
UNCLE SANS BIG BUG TRADE
1T FOOTS UP MILLIONS, AND is
STEADILY INCREASING.
international Exchange Has Come
Into Existence and Americans
Benefit. Bugs Sent Abroad.

aeO HAASlenCe ana Americans
Benefit. Bugs Sent Abroad.
Dr. L. o. Howard, chief entomolo-
gist of the United States Department
OF Agriculture, returned to Washing
ton a few days ago after spending
several months in Europe, says the
Chicago Inter-Ocean. The govern
ment paid all his expenses while
abroad, and probably he mad a very
pleasant time, but, nevertheless, it
was a business trip, and one out of
the ordinary, too.
Certain bugs are the bane of our
farmers and fruit growers. Scien-
tlhc men have all kinds of names for
the insects which do so much dam
age to growing crops and trees, but
TWO of the most pestiferous are com
monty known as the gypsy and
brown-tailed moths.
In an attempt to eXterminate these
two bugs the state of Massachusetts
has already used $8,O00,000, and
other eastern states have expended
large sums. In spite of all efforts
these enemies of all kind of foliage
are spreading over a wider range of
territory. This is why the federal
government decided to wage a war
of determination upon them, and
here is the explanation of DIR. How
ards trip to Europe He was sent
to find bugs which will kill the bugs
we want killed.
In France, Germany, Japan and
other foreign countries DR.. Howard
and other entomologists discovered
parasites which treat gypsy and
brOWn-tailed moths as the finest diet
in the world When these little
bugs have found either of those
moths and commenced dining on it
there is one less moth on earth when
that meal is ended. Dr. Howard
caught all those cannibalistic little
bugs he could get and shipped them
to this country. They have been
liberated in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New York, Rhode Is
land and other Eastern states where
the tree-killing moths are most num-
erous.
Including six found in this coun-
try, there are now at work on the
gypsy and brown-tailed moths here
twenty varieties of bugs whose bite
is death. Whether these parasites
have destructive power greater than
the reproductive power of the moths
is a question of the keenest interest
to those working for the eXtermina-
tion of the pests. Some of the para
sites which proved most deadly to
those moths in Japan failed to be-
come acclimated in this country, but
one Japanese species has increased
| from single pair in the spring of
1909 to over 100, 900 today, and the
! way they kill moths is said to be
delightful to the scientists who pro
| pagated them.
| 1t is a noteworthy fact that a
scientist with the best motive pos
sible was responsible for the spread
| ing of the moth pest in this country.
In 1869 Prof. Leopold Trouvelot of
Harvard University imported some
! gypsy moths from Europe with the
idea of cross breeding and producing
a harder insect than the present
| silkWorm of commerce, to build up
| the silk industry in this country.
One night a gale blew away the net
! ting combining the moths in the cat
erpiliar stage to single shrub.
| Prof Troubelot made desperate eff
forts to aid the public when he
! explained how dangerous they might
become. He caught some of them,
but enough remained at large to
more than verify his prediction as
to their becoming a pest.
In exchange for the European
bugs which we need to destroy the
gypsy moth and other insect pests
| the government is sending to many
| foreign countries species of our bugs
which will destroy their pests. For
example, Spain is delighted to get
the bugs we grow in California which
prey chiefly upon the insects which
damage citrus fruits We have sent
| Algeria some wasps which spread
disease among the dromedaries.
To Peru we give a bug which at
tacks scale insects that damage cot
ton Italy reports that the bugs we
sent her will wipe 4out in two years
the insects which have been damag-
ing her orchards. South Africa has
made a plea for an insect which will
| kill her ticks, and that insect was
! sent
So an international bug trade has
come into existence, and Uncle Sam
! is doing his full share of it.
AN EASY BUSINESS.