Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-10-13
Oar hsect EReHies.

Undoubtedly there was a time when
the sabre-tooth tiger and the cave
bear and the poisonous serpents
threatened the very existence of the
infant human race. Man thought Of
the beasts of prey as his dangerous
enemies. insects were nothing more
TO him than continual annoyance.
But he long ago won his battle with
the reptiles and the carnivora. He
won it with bow and spear, and the
invention of firearms has made it
possible for him to exterminate any
species that he thinks it worth his
while 10 wipe out. His real struggle
today is with the swarming billions
of tiny insects and parasites that car
ry disease OF threaten to consume the
plants that are necessary to his life
and comfort,
The mosquito. which spreads NAL
aria or yellow fever, the flea, which
carries the bubonic plegUe, the louise
which transmits typhus fever, the boil
weevil. which ravages the cotton fields
1 the corn borer. which menaces one
Of our greatest food crops, the scale
insect, which kills our fruit trees
those and other tiny creatures like
them are the natural enemies OF the
human race. against which we must
be prepared to wage an unremitting
warfare.
Such pests are so minute and so
incredibly pkolific tlbs at first it
seems quite hopeless to think of ex-
terminating them. Bat DR.. Felt, the
state entomologist of New York, says
that it is at least possible to keep
down the numbers of most insects to
a point where they can DO little harm,
and where they are even in danger
OF complete determination by natur-
al causes, That can be done only after
q careful study of the conditions that
favor or obstruct their breeding and
then by interfering to produce con
ditions that are unfavoNble. The
malaria mosquito, for example has
been virtually exterminated in malN
places BY covering all the pools of
stagnant water with film of oil.
The larvae Of the insect die because
they cannot rise to the surface through
the oil. So, by appropriate measures,
the cattle tick has been QuitN o'"ared
out Of no less than five / ... ,ou-
sand square miles of te toy.
Creatures like the b wr+vi and
the corn borer are more difficult to
reach 1t is probable t''}t tNey can
never be wiped out unless nature
comes to the aid o' man with me
disease r. light thu. the ir1eats con-
not resist It has been suggest
, that tho boll W"e.il might be S'nry-
2 ed out hv the e,.peaient Of planting
no cotton at all for one year Il
9 would be hard IT, get every planter
e to agree to that, but if it were pos
sible the plan might be efficacious.
Persistent and thorough spraying
viii overcome some insect enemies
: the destruction of trash heaps and un
: dergrowth where they breed will kecs
other species under control. Some
T. ike the corn borer. pl esert a pro
:, blem as yet unsolved. But the plar
! Of campaign against all those tireles'
l. enemies of man is the same. There
: must be first Ia careful, scientific
{ study Of the life history and the h2b
| its of each species, then the wides
pc isible puhY Ycation of the result
# that study, with instructions fo
attacking it in its breeding places
and finally the intelligent cooperation
Of state authorities ard private citi
' 7ens in carrying out those instruc
= tons. Not manv species can be de
II etrnvol ri one h'ow. A~ainst mos
: them the warfare must be contin
: ual. the vigilance unemitting; ha
= If man nuts his mind and his viii t
y the work he can get the better @
y his insect enemies as he has got III
= bctter Of the savage beasts.