Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — The Transplanting of Pests. [ARTICLE]

The Transplanting of Pests.

“Volumes have been written concerning the rabbit pest in Australia,” said Herbert Curzon, of Brooklyn, who was in the city yesterday. “There are other equally disastrous instances on record of foolish attempts to improve upon nature and introduce into countries animal or insect species not adapted to the climate or surroundings. Five or sik years ago an insect crank in New England imported one or two Egyptian moths for his cabinent. They escaped, and as a result the State of Massachusetts has been swarmed with these pests, and has spent a small fortune trying to exterminate them. It is more than probable before the century is over these destractive insects will have migrated into the central States, and we may have to borrow from Australia some of the sympathy we have flven it so freely. It is only about 2 years ago that some enthusiastic entomologist took a Colorado potato beetle collection to England. The usual result followed; they escaped, and the mild climate seeming to suit them to perfection, they grew and multiplied by the million. Entire potato crops were ruined both in England and Ireland, and something bordering upon a panic resulted. Immense sums of money were spent to exterminate the pest, which was denounced in song and verse on every ihusic hall stage in the country. Dr. Johnson's philosophy concerning the dangers of trying to interfere with the divine regulation of weather seems to apply with equal force to the folly of bringing insects and animals to countries where nature has not located them.—[St. Louis GlobeDemocrat.