Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-04-20
Decrease in Gypsy
Moths the Past Year

Report Of Government EntomoIoeist
Shows Progress Of Campaign
Against Insects. 49,.
The control of such dangerous in
sects as the gypsy moth, cotton-boll
weevil, alfalfa weevil, green bug and
potato tuber-moth, has kept the office
of the United States Department of
Agriculture's etomogolist busy during
the past year, according to the annual
report. Besides directing it's attention
to combating insects that attack crops,
the office has been active in attempt.
ing to eradicate insects that affect the
health of man and animals, such as
Misunderstanding mosquitoes, the, spot
ted fever tick, and the typhoid fly.
Special attention has been given to in.
sects injuring forests and those affect
ing stored products such as grain,
flour, prepared cereals, meat, cheese.
Work in bee culture has also progress
ed satisfactorily. ua
The gypsy moth campaign, waged al
so against its cousin the brown-tail
moth, has been very encouraging, there
being a marked decrease this year in
the numbers of both these pests. Para
sites and beetles that attack these
dangerous insects have been intro
duced and have been largely instru.
mental in bringing about good results.
Colored posters were prepared by the
office illustrating the gypsy moth and
it's natural enemies and these. were
posted in all postoffices and town Of
fees in the infected districts and
copies were sent to oranges and public
libraries. The campaign has also been
waged by mail and Boy Scouts who
have distributed cards bearing the
same illustrations.
A combination spray, composed OF
lime-sulphur, arsenate of lead and nico-
tine, has been used successfully during
the year by many orchard growers, to
control insects and fungous diseases.
Other poisons to control orchard In.
sects have been developed and are now
being tested. Arsenical sprays are be-
ing made more practicable for use in
combating cranberry pests in New Jer-
sey. Effective spraying has also been
done in pecan orchards of the south.
interested growers aiding the Depart.
men in the work. Remedies are also
being recommended and developed for
pests that endanger apple, peach and
pear orchards.
The boil weevil did about $30,00O,000
worth of damage to the cotton crop
last year, as estimated in the new re-
port of the entomologist. Nearly 49,
900 square miles of new territory be-
came infested during the year. Every
effort is being made to control these
depredations, particularly by the use
Of powdered orthoarsenate of lead, and
hand picking of cotton squares and
bolls. Arsenate of lead was tried with
varying results and the question of its
success under practical plantation con.
ditions today remains undecided.
Violets growing around cotton field
seem to give another cotton pest, the
red spider, an opportunity to work,
and the department recommends the
destruction of this harmless-appearing
flower to control the spider. Other
measures suggested as a result Of IN
vestigations in South Carolina are the
destruction of winter food plants and
pokeweed around fields, the blowing
of wide barriers around isolated infest-
ed places, and spraying with potassium
sulphid.
Investigations of buffalo gnats" and
their possible relation to pellagra have
continued and it now seems unlikely
that they ahve any relation to that
dangerous disease. 1t seems more
probable the typhoid fly Common
ly spoken of as the ''house fly does
more to transmit this infection along
with the other numerous diseases laid
at it's door.
The typhoid fly itself is given his
share of attention and means of con.
troll by treating manure, where the fly
breeds, are being developed. 1t seems
that the fly can be almost completely
controlled in the manure and the value
Of the fertilizer remains unchanged, if
applications of commercial borax are
made at the rate of .62 pounds to 10
cubic feet Is bushels) of manure.
Investigations have been carried on
to discover remedies for insects which
damage such forest products as tele-
graph poles, railroad ties and tool
handles. Users of these products are
now putting the results of the Offices
Investigations to practical tests. With
hardwood products liable to attack by
the so-called powderpost beetles it has
been found that kerosene and linseed
oil are effective repellents against
these insects. A rather general utiliza-
ton of these oils by manufacturers has
followed this discovery.