LOSSES CAUSED BY INSECTS. NATURE'S CONTROL METHODS 33 



diseases each year, the loss of time from productive labor is, of course, 

 very large, and the country is that much poorer than it should be. Death 

 puts an end to any further production by those concerned, and here 

 also is a loss to the country. It has been estimated that the loss of 

 labor by sickness and death, caused by malaria alone, is at least $100,- 

 000,000, and by all insect-borne diseases is over $350,000,000 each year 

 in the United States. 



In addition, there are many places in this country where the soil 

 is rich and would pay well if cultivated, but where man cannot live 

 under existing conditions because of the presence there of insects and 

 the diseases they carry. 



Difficulties in Estimating Losses. To fix a monetary value for all 

 this destruction and injury, however, is a difficult problem, so many fac- 

 tors enter into it. It cannot be denied that insect attacks result in a 

 direct reduction of wealth to the country as a whole; that whatever food 

 material has been consumed by insects is not available for consumption 

 by the people, is self-evident; and that if on account of a resulting scarcity 

 of any food the consumer pays more for it, he is thereby paying toward 

 the cost of the ravages by the insects. The producer of this food though, 

 may because of the reduced amount available, be getting as much or even 

 more than he would have received had insects not destroyed any of it. In 

 other words, while the destruction of any crop caused by insects is cer- 

 tainly a loss to the nation as a whole, those fortunate individuals who suc- 

 ceed in raising that crop may receive as much or more for the amount they 

 did produce than would otherwise have been the case. On the other hand 

 the man who starts to raise such a crop and loses a large percentage of it 

 by insect ravages, may not have a sufficient amount left to repay him 

 even at the higher prices, for his expenses. 



It is evident then, that insect ravages while meaning a loss to the 

 country as a whole, may also mean either a loss to producers, a normal 

 profit because of a higher price on what part of the crop they have been 

 able to save, or even a better profit, due to higher prices than could other- 

 wise have been obtained. 



No crop producer can as yet foretell whether he in any given year will 

 be one who will lose, receive a normal return, or do better than usual on 

 any of his crops. He can only be prepared for insect attacks if they come, 

 and save all he can by proper methods of protection and repression, know- 

 ing that the vast majority of the people will do little or nothing in this 

 line and that in consequence he will be among those losing least ; will have 

 proportionally more to sell, and that he will therefore receive the benefit 

 of any higher prices coming from a reduced production. 



Against what he will gain in this way must be offset the cost of his 

 protective and control measures. If these are too expensive he will gain 

 nothing, but in most cases their cost is small as compared with the value 



