PROTECTING AMERICAN CROP PLANTS AGAINST 

 ALIEN ENEMIES. 



By Dr. B. T. Galloway, Washington, D. C, Pathologist, 



Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, 



U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



Delivered before the Society, with stereopticon illustrations, February 15, 



1919. 



The John Lewis Russell Lecture. 



In a recent publication issued by the Bureau of Entomology, 

 V. S. Department of Agriculture, there is listed, partly figured, 

 and partly described, something over 2,200 species of dangerous 

 insects that are likely to be introduced into this country. The 

 publication also sets forth a list of about 110 insect pests already 

 introduced which cause losses to our crop plants of more than five 

 hundred million dollars annually. Similar lists of introduced 

 and likely to be introduced plant diseases have not yet been pre- 

 pared. There is sufficient evidence at hand, however, to warrant 

 the statement that the number of diseases produced by fungi and 

 related organisms likely to be introduced and already introduced 

 is fully equal to the number of insects. 



The injuries which these introduced diseases are causing are 

 fully as great as the injuries produced by insects. The V. S. 

 Department of Agriculture is now carrying in its annual budgets 

 appropriations to the amount of about one million dollars to be 

 used solely and exclusively in fighting a small number of the more 

 important alien crop enemies that have recently been brought 

 into this country. The million dollars is expended largely for 

 combative, curative, and eradicative measures. The sum, in 

 other words, is an annual tax levied on the people in order to help 

 hold in check certain pests that have already been brought here. 



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