The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-09-08

Every man. woman and child in the
United States. whether living in the
town. citv or village or on the farm,
comes in contact in one way or another
with insects. There are about $780,
600 kinds OF living creatures on the
earth. and about three-fourths OF these
are insects. writes Everett Spring in
Pennsylvania Grit.
They are found by millions in every
part OF the country; IN the vegetable
garden, in the orchard, on the flowers,
on your back porch, in the dairy house
and in the pantry. They are virtually
everywhere, and many times these IN
sect pests have caused humans to quit
their place of abode.
The malarial mosquito Tor instance,
is said bv some entomologists to have
been the cause Of the downfall OF the
old Egyptian and Greek civilizations.
Yellow fever, carried by mosquitoes,
plaved its part in the destruction OF
many lives within our own recollec-
ton. Hundreds of similar examples,
whereby insects have contributed to
the death toll OF the world, each year,
could be cited. The magnitude OF the
insect menace is, in fact, appalling.
Texas Invaded by White Ants.
In small town in Texas a man
was obliged to sell his family cow SO
as to cut down expenses that his inn
mediate family might live since 1t was
impossible to keep ants out OF either
the milk or butter Hundreds OF 9th
er citizens were not only similarly at
flicted. but in other ways. One Wo-
man in the same town caught l,ZOO,-
600 ants in her home in one week. She
adopted the method of putting a lit
tie syrup on single and returning IN
a few minutes to scald them in vessel
after which they were strained OFT.
She counted the number held IN
measuring glass and estimated the en-
tire amount to total the above.
These particular species OF white
ants, once regarded as peculiar to the
tropics. are moving north, and there
are increasing complaints OF their de-
predations on books, furniture and on
wearing apparel.
Year by year and even month by
month our insect pest problem IS be
coming more serious. 1t IS greatly
more alarming today than it was ~
years ago even though the number OF
entomologists has doubled
The annual loss to property and
human life in the United States caus-
ed by insects is appalling. A few years
ago the bureau of entomology made
careful estimate of the damage done
by insects in the United States, which
shows an annual loss OF crops as toll
lows. Cereals, $234,204,600; hay, $116,-
23O. 500; cotton, $140,631, 100; tobacco,
$16,000,000; sugar crops, $8,436,8O0;
fruits, $l41, 264 800; farm forest prod
ucts, S22,138800; other farm crops,
S29, 138700; natural forest and forest
products, $1O0,000000; products in
storage. $1O0,000,000; insect borne dis
eases Of man, $150,000,000; and direct
damage to domestic animals, $l0O,OOO,-
600; making a grand total loss by in
sects OF $l,554,869, 800
Insect Loss to Agriculture.
In the best judgment of the ento-
mologists of the State Departments OF
Agriculture the loss caused by insects
in 1924 amounted to more than two
billion dollars. The cotton boil weevil
IS one OF mans most destructive and
dangerous enemies. 1t originated IN
the plateau of Mexico or Central
America. 1t crossed the Rio Grande,
near Brownsville Texas, in 1882. By
1894 it had spread to half a dozen coun-
ties in southern Texas. Since that
time the boil weeWl has extended it's
range annually from 40 to 100 miles
a season. Practically 81 per cent OF
the cotton belt is now infested with
the boil weevil and the area now in
, tested produces about 81 per cent OF
the total cotton crop or the United
States.
The losses caused by the boil wee
vii are both direct and indirect, and
extend throughout the entire financial
and economic structures OF the cotton
belt. 1t is impossible to estimate the
losses due to the deprecated land val
ues, closing down OF cotton gins and
oil mills and other indirect results OF
the invasion of the boil weevil.
On the basis OF direct loss it is es-
timated there is an annual loss OF S5O0,-
100000 in addition to the direct loss IN
crops of $140,63l, 100 mentioned above.
Expansion of Infested Areas.
The possible production of offspring
in a single season Of pair OF weevils
has been put at 12,755,l00 This in.
sect has well developed instinct OF
extending its range into new territory.
1t is this instinct that has caused the
extension of the infested area in the
United States from year to year.
At the last session of congress ST.
100000 was appropriated to be used in
the warfare against insects, OF which
ST. 100000 is to be spent in fighting
three species of bugs-the European
corn borer, the gypsy moth and the
japanese beetle.
The European corn borer came to
this country about 1910 in broom
corn imported from Hungary and
Italy. 1t is the corn pest OF prime I'M
--a l. Loo .,nt cnnfine IFS raw