176 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



powers greater than in their native lands. The intensive agriculture 

 and continuous acreage methods of recent years directly favor their 

 rapid increase, and with the gradual reduction in numbers of our in- 

 sectivorous birds one great check to their increase has been removed. 



The result has been what might be expected. Estimates of the 

 average annual loss by insects calculated at eighteen per cent., are now 

 considered as about correct, and this loss on the basis of the United 

 States government crop estimates for 1906 would be considerably over 

 a billion dollars each year. 



Nor is the end in sight. The pests of other lands are not yet all 

 represented in the United States, though new ones arrive nearly every 

 year. Agriculture is becoming more intensive, larger areas are being 

 tilled, furnishing a more abundant and easily discovered food supply, 

 and in spite of a healthy growth of interest in preserving our insec- 

 tivorous birds, it is questionable if the developments connected with 

 an increasing density of population will permit their preservation in 

 any great numbers for more than another century. 



This increase of loss has also occurred in spite of all the efforts of 

 the economic entomologists, each one of whom 'can but acknowledge that 

 while his efforts have not been in vain, the battle is nevertheless going 

 against him, for in spite of all his efforts losses are becoming greater, 

 insects more abundant and ultimate defeat seems certain, unless new 

 and more effective methods can be brought into use in the struggle. 



At the present time the economic entomologist is much in the same 

 position as that of a physician who gives his prescriptions, but finds 

 that many are never even taken to the druggist to be put up, while 

 others, though prepared, are never taken and still others are taken but 

 once. Many a crop is entirely lost by the neglect of its owner to apply 

 the proper treatment and the value of many others is lessened one half 

 or even three fourths by careless, shiftless work generally followed by 

 entire failure to apply farther treatment because the first one being im- 

 properly or poorly made did not give the anticipated results. 



If such are the existing conditions, what of the outlook ? How long 

 can this continue before greater crop destruction by insects and fungi, 

 and an increasing population produce famine ? 



To these questions it is impossible to give decisive answers, though 

 it is probable that many years are still between us and famine caused 

 by insect ravages. But if an improvement of present conditions is 

 desired, it would seem that it must come through the adoption of 

 means by which spraying can be made more acceptable, or by the de- 

 velopment of new methods of control. 



The remarkable apathy of the crop producers of this country toward 

 their insect foes, and their pronounced disinclination to carry out 

 methods of treatment is an attitude which should be reversed as quickly 

 and vigorously as possible. Much of this change must wait for a new 



