Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-12
WAR UPON BEETLES
TO SAVE FRUIT CROP.
Quarantine Established IN Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania to
Limit Insects Ravages
USE PARASITES FROM JAPAN

From, carly morning until late at
night the japanese beetle, tho pest
which has invaded PENNSYLVANIA as we'll
a. New Jerser. is being pursued.
In all kinds of Weather. during every
sea son. the fight between the brilliant
colorcd little bug and his enemies con.
tinues. and until recently il seemed thar
the bug would win. for he had increased
the area Of his sway from 100 to 30
square miles in five years.
Many methods of warfare have been
tried and abandoned. but to &. II.
Hadlcy belongs the credit for establish.
ing a quarantine that has limited the
beetle TO the territory of its present
deprcda ton
Were YOU a truck driver attempting
to cross the ferry from New Jersey with
plants or plant products which were
grown in the area infested by beetles.
you would be stopped by man-only
one Of cighty-cmployed as an inspector
BY the Federal and State Departments
Of Agriculture.
He would demand to BE- shown your
permit. And if you did not have it it
would mean Il trip back to the farm
from which you started and delay
there until you obtained permit.
Must Notify Uncle sam
Twenty four hours notice must be
given to the Department Of Agriculture.
which has a station at Rivprton. y. j..
where Mr.. Hadley Is in charge. before
any produce is taken out OF the in,
fected area. 1t can only be removed
after examination by inspectors. who
testify that the produce is free from
beetles.
In the heavily infested areas corn.
grapes. lettuce. cabbage. forage crops Of
all kinds. including hay and straw,
must be examined. as we'll a. nursery.
ornamental and greenhouse stock and all
other plants except bulbs and cut flow
ers and soil. compost and manure
In the lightly infested areas tn" OK
animation is of nursery. ornamental ana
greenhouse stock. all other plants CX-
cept bulbs and cut flowers and soil COM
post and manure other than fresh
manure.
This year is the first that the beetles
have done any serious damage 70 the
fruit itself. In 1920 tho damage was
only TO the leaves; in 1921 slight dam.
age to the fruit. but this year the dam
ago 10 the fruit has been considerable,
II the pest : destruction increases III tho
same ratio in one or two moro season,
30 to so per cent Of the fruit itself will
b. destroyed.
some or tne OrFnbTbS III .>fN ''I>'F
are topped with brown. whore the insect
has done its work others are completely
ruined with almost every leaf dead and
laced with innumcrabl" patterns de.
signed by the hungry beetles. II they
are disturbed they tiy M in dense
clouds casting n distinct shadow on III"
ground and making low angry hum. ns
If a beehive has suddenly been upset.
According to Mr.. liadlcy. the pri.
mary Object is not now 10 eSterminate
the bugs. but to devise a means of pre-
venting injury on the farms: II" thinks
Il will soon tc an individual farm prob
lem as any other fruit destroyer is.
The reason that the japanese b"etle
presents problem SO much more Scri-
, Gus than that of other pests Is because
where one pest Of another variety will
appear. from 1000 10 ,W0O, 900 Japa-
nese beetles will appear. beraus" there"
are no native natural enemies of the
beetle.
Parasites Brought From Japan
A shipment OF 100. 900 parasites from
Japan has been received this year. max
ing total OF fifteen shipments. and
many Of them have been released in fav-
orable areas after u period OF keeping at
the station. However. it will take at
least n wear to discover il the parasite
the beetles. In japan they do. but
In this country both the insects must
accustom themselves to climatic condl :
tions. and in many cases the parasites
have not been strong enough to survive
the winters as the beetles have.
The parasite is only one Of four
methods now used by the Department
of Agriculture. The other three are lhy
quarantine work. inves,iga,ional work
and research work to find an effective
insecticide. This involves a study oi
the life history and habits of the bcctI.
under conditions in this country.
Under the investigation comes spray
ing. There are various sized machines
for this. In one experiment wilc boS
10 put over an entire tree men ar,
stationed in the tree and after lh,
spraying is done they count the beet le.
which are killed by the spray and in tni,
way can see il amy actual benefit Is de
rived from the treatment. This l. don,
en- various plants In all conditions o
weather and the results averaged II
some cases GO per cent have been killed
t The problem involved in the spray j.
t0 fnd a solution which may be modi
Aed or intensified from. standard mate
II rial and so manufactured cheap cnougl
for common use. A solution Of arsenal {
Of lead Is being used AT present.
t4h Two hundred and fourteen of the In
tested square miles are in New Jersey /,
Burlington. Camden and Glouccsto
Counties, The remaining fifty six ar
In Pennsylvania In Bucks and Pnlladcl
phia Counties.