Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-05-22

man would be powerless TO keep pace
with the ravages of the insect enemy.
even though he used every known
means like poison and fire.
With the passing OF the herbs and
the grass and the trees the animals
all would die and man would have
nothing to live upon except the fish
OF the sea and these would be INSULT
cient to keep man living even though
they could be obtained by the people
remote from the sources OF supply.
Senator George P. Mclean OF Con-
necticut has introduced into congress
bill supplementary to the one which
he introduced some time ago to pro-
tect the birds OF America II Is not
known what action congress will take.
but there are evidences at hand that
the sgriculturists of the country are
taking deep interest in the matter
Tor they are adding their word OF sup
port to the words OF the bird protec-
tors generally and TO those OF the
sportsmen and the people who are
humanitarians without having any
greater interest In birds than they
have in other forms OF animal life
which they thing should be protected
In the year 1904 DR.. C. L Bartlett.
basing his estimate on the crop re-
ports Of the department of agriculture.
asserted that the loss to the agricul-
tural industries that year, caused by
insects alone. could be conservatively
placed at $795, 100000, and this does
not include a dollar used for insect.
cides. State ornithologist Forbush Of
Massachusetts, in his comprea Jnsive
book entitled useful Birds" main.
tains that insect pests destroy agri-
cultural products to the value OF
$S0Q,000,000 year.
The details whereby such enor-
nous totals are reached are available
and indicate that the scientists are not
guessing wildly. For example. the
Hessian fly in 1904 cost the wheat
growing states $4,000, 900. Cinch
bugs cost the Mississippi valley $780,
100000 in one year. Rocky Mountain
locusts, In their years CT greatest
activity, cost the northwest more than
$3.50, 100000. Cut-worms have caused
a loss OF 100000. 900 at one time. Thus
It is seen that the terrible loss OF
sS00,O00.000 in one year is fairly easy
of proof.
Their Marvellous Fecundlty.
The fecundity of many insects is
beyond Imagination. The green leaf
louise or aphls, so destructive of the
hop industry, and many other of our
most valuable fruits and vegetables,
reproduces its kind at a rate of ten
sextillion to the pair in one season.
These inconceivable figures mean 40
900 for every square inch CT land that
is above water Placed in the Indian
file, ten to the inch, 1t would take light
travelling at the rate OF 10000 miles
per second $500 years to reach the
Ale leader. The potato bug is less
fecund. One pair will reproduce from
fifty to sixty millions only in one sea
son. The unchecked natural increase
of one pair Of gypsy moths would de-
foliate the United States in eight
years.
Insects live to eat. Some insects in
crease their size at birth ten thousand
times in thirty days. No less than
176 species of insects attack the APP
pie. plum. peach and cherry trees: 400
species are found upon the oak.
Fortunately for the protection OF
humanity against its insect enemies,
birds are among the most important
agencies in staying the inroads of in
sect devastation. Most birds eat most
of the time and eat insects and little
else. Mr.. Treadweli of the Boston So.
ciety of Natural History fed a young
robin sixty-eight angleworms in one
day. A young crow viii eat twice It's
weight day of almost anything set
before 1t. Mr.. Forbush has seen two
parent grosbeaks In eleven hours
make 450 trips to their nest, carrying
two or three larvae at time.
Old Wabash to Be Broken Up.
The old wooden frigate Wabash.
which has been at the Boston
navy yard In service as re.
ceiving ship for long time. is to be
broken up and that which IL metal
about her will be sold for Junk. while
the woodwork will be burned on enc
OF the islands in Boston harbor The
Wabash has been at the Boston navy
yard or, more properly speaking. the
Charlestown navy yard. for thirty
seven years
There are not many stirring ASSOC
Citations connected with the Wabash.
She saw service during the Civil war.
but was In no wing and wing" sea
fights during that conflict She was
present at the bombardments OF Hat
teras Inlet, Port Royal and Fort Fish.
err. but of encounters like that in
which the old Constitution engaged in
the war OF 1912 the Wabash had none
When IL is learned that a man-of-
war is to be put out OF commission
and sold or broken up, and there
comes no protest from the people, It
can be pretty we'll understood that
little of sentiment attaches to the yes.
sci and that her career was not one
Of pulse-stirring interest. II 1t we're
suggested that the Oregon should be
given up or that the Olympia, which
was Dewey's ship in the Manila bay
fight, were to be sold for junk, It is
probable that there would be an In
slant demand from the country that
they be saved
~~~~~-~.~D~-~-~-~~~~~- ~~~~~~-~-~~-~-~~~~~-
'Tll have an elegy ready for him be-
fore breakfast and try to get ahead Of
Edgar" said Frank Saltus. referring
to Edgar Fawcett, as the lights went
out in Oscar and we dispersed. and