Evening star., 1936-07-03

compare the nuge mass Oh untOuCncd
foliage and branches with the COM
paratively small amount Of withered tips
and leaves.
From Orrtanna, Pa, Q worried lady
writes:
Dear Sir: What experience have you
had concerning the depredations of the
current pest Of cicadas?
you write that they are not harmful,
but you would change your opinion II
you could see our forests where the oaks
stand with withered tips on every
branch hanging brown, cut from the
trunk. Young black walnuts denuded of
branches. Some blight-resistant chest
nuts entrusted to me by the Agriculture
Department have lost their fgst blossom
ing branches.
"Dogwood denuded, Philadelphus,
cydonia, lilacs Topped of and two 7-foot
weeping willows which I have guarded
for three years are nothing but bare
trunks.
mot destructiver Your experience
has been limited. Mine covers II acres
Of orchard and woodland.
Yours dejectedly, M. A. J."
y = -
We sincerely trust that this corre-
spondent will not feel quite so detected
after while. It is true that where
native woodlands had not felt the Ak
many times as many thousands Of the
cicadas may have come up as in suburban
areas and that the extent Of the damage
done would naturally be larger.
Although We do not own II acres-an
appropriate number for 17-year locusts,
truly-we have observed the trees and
shrubs along literally miles of suburban
streets, have gone into Rock Greek Park
and other protected areas for the par
ticular purpose. And while the tip ends
Of hundreds Of specimens have been
Drowned and are now blown of, through
Natures seemingly blind but nevertheless
extremely canny operations, we pit our
opinion against anybodys as to the
ultimate damage done.
Why, big dog can do as much damage
to smaller shrubs. and often does. The
cold OF severe Winter can do it. Mil
lions Of acres Of finest woodland are
wrecked and burned over every year
through sheer carelessness and indiffer-
ence of human beings. When we think
Of what man does every year to despoil
the beautiful dogwood, we believe it only
Aau IIldG Iuc lOCuStS DC AllOWeQ u lew
specimens every IL years.
It is easy to understand that there
may be exceptional areas where more
damage has been done by the cicadas
than in general. If this is the case, to
all such owners, including our detected
lady, We offer consolation, with this pro-
viso, that they cheer up and wait until
the passage of time proves beyond doubt
the damage done.
The woes Of the mind add immeas-
urably to any damage 1t is so easy to
lament, to see only the bad side, to
refuse to see the good side, if any.
When We think Of the enormous damage
done trees and shrubs every year by
other insects. blights gals. rusts, man,
animals, We think the cicadas are slight
offenders, indeed.
Much Of the idea of damage was the
result Of confusing them with the real
locusts, or grasshoppers. which eat vast
quantities of foliage. The cicadas ate
nothing and did not damage except
through their egg-laying.
What this is remains to be seen. Surely
they could not have done as much harm
as the severe Winters of the past three
years
And see how wonderfully Nature. or
God, as you choose. brought good out of
all that Winter killing. Even the privet
hedges, which seemed utterly damaged,
are coming back now and will look
better than ever.