Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 144, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1919 — Insects Cause a Billion Dollar Loss Yearly, Says Agricultural Department [ARTICLE]

Insects Cause a Billion Dollar Loss Yearly, Says Agricultural Department

Destructive Insects in the United States have a food bill of sl-,000,000,-000 annually, according to department of agriculture figures. That amount Is tost each year because of insect depredations on various farm crop& and fruits. In addition to this, there is a large loss to live stock from such pests as biting flies, parasitic flies, ticks, mites and so forth. In 1916 destructive insects caused a loss of $430,204,300 in cereal crops and were responsible for a loss of $116,230,500 in hay crops. The insect damage to the tobacco crops was $16,- . 900.800 and in vegetables $199,412,600. They caused a loss of $8,436,800 in sugar crops and a loss of $141,264,300 in fruit. The loss caused by them in ail other crops was $29,649,700.

It has been found that vegetable and fruit crops suffer most heavily from the ravages of insects and a 20 per cent loss in vegetable crops and a 30 per cent loss in fruit crops is probably a minimum figure for these two. A further study of this question has revealed the fact that in 1916 the chinch bug alone was responsible for a loss of $60,000,000. The grasshopper caused a loss of $50,000,000 and the Hessian fly was charged with being responsible for $40,000,000 slump. In addition to the direct losses in growing crops, forests and live stock. Insects are responsible for depredations on stored grain, other farm prod-j ucts and household supplies. All those have brought the-total anaual loss from insects in the United States up to $1,000,000,000.