The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-06-23
SCIENCE n BUGS.

When The Egyptians under Pharaoh
were visited by their plague OF flies,
ana locusts. and frogs. they were help
lesz They did not know the u
Of the visitation, or what to do about
It. And more modern people have
been just as helpless for the same
reason. Within the half century
areas. n the inhabitants OF those
districts were able to do nothing but
witness the destruction and make the
most Of 1t. It is not long since that
familiar pest, the Colorado beetle, or
potato bug, was a stranger to all Of us,
and when it first appeared it was
thought that the entire crop of pota-
toes was in danger Of extinction, and
that spuds would soon be a thing of
the past. When the black knot struck
tho plum orchards the orchards we're
abandoned. and millions Of dollars
were lost Bugs. and mpths, and cat
terpiilaxA. and weevils. and insect
pests Of every description were ac-
cepted as visitations that had to be.
md before which humanity. was help.
IeHA.
All fhs has been changed, or.1s be-
ing Changed BY means Of the hop
peFdo1er and the practice Of cultivat-
ing Infested spots at the proper time
IL appears that theslocust u has
bean brought under control. There
are many hopper scareA but none OF
them ever amount to much. The
potato bug IS no longer fought by the
old 1aborous and inefficient, practice OF
pdck1ng the bugs off the plants. A
few hours work spraying with paris
green or arsenate Of soda does the
business and the crop is perfectly
protected. Methods Of preventing
black knot were quickly devised when
science discovered that tho disease
wa due to the work Of a parasite, and
that the parasite could be killed of.
All the work Of the field and orchard.
n dairy and the stock farm is de-
pendent for It's success, in a very larxa
measure. on what has been learned
by close study by men who are often
regarded az visionary and Impractical
because they devote their lives merely
to the work Of finding out things.
These men have found out the
for things. and have passed the
knowledge on. Sometimes they, and
sometimes others following them. and
taking up later stages Of the work.
knowing what the causes of the trou.
bles are, have invented methods Of
dealing with the troubles that vex
humanity. and in consequence the
world is saved an enormous waste.
Yellow fever was lot long since
popularity considered a visitation Of
the wrath Of God. Science has found
that It is nothing Of the sort. but mere
~ the result Of the bite Of a mosquito,
which is a much simpler method. Put
ting that knowledge to practical use
science has practically destroyed that
particular kind Of mosquito in the
places where 1t was likely to do dam
age to humanity, and to all intents
and purposes 1t has banished yellow
fever from the face Of the earth. Ma
laria has been found to be due to a
similar cause, and not to the breath
ing of night air. which Is something
that we must necessarily breathe If
We = to remain active members of
society. and we are in a fair way to
Danish malaria. Bubonic plague, the
sleeping sickness, land a number OF
other diseases which have been terri-
bly, fatal. have moi been completely
stopped. but the knowledge which We
have Of these things 10 being effective
y applied. Typhoid fever. formerly
0ns8ofs the most mysterious and dread
- Of Diseases y now known to be
D1esly tAs fe6slt q eAsslelsassse-noe