The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-10-14
INSECT INVASION
THE STATE BEING OVERRUN BY
MANY KINDS OF PESTS.
This Is An Object Lesson That
May Be Profitable If We Profit

IhlS is an ODJeCG LcSSou AAoe
May Be Profitable If We Profit
BY 1t.
1t does not require scientific know
ledge but merely ordinary observa-
ton to convince the farmer and other
citizens that South Carolina is now
receiving an invasion of insect with
out parallel in the present genera
tion.
The Pine Bark Beetle has riddled
the pines of the Up-Country and is
rapidly movini eastward into the
great commercial pine belt. Ia ord
er to check that insect energetic
measures must be undertaken and
kept up for a number Of years.
The Pea Curculio did immense
damage in certain sections early in
the year by cutting off cotton blooms
and reports from Whitmire, in New
berry county, and elsewhere show
that the Melancholy Rose Beetle is
repeating what he accomplished two
years ago in other sections.
Several small invasions of grass
hoppers, resulting in wiping out
small fields of corn Zone of forty
acres near Columbia and one of thir-
ty acres in Aiken County, are also
indications of far worse to come.
The whole, Up-Country is being
swept by a mosquito plague that in
certain towns has reached enormous
PROPORTIONS. Greenville has been
carrying on war against these pests
through it's health office. Capt. P.
S. Land, of Columbia, for many years
a conductor on the old Columbia and
Greenville railroad, says that thirty
years ago mosquitoes were practically
unknown from Greenville to Colum-
bia-a statement that any old citi-
zen viii; confirm.
The list of destructive insects, now
for the first time in evidence, is a
long one, and space is lacking mere
ly to chronicle it. Enough has been
said to call attention to a most Sill
lister ard important fact.
At the last session of the Genera!
Assembly l appeared before commit
tee on Fish, Forestry and Game and
stated to that body that before the
Boil Weevil arrived there would he
such al outbreak of insects as would
Jar the teeth in their heads" They
will remember that prediction, which
has already come true, although
more is to follow. If any member
of that committee has any doubt in
his mind, he has only to go into the
Up-Country and see for himself.
The situation has been brought
about by rapidly diminishing bird
supply, which the General Assembly
has done nothing to check, for moth
ing but nominal protection is accord
ed birds, there being no way whereby
the laws can be enforced.
IN the case of the Pine Bank Beet
lie DR.. F. E. L. Beel, of the Biologi-
cal Survey, writes me that Scolytld
beetles (the genus to which the Pine
ark Beetle belongs) have been found
not only in the stomachs of wood
peckers, which tear off the bark to get
at them, but also in the stomachs OF
nighthawks, flycatchers and other
birds whose food is taken on the
wing. The loss of birds has meant
an outbreak of beetles and the farm
er pays the freight.
1t is also true that nighthawks Cor
bullbats) along with martins, CHM
ney swifts and swallows, feed very
largely on mosquitoes, taking thous-
apds at a meal. Inasmuch as these
birds must fill their stomachs from
eight time to ten times daily, one
can see what an enormous amount OF
MOSQUITOES would be carried off, by
them.
In other words, so long as these
birds were plentiful and unmolested
MOSQUITOES were kept within the
bounds set by nature. With the
birds destroyed below the point OF
efficiency, the pests spread. Night
hawks (bullbats) have been reported
as being shot at different points all
over the State, but this department
is powerless to take effective action
without money to hire wardens and
to prosecute cases.
It is nothing less than special
act Of Providence that the Cotton
caterpillars (called Army worms
generality cara so late in the season.
otherwise the lirst crop would have
gone the way of the top crop.
Now it does not matter what any
mans previous notions have been,
he must recognize facts when he sees
them, if he is an honest man. More
over I have told the General Assem-
bly that they need not believe my
unsupported word, but that the gov
ernment scientists will furnish them
independent information as to the
situation whenever they ask for 1t.
If what l have told them does not
conform to The facts, there is an easy
way to prove it.
DIT +bo canera1 Assembly has not