BIRDS AND INSECTS 

 in Relation to Crops 



Among the mighty efforts now being made by the 

 nation for the maintenance of our Empire in time of 

 war the attempt to increase the production of food 

 is one that has engaged the serious attention of the 

 legislature, and has made increasing demands upon 

 our physical and scientific endeavours. 



The destruction of our food-supplies by the action 

 of the enemy at sea has been met by the determined 

 resistance of our Navy and our armed and unarmed 

 merchantmen ; but, unfortunately, the destruction of 

 our food-supplies by our enemies at home the birds 

 and the insects has not received the serious attention 

 it deserves, nor has it been the subject of intense and 

 co-ordinated scientific effort. 



If one calls to mind the damage caused to various 

 food crops during the summer of 1917 by insect pests, 

 such as the wire-worm, the wheat bulb fly, the cabbage- 

 root maggot, the onion and carrot flies, and the cater- 

 pillars of various species, it is probably no exaggera- 

 tion to say that the insects alone destroyed more of 

 our home-grown food than the submarines of our 

 enemies destroyed of the food that was to come to us 

 from abroad. 



There seems to be an idea that whereas the destruc- 

 tion of ships at sea is an act of the enemy which can 

 be countered by naval action, by guns and by shells, 



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