Show insects change T T 1 C ta 1 I 1 M iduino 0 ab m I 1 IQ t s of rt fee 1 acu ecu d many bugs have ability to thrive on newly intro deuced crops Pres lared by the united states department of 0 agriculture the unusual ability of many insects to make themselves at home wherever reve they happen to be carried whether by flight or through commerce la Is in a large measure responsible for the presence of so many plant pests says the united states department ot of agriculture then too many insects have a surprising ability to survive and even to flourish under changed conditions brought about through cultivation of the koll eoll and other activities of civilla civilization thus many of our well known crop pests formerly fed plants but when the land was planted to cultivated crops the insects not only changed their oleti but throve enormously on their new food feed of pests chinch bugs feed on both wild and cultivated plants they spend tile the winter on native grasses and come out in spring and feed on young grain crops grubs of june beetles eat roots of native grasses until grain crops tire are available practically all of the pests of cereal crops fed end entirely rely on wild plants until the large fields of cultivated crops offered a better feeding place the colorado colora do potato beetle Is an example of a native insect that hits has become domesticated F formerly it lived on wild nettle a plant which grows in the foothills of the rocky mountains when the potato was introduced trod into that region the beetle promptly adopted it and in 20 years spread to tile the atlantic ocean california pests in california there Is a strain of codling moth the well known apple pest which has developed a liking for walnuts since ethe the walnut trees are large and spraying them Is difficult this insect promises to become a serious walnut pest the new peach moth from japan Is a serious enemy of pears in that country and the well known european corn borer Is 18 a pest of hops and millet in europe cultivation of field crops over a long period of years produces ideal conditions for the perpetuation of insects that Is why it la Is necessary for the department part ment of agriculture and the state experiment stations to continue to wage war on the pests |