The Watchman And Southron

A New Pest Arrives

As the world grows practically smaller and nations as well as individuals find their affairs more and more tied together by ever-multiplying connections of one sort or another we must be prepared for disadvantages as well as advantages. It used to be that the boll weevil stayed at home in Mexico, the potato bug in the Rocky Mountains, the San Jose scale on the Pacific coast and so on. But means of travel for men and goods become the means of travel for small, unnoticed enemies as well. The New York Herald tells editorially a tale of the Japanese beetle, which is a remarkably clear and unmistakable warning of what may be expected as the countries of the world become more closely associated. The story runs thus:

"Seven years ago, concealed in imported azalea roots, an unsuspected grub reached this country from Japan. The destination of the roots was Burlington county, New Jersey. They got there, and the grub came with them. It burrowed in the ground and hatched the Japanese beetle that already has done much damage and threatens to do much more.

The newcomer from the Orient is a beautiful copper bronze insect, and its appetite is as voracious as its taste is indiscriminate. It eats every growing thing in the vegetable world. Fruit trees, flowers, ornamental shrubbery, weeds--whatever green thing that comes in its way is grist for its insatiable devouring mill. It is estimated that over 200 species of plants already have been victims of its powers of destruction.

Charles H. Hadley, government entomologist, is quoted as saying that at the time of the beetle's first identification in a nurseryman's garden refuse at Cinnaminson, Burlington county, in 1916, only a dozen of the beetles were found. In the summer of 1920 close to 1,000 quarts of them were collected from a small area centering about the spot where the original beetle was deposited. The infested area in New Jersey then covered only about half a square mile. Two years later it had spread to six and a half square miles. Then it increased to forty-eight square miles and the insect was across the Delaware river and in Pennsylvania, where it soon covered an area of eleven square miles. By that time ninety-two square miles of New Jersey territory had been invaded. In the summer of 1922 the infested regions were estimated at 270 square miles, while now they are placed at over 700 square miles.

The United States Department of Agriculture as well as those of New Jersey and Pennsylvania soon became aware of the beetle's crop destroying power. Various destroying sprays were tentatively applied. Rigid quarantine measures were adopted. Produce laden trucks were seized at segregated district bounds, their contents dumped and left to go to waste at a loss of thousands of dollars. Children were offered 50 cents for every quart of the beetles they would collect. Little headway was made. The area of beetle destruction continued to widen.

In Japan, where this pest is known as the bean beetle, there are natural parasites which destroy it, or at least keep its marvelous reproductive powers within bounds. To Japan as well as to Hawaii, China and Korea the Federal Department of Agriculture sent experts to investigate and ship here as many of these parasites as were found to be efficient. The first shipment, coming by way of Seattle, reached Mr. Hadley's laboratory in Riverton, New Jersey, a few days ago. Among these new arrivals is a particularly vicious little wasp that has to be handled with care, for it stings at touch. But it burrows swiftly in the ground and instinctively gives for the nearest Japanese beetle within reach, which it instantly attacks and destroys.

This specimen with others are being turned loose as rapidly as possible. And none too soon. With farmers in three counties New Jersey and in five counties of Pennsylvania reporting total crop losses from the beetle the urgency of drastic action of some sort is sufficiently demonstrated."