Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-18

W. AsHINGToN D. C., April 22.-If insect pests
w in your neghborhood are njuring any food crop
or livestock you render patriotic service by
Immediately notifying your state entomolosist or th2
bureau of entomology of the United States department
of agriculture latter organization has just put
into action as an emergency measure, nationwide
for locating and suppressing insect depreda-
tions, and volunteer assistance is welcome.
The danger insect depredations is little under
A plague of army hessan flies or
abbage worms or potato beetles, if held in check
by prompt might the country millions
The United states government maintains bureau
of entomology. which. with the help of similar or
many of the states, devotes all Of It's
time devtsing means FOR the protection Of human
beings, food crops, and livestock, from insects
Every trained agriculturst that the con-
troll of insect life is leading problem of modern
agricuure every sanitarian knows that insects are
his really vital enemies every forester knows that
beetles destroy valuable timber than forest
fires. Boil weevls threaten our cotton supply ana
ticks keep beef production from increasing as 1t
should Moths eat clothes and our shade
trees Depredations. big and little made by in
sects upon the civilization of men at hundred points
1t is not an exaggeration describe modern life
struggle between men and insects, for the bugs
only of life that has not succeeded
controlling animals he has domestcated
others he externinated still others he by
protection furnish him with sport and food He
dominates the animal world-all except the insects.
They numerous and more destructive now
than Man dsturbs the balance OF nature Dy
arbitrarily developing forms Of life and de-
stroying others. insects to profit by al
most every disturbance
it is that the insects really the most
dangerous enemies that we have within our country
and that food supply must be increased by
means the insects destructive to food
crops special of the bureau of en-
tomoogy. 1t has worked out methods for the de-
struction of all Of them; it has of trained
men, and is in constant touch with many other ento-
mologists. The of combating insect depreda-
at hand; the chief problem is to learn or
of pests before they have increased to
dangerous proportions 1t is for this that the
bureau has just completed reporting organization
the entire country, and brings into the
Washington office daily, information OF threat
enng increase of insects The basis Of this reporting
is the two hundred field workers of the bureau
who scattered all the United States. Their
observations supplemented by those Of the state
entomoogsts and the entomologists attached TO the
agricultural experiment stations; while
also sent in by the govrnment reporters the
county agents, field of the bureau of animal
industry the bureau OF plant industry and the weather
bureau These observers total several thousand and
there is little danger that any insect pest will reach
serious proportions without coming to the attention
of some them. Although this reporting system in
It's full extent is measure the bureau Of
tomoogy hopes to make it permanent