120 LIFE ON THE FARM. 



native to their own soil. The United States 

 receives rice from China, and, in turn, sends wheat 

 and corn to other countries. Countries and sec- 

 tions of countries are able to tide over years of 

 scarcity and famine for the same reason. 



Although grains are rich in food value, and have 

 such good keeping qualities as far as decay is con- 

 cerned, they are subject to injury by several kinds 

 of insects, all popularly known as "weevils." These 

 are very small insects, and hence can easily infest 

 a quantity of grain without being discovered until 

 a considerable amount of damage has been done. 

 Not only is there a loss in weight, but the insects' 

 bodies and excreta make it unfit for use as food. 

 Some kinds destroy the germs of the seed so that 

 they will not grow when planted, whence there 

 results a diminution of the crop. 



Insect injuries to ripened and stored grains 

 amount to many millions of dollars annually in a 

 single State. In some cases nearly half of the 

 corn is destroyed by them. The annual loss in 

 the whole United States probably amounts, on an 

 average, to nearly a hundred million dollars. 



Heat and dampness are conditions favoring the 

 increase of such insects. Heat helps the eggs to 

 hatch. Dampness renders the grains soft, so 

 that they can be easily eaten. The husks of grain 

 being primarily for protection, the husked varieties 

 are subject to greater ravages than those from 

 which the husks have not been removed. 



