The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
I The value Of the skunk 70 Asp,
culture.

CUItures
The skunk. which is Represented
throughout the country by number
Of varieties, genera and species. is an
animal Of great economic importance
Its food consists very largely Of IN.
sects. mainly OF those species which
are very destructive to garden And
forage crops Field observations and
laboratory examination denons'ra,.
that they destroy immense numbers ..
white grubs. grasshoppers, cricket.
cutworns. hornets, wasps and other
noxious insects. The alarming increase
of the white grub in some loca,.e,
is largely due to the determination ~
| this valuable animal.
| 1t IL "a matter of common ohsorva.
ton where white grubs are particularly
abundant in corn fields To note little
! round holes burrOwed in the ground
about hills of corn. These are mad.
by skunks in their search during N.
nights for these grubs. During N.
recent outbreak Of grasshpppers IN
| Kansas II has been determined that IN
many cases large proportion " n.
food of skunks consisted of these grass.
hoppers
Some OF the most destructive insern
In agriculture are such as do their
work below ground and out 81 reach
of any method that the farmer can
apply. and 1t is against many of thess
! that the skunk Is an invctcratc enemy
| Notwithstanding all this. there Is prob.
| ably no animal that is as rtlthlessly
| slaughtered as is this one. whereas
1t is equally entitled to protection with
| II not more so, than some Of our birds
which enjoy this privilege.
In some regions, especially In the
| Southwest. the bite of the skunk Il
supposed TO produce hydrophohia. This
fear is unfounded. since II is proved
that the bite OF a healthy skunk IS n
more serious than similar wounds
caused by other agencies.
| In connection with the work ~ ne
I range caterpillar Investigations in
northeastern New Mexico 1t has been
found that skunks destroy a great
many Of the pupn (chrysalls) Of this
caterpillar, and in fact during Sep'cm-
her and October, when this food is easily
! available. they prefer II 10 all other
| About the middle Of September 10 vas
| discovered that many webs were empty
/ the pupa having been neatly extracted
from the web and either carried ~ NJ
eaten. In many areas containing hum
dreds Of acres from % To - per 'on'
of the pupp had been carried Of While
| in few isolated places as h-h as ~
per cent OF the Hemicuri ~ N.aan
| range caterpillarD prpp wero r'u"
II is thus seen that the common skunk
Is at the present time ore ~ tho most
important factors looking toward no
control of Hem!leuCa outbreaks and
should be protected by the ranchors n
the infested district. This report =
the result Of an exhaustive inV,S'.c1-
ton 10y the Department II Agriculture
The Editor of Gardening Nut'- ha'
for years, almost alone. written N de-
| fence of the skunk and the crow N.'h
| immensely valuable animals ~ 'Ns
farmer. We are glad to receive - hl'-
etin from the Agricultural Department
with which we can wholly agree.
Skunks are inoffenslve little ANIMALS
and as easily tanned as squ!rrc.~ ~
So numerous about our suburban houses
as 10 become Troublesome. Thr ~D TX
will not throw its scent unless .'lc... 4
10y quick and unexpected mo 20 ~
| will soon follow about person 7
knows quite Ike n dog Skuue- H'o
apt to mistake a hive Of honey ...
for troublesome insects and A. N.s.'
dcvour the whole swarm unless ''r
| hive is protected