Meade County news., 1917-02-01
EXPENSIVE INSECTS
Kansas Farmers Lost $40, ,0OO,-
600 Last Year Through
Kavages by Pests.
HESSIAA FLY WAS The WORST
Prof. Dean of State Agricultural Col
Iege Believes This Loss Could
Be Greatly Reduced.


The Kansas feed bill for insects in
1916 was s40,00O,00O, according to
George A. Dean, professor of entomol-
ogy in the Kansas State Agricultural
College. In other words, had the crops
destroyed by pests last season been
marketed the proceeds would have
been sufficient to build seven perma-
nent 16-foot roads across Kansas from
east to west.
Damage by the Hessian fly in 1916
is estimated at $14000,000 as compared
with $16,0O0,OOO in 1916" said Profes-
sor Dean. while the corn-ear worm
annually causes loss of from $1,000
600 TO $7,000,00O worth of corn, the
destruction was not so great in 1916
because of shortage of crops caused
by dry weather.
due to the wet season of 1915,
practically no injury was done by the
chinch bug in 1916, but in 1913 and
1914 - both wet years = SIS, 100000
worth of crops were destroyed and
considerable damage was done in the
spring of 1915"
The green bug which caused the
loss of at least $5,000OOO in 1907,
rointed out Professor Dean, was not
a serious menace again until 1916,
when the damage to Kansas and Ok
lahoma crops, according to govern
ment statistics, was approximately
$4,000, ,OOO-the figure for Kansas be-
ing approximately $6,O0OOOO. Crop de-
struction by grasshoppers amounted
to millions in 1913, and a similar repe-
tition threatened in 1914 was con-
trolled by prompt cooperation OF the
Kansas Experiment Station and the
farmers following the loss in 1913.
Fruit insets destroyed 20 per cent
of the entire fruit crop and the gar
den insetcs 10 per cent of the garden
crop in 1916. This waste of from $685.
100000 to $4O,OOO,OO0 in Kansas each
year, believes Professor Dean, might
Ge lowered to $4,O00,OOO or $5,000,O0O,
or even less, were proper methods OF
control generally adopted, These meth
ods usually increase the yield of crops
as well as destroy insects.
x x X
Drove Spike Into Skull.-Tad Lin
becker, a farmer near Chanute, Az
years old, who tried to kill himself
by forcing 4-inch spike into his skull,
was believed to be dying, Limbocker
held the spike with its point against
his scalp, then butted a door casing,
driving the nail into the skull with
such force that pliers had to be used
to pull it out. Limbocker attacked
his wife, threatening to cut her throat
with a razor He was adjudged in
sane and held to await commitment
to the state hospital.
X X X
Killed in Explosion-"Mac"' Ste
rnenson, a well shooter, was blown
to pieces near Chautauqua when 1,2OO
quarts of explosive blew up. The eX-
Ilosion was felt for twenty miles
around His home was in Tulsa.
X X x
Aged Banker Dead.-Henry T. Kir-
ty, SO years old for more than a
quarter century connected with the
Central National Bank of Junction
City is dead of pneumonia. His wife
is i'll with the same disease.
+ x X
Married Fifty-Five Years.-Captain
and Mrs. W. H. White recently cele-
brated their fifty-fifth wedding ami
versary at their home in Junction City
They are pioneer Kansans and have
lived in Jupnction City fifty years
X X x
New Hotel for Wichita.-A company
of capitalists got a charter recently
for $35O,OOO hotel in Wichita to be
erected at William street and Topeka
avenue. The hotel will be eight stories
high
Steal Powder and Dynamite.-A ton
of black powder, a fourth of ton of
dynamite and 5000 cops for dynamit-
ing constituted the plunder of thieves
who robbed the explosive magazine of
coal company near Pittsburg re-
Gently.
X X X
Retired Engineer Dead.-Henry Par
ker so years old is dead at Osawato-
mie after long illness Mr. Parker
was born in Worcestershire County,
England. He was for many years chief
engineer of the Osawatomie State hos.
pital.
X X X
More Wells at Yates Center.-Three
more wells are being drilled on the
Stephenson lease, ten miles south of
Yates Center, where a 250-barrel oil
well was brought in at depth Of 996
feet. The operators believe a good
sized pool exists in the vicinity.
X X X
Grip Epidemic at Fort-More than
twenty of the 346 provisional lieuten-
ants in training at Fort Leavenworth
are under care of army surgeons. An
epidemic of grip has broken out at
the army post. One man is dangerous
ly Il with pneumonia.
X r +
Editors Wife Dead.-Mrs. Jennie s.
.ry;fa of ID drfo 4,