Evening star., 1954-05-30

"a 0tuA4AH w IA SNAAA0OAGaS SAAS
national campaign against in
sect pests has been requested
by the Centennial Commem-
grafton Committee Of the Pro-
fession of Entomology. headed
by David G. Hall of the Ag-
ricultural Research Service,
Department Of Agriculture,
and there is a chance that
Postmaster General Arthur E.
Summerf1eld will grant the
appeal.
Such a stamp first was pro-
posed last November and the
petition was renewed by the
committee in February. A de-
sign showing the common
house ny. known scientifically
as musca domestica, has been
prepared and has been sub
mitted to Mr.. Summerf1eld.
Precedent for issues Of this
character has been cited in
the mosquito postal tax stamp
Of Mexico Of 1889, obligatory
on all mail, the money being
used in aid Of a drive against
malaria"
The list Of insects hostile to
man includes the horn fly,
which tortures cattle; the
armyworm, which has de-
stroyed millions Of dollars
worth Of food crops at inter-
walls since 1882; the corn ear
worm. a ruthless foe Of corn.
tomato and cotton growers;
the chinch bug, one Of the most
destructive Of cereal invaders;
the European corn borer. which
devastated $85 million worth Of
corn in 81 States in 1852; the
grasshopper, which ranges
over the whole country and has
Impoverished thousands Of
farmers; the Hessian fly, which
came to America with the
Hessian mercenaries in 1776
and currently destroys wheat
to the value of SIG million
annually; the white-fringed
beetle, a voracious eater Of
every commercial crop grown
in the South; the codling moth,
which preys on apples and
pears: the japanese beetle,
known to attack about 275
kinds of plants; the Mediter-
ranean fruit fly. supposed to be
eradicated as of 1858; the
Oriental fruit moth. which
wrecks peach orchards; the
Parlatoria date scale, cur
rently believed to have been
banished from the United
States; the Engelmann spruce
beetle, regarded as one of the
most serious enemies of the
Nations timber lands; the
gypsy moth, which defoliates
forest. shade and fruit trees;
the spruce budworm, costly foe
of spruce and fir properties;
the Colorado potato beetle,
operating in every State ex-
cept California and Nevada;
the Mexican bean beetle, which
costs bean growers at least $5
million year; the boil weevil,
credited with destroying So
billion worth of cotton in the
past four decades; the pink
bollworm. another cotton pest,
"like a giant suddenly awak-
ened"; the clothes moth, which
came to America with the Pill
grims on the Mayflower; the
carpet beetle. chewing up furs,
feathers and even ivory and
tortoise shell as well as WOOL
ems, and many different bugs"
which infest packaged foods
and do tremendous damage"
Mr.. Halls committee Sc
lected the house fly for the
projected stamp design, how
ever, because it is the COM
monest of insect pests and
probably the most dangerous
to human beings, since it is a
notorious carrier of cholera,
typhoid and other diseases.
Groups endorsing the CEN
tennial celebration are: Ento-
mological Society of America,
chronological Society of
Washington, American Chem
tcal Society, American For
estry Association, Association
of Official Agricultural Chem
lists, Inc, and National
Agricultural Chemicals Asso-
citation. The profession of
entomology is estimated to in
clude 4,500 full-time scientists,
all working to protect the
health and economy of the
American people.
The forerunner of the whole
1nsect-f1ghting contingent, Mr..
Hall has explained, was Town
end Glover Q813-1883), an
EngliShman horn in Rrozil