South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-15

And fought like Carrie Nation.
In this case an investigator was ex-
perimenting in Massachusetts, with
two gypsy moths imported in ronnec-
ton with an experiment in silk cul-
ture. Unfortunately the door of the
cage was accidentally opened and the
insects escaped. The investigator i'm
mediately notified the authorities of
the danger but no attention was paid
to the warming. "A few years later the
trees on a small area were defoliated,
but still no concern was manifested.
However. the next year the insects be-
came so numerous that a large terri
tory was invaded by them and the au-
thorities at last woke up. A fight was
begun which has lasted for years, and
today Il has cost more than $4,000.
600 in cash for applying control meas
ures, besides many times this amount
of property damage. What nextT" is
constantly asked by the nurseryman.
fruit growers and farmers, when told
OF a newly imported and dangerous
plant pest 1t would seem as though
the time had arrived when In order to
grow a tree it is necessary for the one
who wishes to harvest its fruits TO
stand guard over it day and night.
armed with a spray can. Many man
has planted a tree and dreamed OF the
enjoyment he would derive from 1t as
he rested under its benign shade. only
to awaken some morning and cry.
Where, oh, where is my little tree
gomez" Observe the classic example OF
the chestnut blight This is a bark
disease which was brought to this
country from the Orient on Japanese
chestnut stock. 1t was first found on
western Long Island in 1904. and two
years later il had reached southwark
TO Philadelphia. In ten years ii
spread over half Of the chestnut area
of the United States, and at the pres
ent time it has practically exterminat-
ed the chestnut trees within 100-mile
radius of New York, and is rapidly
accomplishing the complete ruin of
our magnificent chestnut forests OF
the South.
The loss caused by this single i'm
ported pest is many million dollars,
and its ultimate end will be the ex-
tinction of one of the most useful and
most profitable American forest trees.
Only recently ii was found that a
similar disease attacking the poplars
had been imported from France and
had spread over a wide area Of the
United States.
Other dangerous pests introduced
from abroad are the Oriental peach
moth, the japanese beetle, the Euro
pean earwig, the Leopard moth, the
alfalfa WGeyll. the European eelworm,
and the European corn borer. The lat
ter is a pest which apparently was
brought TO the United States in a car
SC Of hemp unloaded at a rope fac
AtA9 ASaA LOoNNAA5 MASS IL ID CACGGQ-
ingly destructive 10 corn, feeding by
boring in the stalk In its operation
il works upward. eating out cham
Der from the pith. The developing
ears are also sometimes followed out
AS high as 80 per cent OF the stalks
in corn held may be infested. Over
200 borers have been found in the
stalks growing in one hill of corn.
Control is made more difficult by the
fact that the borer feeds on a number
OF other plants. including the stalks of
weeds and flowers, and may live over
winter in grass roots.
Many people believe that we have
been bringing in plants from abroad
for so many years that now We have
all OF the pests TO which plants are
heir. This is a mistake. Ia the opinion
OF plant physicians who are best quail
flied to know. The Bureau of Ento-
molOgy has published descriptions OF
over 5000 distinct insect pests which
are likely 10 be introduced into this