INSECT PESTS OF THE ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 

 By Prof. Edson F. Hitchings, Orono, Me. 



Delivered before the Society, January 27, 1912. 



We are facing a problem of grave importance to our Common- 

 wealth. One cannot estimate the vast inroads into our national 

 resources cause by the myriads of insect pests that menace our 

 very existence; they constitute a vast army that is flanking us on 

 every hand; there are bugs to right of us, bugs to left of us, bugs in 

 front of us, sucking and chewing us. " There's not to make reply, 

 there's not to reason why," there's but to fight and spray, if suc- 

 cess be ours. 



They may infest our clothes, our food, our bodies, all vegetable 

 growth, all animal life; in fact the mineral world is not exempt; 

 the air we breathe and the water we drink are replete with animal 

 life: even our brains go " bug house " sometimes. Each animal 

 has its parasites, each plant its enemies. 



We will cite a few losses due to insect depredation. It is stated 

 on good authority that the annual loss to the apple industry of the 

 country by the codling moth alone amounts to over $12,000,000. 

 In some seasons the strawberry weevil has reduced the crop 50% in 

 North Carolina. 



The annual loss to our truck growers from insect pests amounts 

 to about 20% of the crop, but by judicious methods of control this 

 might be reduced to 5%. This shows the need of up-to-date 

 methods to reduce the high cost of living — which affects the 

 masses — the cost of high living is not so important. Here in 

 New England we have a good illustration of insect depredation 

 in the gypsy and browntail infestation; then there is the Hessian 

 fly of the west; the cottonboll weevil of the south; and last but 

 not least we will cite the losses to human life due to the typhoid fly, 

 and the malarial mosquitoes. 



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