124 ARTHROPODA 



Importance of Studying the Insects 



The necessity of investigating the habits and structure 

 of insects in order that we may be able to control them is 

 well presented in the following abstracts taken from the 

 writings of Slingerland: 



A very conservative estimate puts the yearly loss from 

 insect depredations in the United States at one tenth of all 

 the farm crops, and this amounts to the enormous sum of 

 $300,000,000, and this is only about $52 for each farm. A 

 recent estimate by experts put the yearly loss from forest 

 insect depredations at not less than $100,000,000. The 

 common schools of the country cost in 1902 the sum of 

 $235,000,000, and all higher institutions of learning cost 

 less than $50,000,000, making the total cost of education 

 in the United States considerably less than the farmers 

 lost from insect ravages. 



Furthermore, the yearly losses from insect ravages aggre- 

 gate nearly twice as much as it costs to maintain our army 

 and navy; more than twice the loss by fire; twice the capital 

 invested in manufacturing agricultural implements; and 

 nearly three times the estimated value of the products of 

 all the fruit orchards, vineyards, and small fruit farms in 

 the country. 



We dare not hazard a guess and have no data on which 

 to base an estimate as to how much American farmers are 

 now spending in time and money in the warfare against 

 their insect enemies. It would surely aggregate a sum 

 that would startle us. But at least one hundred and twenty- 

 five entomological workers are now devoting most of their 

 energies and spending probably $250,000 in the United 



