The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-17
From the New York American.

From the New York American.
In recent years much has been said
concerning the depredations Of insect
pests. 1t being estimated by the Ma
tional conservation commission that
the loss OF farm. orchard and garden
crops from this cause reaches 1858, 000,-
900 annually in the United States. One
OF the most effective ways of checking
THIS annual drain upon the cOuntry's
agricultural our is by enlisting
the aid Of insect enemies of the de-
structtve species.
A good example is given by the prop
agatlon OF the ladybug to check the San
Jose scale. that threatened the very ex-
lstence of the orange growing industry
OF California, and is now even a peril
in Missouri. The San Jose scale is
nothing but a vast accumulation Of
minute insects; and these are attacked
voractously by the ladybugs or lady
BIRDS" which must, therefore, be num-
mans friends. They have not only
saved h day for California orange
growers (the same San Joe scale orig
mated there), but they nave been in
troduced into Spain. Italy, the West IN
dies and other orange growing regions
In which the destructive pest has made
Its appearance. in addition to nearly
all the fruit growing sections of the
country.
The Oornesticated Insect.
However, there is another class of in
sect friends Of man, of a somewhat
different nature, tina may be called
domesticated insects. The most con-
sptcuous example of these are the hon
ey bees n the silkworm, both of
which produce commodities Of a COM
cercial value of many millions Of dol
lars annually.
Every n is familiar with both the
honey bee and its product so that nc
description Of it is necessary. More
books have been written concerning
bees and bee keeping than concerning
any domestic animal, ever the horse.
Bees have been known and kept for
their honey and wax from the remotest
antiquity, but these products enter into
the worlds commerce to a greater ex-
tent today than at any period in the
| past. The honey and wax industry of
the United States now has an actual
value Of $25, 900, 900, with a capital in
vested Of 800, 900. 900. The number of
ket in greater or less quantities, Is es-
timated at 275, 900, not taking into ac-
count the very large number who keep
bees simply in order to obtain honey
for home use.
The silkworn Is the most perfectly
QOmeStlcated OF all insects, the adult
moth having practically lost the power
OF fight through many centuries OF
breeding in captivity, and the species
not being found in a wild state at all.
In China the rearing OF silkworms for
the manufacture of textile fabrics was
practiced at least as long ago as $500
B. c.. About $50 A. D, the insect was
introduced into Europe and the pro-
duction Of silk soon became an in
dustry of Importance in Turkey, Italy
and Greece, and later in France, Spain
and Portugal.
For centuries the Orientals carefully
guarded their monopoly Of silk produc-
ton. The story of how a monk carried
the eggs of the insect to Europe in a
hollow cane Is well known, and is prob
ably true. Japan Is now n of the
worlds leading silk producing coun-
tries, n supplies about half Of the
importations into the United States.
The total value Of the worlds annual
production of raw silk is not known,
but runs into the hundreds of millions
of dollars. The United States alone
imports raw silk to the value of be-
tween forty and fifty million dollars ev
cry year, besides great quantities OF
manufactured silks. For more than a
century efforts were made to place the
rearing OF silkworms for the production
of the cocoons upon a paying basis in
this country; but it has been found
quite impossible to compete with the
cheap labor Of the Orient and the south