A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCIPAL INSECT 

 ENEMIES OF THE SUGAR BEET. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Recent estimates made in the Department of Agriculture show that 

 the world's production of sugar in 1902 amounted to nearly 10,000,000 

 tons, of which nearl}^ 6,000,000 tons were manufactured from sugar 

 beets/' The increase in the production of sugar from beets as com- 

 pared with the production from cane has for many years been rapid 

 and continuous. The first attempt to manufacture beet sugar in the 

 United States was made in 1830. After numerous failures a successful 

 factory was established in California about twent3'-five j-ears ago. In 

 1891 onl}^ three beet-sugar factories were in operation in the United 

 States; but by 1902 the number had increased to 42, with many more 

 in prospect. The manufacture of enough sugar to suppl}- our home 

 demand would require the operation of about 100 factories, or as many 

 as there are in Germany, the principal sugar-beet growing country of 

 the world. This in turn would require the cultivation of a very 

 large acreage in sugar beets. More than $50,000,000 is reported to 

 be invested in the beet-sugar industry in this country, and there is 

 promise that the industry may, before a great many 3^ears, develop to 

 the extent above indicated. Hence, anj^ information which may be of 

 use to sugar-beet growers is of inunediate interest and practical value. 



Although the beet-sugar industry is still in its infancy in America, 

 already many insects — 150 species in round numbers'^ — have been 

 found to use beets as food, and, while comparatively few occasion 

 losses of consequence, with the coming of jears and the increase of 

 cultivation of the sugar beet, other insects will acquire the habit of 

 feeding upon it, and more extensive injuries may be expected each 

 successiv^e season. 



If we leave out such forms of insects as blister beetles, army worms 

 and cutworms, flea-beetles, leaf-beetles, and some few others, we may 

 say that beets at the present time sufi^er comparatively little damage 

 through insect ravages. The recent extension, however, of sugar-beet 

 culture in this country has been the means of bringing to notice, 

 through the publications of the Department of Agriculture and 

 several of the State experiment stations,^ a large number of insects 

 not previously identified with attack on that plant. 



A very considerable proportion of the insect enemies of sugar beet 

 which arc practically identical with those which affect table beet and 



« Charles F. Saylor, Kept. No. 74, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 124. 

 .& Forbes & Hart, Bnl. 60, Univ. 111. Agl. Expt. Sta., 1900, pp. 397-532. 

 'See Bruner, Bui. 23 [oldser.], Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1891, pp. 11- 

 18; Osborn & Gossard, Bui. 15, Iowa Agl. Expt. Sta., 1891, pp. 265-272; also nnmer- 

 ouH shorter articles. 7 



