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bar IN, No. 2-New SERIES.
8 wes S. ‘DEPARTMENT OF “AGRICULTURE.
| . " DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY.

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC EXTOMOLOGISTS,

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3 MARIUS? «

BRARY

WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
~ £895.

BULLETIN No. 2—New SERIES.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY..

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC EXTOMOLOGISTS,

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
1895,

LEDER OF TRANS MTT TAL

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY,
Washington, D. C., October 15, 1895.

Str: I beg to submit herewith the manuscript of the secretary’s
report of the proceedings of the seventh annual meeting of the Asso-
ciation of Economic Entomologists, which was held at Springfield,
Mass., August 27 and 28, 1895. On account of the fact that the pro-
ceedings of this association are invariably of great practical importance,
the Department has heretofore been glad to publish the seeretary’s
reports in .nsect Life. Since Insect Life has been discontinued, I
recommend that the present report be published as Bulletin No. 2 of
the new series of bulletins of this division.

Respectfully,
L. O. HOWARD,

Entomologist.
Hon. J. STERLING MORTON,

Secretary of Agriculture.

9

CONTENTS.

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOL- in
le oa Ate te RE ee eS ee eee ee en eee. Bese rae a
Entomological Notes and Problems...--.----.-.--.------+ John B. Smith -- 6
Dg OE a ee ee re C. L. Marlait-- 19
Some Experiments with the Knapsack Kerosene Attachment...--...---.-

oe Re EE afk 2 a ee Howard Evarts Weed_. 26
A Modification of the Kerosene Knapsack Sprayer -...Clarence WM. Weed-. 28
Pe ee NR Ra EME) 2 SSS 2 a Se es Zee J. M. Aldrich. 28
ipeniewn ~ snd “Dendrolene” ...... . >. ---+.--.----<: John LB. Smith. - 31
*A City Entomologist and Insecticides. ................2. B. Southwick -- 35
*Insects of the Season in Michigan. ..--....-..------...---- G. C. Davis. . 35
Herbivorous Habits of certain Dermestid.......------ I’, H. Chittenden -- 36
Some Shade-tree Insects of Springfield and other New England Cities----

2 cece ee a eR ee ee ee ee eee ne L. O. Howard. 40
The Elm Leaf-beetle in Washington .-...----.-.-----.----- C. L. Marlatt. AT
woe Lesi-peeue.im Alhany 2:22.22. .--. 2.4: «2-4 J. A. Lintner’. 50
Notes on the Gypsy Moth in Massachusetts---.-...-......C. H. Fernald.. 59
The Striped Cottonwood Beetle ----..-..-.---.-----..--.--- J. A, Lintner. 69
* The Probable Origin of the genus Diabrotica ----......-- F.M. Webster -- 75
On the Study of Forest-tree Insects -.---...---..-------- A. D. Hopkins-. 75
The Importation and Repression of Destructive Insects..F. WM. Webster -. 79
Insects of the Year in Ohio (illustrated) ...--..-.......-- F. M. Webster. S4
On the Natural Conditions which Affect the Distribution and Alfendaner

ERR te Tet On Sc tee etd T. D. A. Cockerell-. 91
How Shall We Improve Our Collections?--...-.--- Sen eee C. P. Gillette... G6
Carbon Bisulphide for Crayfish ...........--..----- Howard Evarts Weed... 98
*Notes on Smerinthus cerysii Kirby ---------.---.--2.----- F. LL. Harvey... 99

- Published by title only.

oo

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF
ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS.

MORNING SESSION, AUGUST 27, 1895.

The association met in room 4, High School building, Springfield,
Mass. The following officers and members were present:

President John B. Smith, New Brunswick, N. J.; Vice-President
C. H. Fernald, Amherst, Mass.; Secretary C. L. Marlatt, Washington,
D. C.; R. A. Cooley, Amherst, Mass.; G. C. Davis, Agricultural Col-
lege, Mich.; E. H. Forbush, Malden, Mass.; L. O. Howard, Washington,
D. C.; A. H. Kirkland, Malden, Mass.; J. A. Lintner, Albany, N. Y.;
C. V. Riley, Washington, D. ©.; P. H. Rolfs, Lake City, Fla.; F. A.
Sirrine, Jamaica, N. Y.; E. B. Southwick, Central Park, New York
City; F. M. Webster, Wooster, Ohio; C. M. Weed, Durham, N. H.

There were also in attendance upon the meetings members of other
scientific associations and entomologists not members of the associa-
tion, among the latter Mr. George Dimmock and Mr. Macloskie. The
attendance at the different meetings ranged from 20 to 40.

The association was called to order by the president and reports from
officers listened to. The amendment to the constitution proposed by
Mr. Summers November 13, 1890, but not afterwards taken up, was
adopted. It reads as follows:

Sec. 3. The membership shall be confined to workers in economic entomology. All
economic entomologists employed by the General or State governments, or by the
State experiment stations, or by any agricultural or horticultural association, and all
teachers of economic entomology in educational institutions, may become members
of the association by transmitting the proper credentials to the secretary and by
authorizing him to sign their names to this constitution. Other persons engaged in
practical work in economic entomology may be elected by a two-thirds vote of the
members present at any regular meeting of the association. Members residing out
of the United States or Canada shall be designated foreign members. Foreign
members shall not be entitled to hold office or to vote.

The following persons were elected active members of the associa-
tion:

Mr. W. Hague Harrington, Ottawa, Canada; Mr. R. E. Palmer, inspector of fruit
pests, British Columbia. Proposed by Mr. Fletcher.

Mr. W.S. Bullard, Bridgeport, Conn.; Mr. John Gifford, State forestry agent, Mays
Landing, N. J. Proposed by Mr. Howard.

Mr. E. A. Schwarz, Washington, D.C. Proposed by Mr. Marlatt.

Mr. E. H. Forbush, Malden, Mass.; Mr. A. H. Kirkland, Malden, Mass.; Mr. R.A
Cooley, Amherst, Mass. Proposed by Mr. Fernald.

Mr. F. W. Urich, hon. secretary Victoria Institute, Trinidad, and of the Trinidad
Field Naturalists’ Club.

The annual address of the president followed.

ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES AND PROBLEMS.
By JouHN B. Smitu, New Brunswick, N. J.

One of the chief advantages of being president of this association
is that it gives one the opportunity of lecturing his fellow-members.
Under the guise of an annual address one has the opportunity of ven-
tilating his views more liberally and at greater length than would be
tolerated otherwise, and one has the pleasure of making reeommenda-
tions and saddling a certain amount of work upen committees to whom
may be referred the recommendations contained in the president’s
address. For your sakes, as well as my own, I will try to be brief, to
confine myself to a few points only, and to make as few recommenda-
tions as I can get along with.

In the exceedingly useful and interesting presidential address of my
immediate predecessor a history of economic entomology and ento-
mologists was given, and it was shown that both had now a recognized
standing and influence. Thisinfluence, lam happy to say, is constantly
on the increase, and is, I think, deserved in most cases, on account of
the quality of work accomplished. When entomologists first became
abundant, with the establishment of experiment stations, a flood of ill-
considered compiled material was printed, which augured badly for the
science and for its standing with the intelligent agriculturist. Happily
the augury was false, and nowadays bulletins in most instances show
the results of original work, or compilations are brief and prepared to
meet some present demand. Ido not mean to say that republication
of well-known facts is always to be condemned; simply that there
should be a good reason for it. Thus I have just published a bulletin
on the Hessian fly without the least original investigation: but it was
needed in New Jersey, because this insect has been on the increase for
two years in succession, because the farmers are alarmed and dread
further injury, and because I have received numerous letters of inquiry
which can hardly be answered without writing a small bulletin for each
case. It would have been folly to attempt original investigation on an
insect so well known where immediate information was necessary; hence
I compiled a very brief bulietin from the researches of those who have
had more ample time and opportunities for study, and it serves its pur-
pose and was warranted, I believe.

There is a danger, however, in this method that must be guarded
against, and that is expressed in the question, Are the measures recom-
mended applicable in the new locality? We are just awakening to the
fact that differences in results obtained by farmers do not always argue
ignorance or carelessness, and are realizing that insects or insecticides
may vary, either in resisting power or in effectiveness, in different
localities, and that we must not hastily conclude that what answers in

—

7

California will be equally effective in New Jersey, nor that the conclu-
sions based upon the most careful experiments made in New York can
be accepted unquestioned in Idaho. To be more specific, Mr. Slinger-
land’s work on the pear blister-mite is certainly as conscientious a pro-
duction as can be wished for, and the results obtained by his use of the
kerosene emulsion are undoubtedly expressions of actual facts; yet
Mr. Aldrich in Idaho finds them utterly useless in his locality, and the
insects bear without discomfort applications which Mr. Slingerland
found fatal in New York. So Mr. Howard has published, as the result
of careful experimentation, that some of the washes found most satis-
factory on the Pacifie Coast for the destruction of scale insects are of
no practical use in the Atlantic States. Mr. Webster has frequently
joked me upon my failure to get satisfactory results with the rose-chafer
in New Jersey, which he seems to find no difficulty in managing in
Ohio. But the methods used by him are simply useless against the
species in the Hastern locality.

The point [ wish to make is, that there are factors not yet understood
by us that should make us cautious in recommending too positively or
hastily measures based on results reached in localities different from our
own, and on the other hand should make us very chary in condemning
work done by a confrére because our results do not agree with his.

The day of testing insecticides is therefore not so nearly over as has
been sometimes thought, and we owe it to our constituent, where his
results do not agree with our expectations, to test the matter under
his conditions before deciding him incompetent; and it does not need
the distance between the Atlantic and Pacific to make a difference in
condition. Results obtained annually by dozens of farmers in New
Jersey seem absolutely unobtainable by most careful experiments made
in New York; while [ have this season proved, much to my dissatis-
faction, that the reverse may be equally true, for I can not secure the
results in actual practice with bisulphide of carbon against cabbage
maggots which Mr. Slingerland obtained in his experiments. Yet Mr.
Slingerland undoubtedly recorded only what he found, and sooner or
later the reason for the failure in New Jersey will be discovered.

Each worker must therefore study his own field most carefully, and
not the least important subject of study is his constituency, the farmer,
for whose benefit he works. I need not tell you, gentlemen, that the
old line—

A rogue is a rogue, wherever he may be

cannot be applied to the farmer. He is different in almost every s2c-
tion and State—even within the limits of a county in some cases—and
what will appeal to one type in one locality may be ridiculed as non-
sense by another not 20 miles away. ‘There seem to be some charac-
teristics, however, common to the class—among them a marked sus-
picion as to the good faith of anyone who pretends to do something
for him for nothing, and a disinclination to believe that he can learn

8

anything about his business from the entomologist. The essential
problem, then, upon which success depends in a large measure, is how
to gain the confidence of the agriculturist and convince him both of
your honesty of purpose and of your utter disinclination to offer advice
on any but your own specialty. Carelessness in this matter may result
as in an instance when I was peddling ballots in a hotly contested
election in Brooklyn. A voter asked me for a set of ballots and I
foolishly inquired whether he wanted the straight ticket or some
pasters. He thought I wanted to know too much and was immediately
gobbled up by the other fellow, who gave him an entire handful of
ballots and kept his mouth shut. It has surprised me sometimes to
find that even in a small State like New Jersey there are localities
where the work and object of the Experiment Station is practically
unknown, and yet I believe we reach a larger percentage of its farmers
by means of our bulletins than in almost any other State in the Union.
I have found that the only way to secure attention and respect for the
suggestions made is to have personal acquaintances everywhere, to
take part in their meetings and even in some cases picnics, to answer
freely all sorts of questions, no matter how absurd, and to be inter-
ested in the newest and most startling facts in insect life which they
have themselves observed again and. again and know are true. My
latest addition to knowledge of this kind is that the white grub found
in manure piles produced the cicada, or harvest fly, and they had been
bred so time and time again.

Another problem of some interest is how to deal with newspapers.
Now, this does not seem to come exactly within the scope of the ento-
mologist, and I hasten to amend by limiting my remarks as applying to
theentomological matterin them. In some cases the most absurd misin-
formation is given currency, and the farmer, who has no other literature
and swears by his paper, accumulates a store of curious facts that are
often troublesome to deal with. Electroplate articles are particularly
vicious in this direction, because they may appear all over the country;
and [have seen in a well-known tarm paper, with a department edited by
a well-known entomologist, a really good paper by the editor followed
without any sort of spacing by an utterly absurd and incorrect note,
put in, of course, simply to fill space and without consultation with the
editor of the department, who, nevertheless, seemed to be responsible
for it. In New Brunswick one of the daily papers has an occasional
farm column from which I learn many new facts in economic entomol-
ogy. Ihave tried to induce the editor not to put these in without first
subinitting them to me, and he has promised so often without keeping
his promises that I conclude he never reads them himself until they
are printed, and the selection is determined entirely by the number of
inches covered. I have never been able to learn who writes these arti-
cles or how they originate; but it is at least a question whether we can
not do something as a body to make the press, and especially the

i)

agricultural press, a distributer of accurate rather than false informa-
tion. I have no scheme of my own to propose, but is not this a matter
worthy of some attention by our association? A curious effect of
the wide circulation of some agricultural journals is that sometimes the
entomologist of a neighboring or even a far-off State is better known
than the home worker, and questions from Illinois, Nebraska, or Ohio
may come to New York for solution. So an Associated Press report
to the newspapers sometimes brings letters from almost every State in
the Union on subjects very much more readily answered by the station
entomologists of the respective States, as lam alvays careful to say
when I get communications of that description. Occasionally an erring
Jerseyman gets away from me, I know, especially to Washington; but I
get my revenge when the authorities in charge of certain parks in that
city write to me for methods of dealing with shade-tree insects, appar-
ently in blissful ignorance that anything has been published in their
own city especially adapted to their needs.

A subject of considerable interest allied to that just mentioned is,
How can we keep track of everything on economic entomology that
is published nowadays? The bulletins and reports reach us in due
time in most cases, but Lam not so sure of even that for myself. I
invariably send my bulletins and reports to all the members of this
association directly from my own office, and I know that a few are sent
to me in the same way, but the practice is by no means universal; and,
though I believe some action was taken at a previous meeting, yet I
would urge that it be made one of the active obligations of membership
in this association that at least all official bulletins and reports be sent
to every fellow-member. Even if by this means a duplication occurs, I
am never averse to doubling up on a good thing, and, indeed, want two
copies whenever I can get them. The Experiment Station Record,
published by the United States Department of Agriculture at Wash-
ington, keeps us tolerably well informed of what is issued from the
experiment stations, and it is easy to get track of a missing bulletin or
report; but the numerous articles published in agricultural journals
and newspapers are a more serious matter, and I confess my entire ina-
bility to keep up with them. Iam working absolutely without assist-
ance, except a share in a stenographer and typewriter, who is kept busy
constantly in her own special branch, and it is simply impossible for
me to find time to look over even all the papers that come to the station,
yet I put in on an average twelve hours a day seven days in the week,
which is all, in my opinion, that can be reasonably asked. As a con-
sequence, [ am constantly learning of notes published here, there, and
everywhere long after they have appeared, and sometimes after I have
myself published matter upon the subject. I have even been severely
criticised by one of my fellow-members, who questioned my results in
a farm paper, and have remained in blissful ignorance of my offending
until long afterwards. To be sure, it didn’t bother me any, but I always

10

like to know when I am abused, and it usually gives me a pleasurable

sensation, which is the reason why I always enjoy Mr. Grote’s pleasant
productions. It always gives me the opportunity of seeing my name
at least once on every page, always associated with some pleasant com-
pliments, and it gratifies me that Iam able to afford him the delight
which he obviously takes in writing them.

But, to return to the matter in hand, is there not some feasible way
of interchanging among the members of this association records of all
articles containing original or useful information? Can we not devise
some plan by means of which we can keep informed of what is going on
without the necessity of wasting time in examining everything and
then missing itafter all? In view of the unfortunate discontinuance of
Insect Life, I would suggest that each member send in every month, or
at least quarterly, a list of economic articles published by him. Per-
haps Entomological News may be available for the purpose; but at all
events J wish to present the matter to the association as one which, in
my opinion, merits attention.

There are several unsettled problems concerning publications and
the matter to be contained in them; but the discussions heretofore
had have not resulted in any agreement, and policies seem rather to
be diverging than otherwise. I have decided opinions on the subject,
of course, but can not see any prospect of getting satisfactory action
at the present time, because in many cases we are not free to decide
the matter for ourselves. There are some directors who labor under the
delusion that they have the decision in matters of this kind; and, what
is worse, they frequently act on that belief.

The matter of cooperation among station workers is still discussed,
still declared desirable, and still as far from being put into actual prae-
tice as ever before, and comes up before us now on the report of a
special committee presented last year. What I have already spoken
of concerning the necessity for a special study of all problems for each
region or locality may be at first deemed an argument against coopera-
tive work in most directions, and yet it will be only by combining all
the results that we will ever get any clear understanding of some of the
matters now puzzling us. We can, however, do at least one thing men-
tioned in the report in the line of uniformity, by agreeing upon some
recognized method of conducting experiments, so that results may be
comparable. I have seen or have been informed concerning the outfits
of many of our stations and have inquired closely concerning the
methods of experimentation, and scarcely two are even nearly alike.
The elaborate and costly outfits of some stations are in striking contrast
with the cheap makeshift apparatus to be found in some others; so
that results obtained under such differing conditions are not always
to be regarded as of equal authority. I do not mean to suggest that
good and reliable work is not or can not be done with even indifferent
tools; but the chances of error are decidedly increased. Different

1]

results may be due in some cases to a difference in the breeding or
experiment jars, and I have known outdoor results to convradict abso-
lutely those obtained in the laboratory, not only in the failure of a
laboratory success, but in the success of a laboratory failure. I think
we might easily agree upon some uniform way of testing insecticides
and the character of the checks to be employed, particularly for contact
poisons, which in my experience are most likely to disappoint us in
their action under varying conditions. It would at least be a step
in the direction of uniformity in experimentation and therefore toward
cooperation, the only one perhaps that is possible at this time—if,
indeed, we can agree even so far.

Very recently a practical effort in the way of collating information
from all the stations has been made by Mr. Howard, entomologist to
the United States Department of Agriculture, in an endeavor to fix
more exactly the geographical distribution of a number of the inju-
rious species. What his success has been I do not know, but in some
such direction as that cooperation may certainly become a fact without
infringing upon individual fields of work. |

There is one other point which has not, I believe, been previously dis-
cussed at any length—the interchange of specimens of injurious insects
and their work. Of course we all try to so describe and figure the
pests we study and their injuries that no one can possibiy mistake
them, and yet, speaking for myself alone, it does happen now and
then that the nature of an attack or of an insect sent in is not at once
recognized, even if it prove afterwards to be one described at length in
another State. Thus I failed to recognize the San Jose scale when
first I saw it, nearly two years before it was brought to Dr. Riley’s
attention. If, however, the members of this association could agree to
send to each of their fellow-members, as far as possible, specimens of
the injurious insects originally studied by them and their work, this
would make matters easier for all, and might prevent blunders in
some cases. Of course there are limitations here, and in some eases
the material may not be sufficient and a selection must be made among
correspondents. As no one can possibly feel hurt if I call attention
only to my doings, good and bad, I may say that I have acted up to
this idea in sending samples of the work of the sinuate pear borer, for
information, to the United States National Museum, the United States
Department of Agriculture, the State entomologist of New York, and
the Cornell Experiment Station. I will be pleased to send also to
anyone else who desires specimens of injury caused. Beetles are yet
too scarce to be distributed except to specialists.

Digressions are always allowable in an address of this kind, and I
want to make a plea here for a central collection of economic entomol-
ogy. Hither the United States Department of Agriculture, or, perhaps
better, the United States National Museum, should receive from ento-
mologists all over the country material for the formation of a biological

12

collection in which all stages of the insects and their work should be
fully illustrated. This would be of enormous advantage to students
in a short time, and only think what its extent would be if all of us
cooperated honestly and continually for the common benefit!

When I say that Dr. Riley is in charge of the colleetion at the
National Museum, I need add nothing concerning the appreciation
with which material of this kind will be received.

As this matter of cooperation came before you in the report pre-
sented last year, which I take it you have all considered carefully, I
need say nothing more on this head.

In connection with that same report the subject of insect laws or
legislation against insect pests will come up, and we have now to guide
us the very useful compilation of the laws heretofore enacted, published
by the United States Department of Agriculture. I regret to say that
public opinion in New Jersey is so indifferent or even hostile to iegis-
lation on this subject that no effort was made last winter to pass the
bill introduced at the previous session. The matter is not one that I
feel called upon to act in myself, except in an advisory capacity, and
I have left it where I think it properly belongs—in the hands of the
farmers themselves. Until they wake up to the necessities of the case,
no law, however good, can be satisfactorily enforced. 1 suspect that
one reason for the lack of enthusiasm in the matter is that almost every
man has a secret conviction that he would not be always inclined to
live up to the letter of the law himself, and that some critical neighbor
might use it against him if he at any time showed himself disposed to
insist upon its enforcement against others. Another argument made
by one of our apple growers is, ‘‘ What is the use? I can get perfect
apples myself, and the more wormy apples the other fellows have the
better the prices I can get for my good ones.” This logic¢ is as unan-
swerable as another, that wormy apples are good enough for cider and
apple-jack, to say nothing of vinegar.

Inspection or quarantine laws have been discussed and recommended
to prevent distribution of infested stock or the introduction of new
pests into new localities, and there may be some practical outcome to
this agitation; but until we can arouse a public sentiment strong
enough to secure action in all the States little good will be accom-
plished, and where goods enter a State, as they may do, at dozens of
points, any really effective inspection would be an expensive matter.

But here, in the nursery question, we have really a very serious prob-
lem, one to which I called attention last year, and which Mr. Howard
has mentioned and briefly discussed in a recent paper on scale insects.

It has been suggested that no stock should be purchased except under
guaranty of freedom from certain scales or pests; but one of our best
nurserymen, to whom I suggested the offering of such a guaranty,
refused point-blank to even consider it, on the ground that he could
not possibly tell where his stock was going, and if after a year or two

13

it proved infested, as it might easily become from outside sources, he
could not possibly prove its freedom when shipped, nor how infection
occurred, especially if a purchaser was inclined to be dishonest and,
knowing the source of infestation, destroyed it and chose to take action
on the guaranty.

It has been further suggested that a certificate of freedom from cer-
tain pests be obtained from the station entomologist. I gave two such
last year; but I am very doubtful whether I care to give any more. I
examined many nurseries in seeking for the San Jose scale and none
that I pronounced clear have since proved infested. But in one case,
where I made what I supposed a careful examination in 1894, on a
place where only a little stock was raised, of certain special varieties
for the immediate neighborhood, and found no scales, I found, to my
astonishment, in 1895, a very general infestation which I was not able
to trace to any recent introduction. They were probably present on
some tree that I did not previously see or from its source had no rea-
son to suspect. To declare a nursery containing many thousands of
trees to.be free from certain scales is a risky piece of business, unless
time be taken to carefully examine each one. Besides, nowadays, few
nurseries grow all their stock on their home grounds. Hundreds of
thousands of trees are grown for New Jersey nurserymen in New York,
Pennsylvania, Georgia, and other Northern, Western, and Southern
States, and giving a clean bill of health under such conditions is some-
what unsafe, to say the least, while examining all the heeled-in and
moss-packed trees and shrubs is simply an impossible task. Yet
something should be done if possible, and if some sort of inspection of
nurseries could be arranged for in all States the presence of such pests
as are likely to be troublesome would be more promptly discovered, and
if remedial measures were not at once applied, a warning sent to other
States would serve to acquaint the workers there of a source of danger
to be guarded against. Perhaps our scheme of cooperation, when
formulated, may include a feasible method of dealing with this problem;
but perhaps the best thing we can do at the present time is to impress
upon all prospective purchasers the importance of the old legal maxim,
Caveat emptor—Purchaser, beware! No stock should be accepted
without rigorous inspection, and in case of any unusual, unknown, or
abnormal appearance samples should be sent to the experiment statious
for advice. Only avery short period of this kind of supervision would
impress upon nurserymen the necessity of inspection before shipping,
and would make them careful as to the character of the stock sent out.

We have to contend with another factor here, however, which is dis-
tinctly important, i. e., the desire on the part of many ill-informed
agriculturists to get things cheap. To get a great lot of trees for what
they consider a low price they will agree to accept almest anything;
and I know positively that nurserymen often get rid of all their other-
wise unsalable material by offering it for a mere song—stock which

14

would be dear at any price, and which must be accepted unquestioned
and must be paid for in advance to get the rate. Such stuff, set out
to make an orchard, never does well, but often lingers long enough
to become a source of serious danger to the neighborhood.

Incidentally this brings up the question of imported pests of recent
introduction and limited spread. Is there really no method of meeting
these creatures? It is not so long ago that the expenditure of a few
hundred dollars would have exterminated the pear midge in the
United States; it has by this time destroyed fruit valued at as many
thousands. At present the Agrilus sinuatus, which is destroying the
pear trees in a limited part of New Jersey, can be exterminated at
comparatively small cost; if allowed to spread it will soon get beyond
control and pear growing will become a burden instead of a source of
profit. At present I would guarantee to exterminate it for $5,000, with
a law giving me aright of entry only. In ten years ten times that sum
will make no impression on it.

In this very State of Massachusetts we have a striking example of
a destructive increase of an imported pest—the gypsy moth—and an
interesting experiment in the direction of its destruction by the State.
There are to be two papers on this subject, 1 am informed, and there
will probably be a discussion on the principles concerned in the matter
of dealing with imported pests. But I will take the liberty of offering
just a few remarks here, not on the methods employed, but on the gen-
eral principles involved. Under our scheme of government the indi-
vidual States jealously reserve to themselves all matters of internal
interest, and the Federal authorities are excluded from all save a fairly
well-determined class of subjects. But no State seems to owe any duty
to its neighbors, and Connecticut can not force Massachusetts to pro-
tect it from an invasion by any Massachusetts pest, nor can it claim
damages for any resulting injury. Each State is thrown upon its own
resources for the protection of its own citizens. Connecticut took no
steps to restrain the spread of the pear midge, and New York and New
Jersey, though they are sufferers by the neglect, can make no com-
plaint; but these States have in turn left the matter to individual
effort, and Pennsylvania and Delaware, when their turn comes, will
most likely adopt the same policy of noninterference. There is noth-
ing, in other words, to prevent the spread of this insect over the entire
United States except the limitations imposed by nature itself. Just
what they are remains to be seen.

Massachusetts owes no duty to other States to protect them from the
gypsy moth. She owes a duty to her citizens only, to the extent that
her citizens in a legal way themselves determine by their own repre-
sentatives. If in protecting themselves they protect their neighbors
also, they deserve no credit for this result and have no claim for assist-
ance. Yet it 1S a very grave question whether Massachusetts is not
entitled to the assistance of her neighbors or of the General Govern-

15

ment in her efforts to exterminate this insect. I am offering no opinion
as to the possibility of extermination—I have expressed myself both
ways and can not find another—but is this not really a matter of
national importance, and should not the National Government have
certain duties or powers in cases of this kind? Our opinions are almost
certain to be tinged by our political preferences; and in my belief that
we have a class of subjects in the gypsy moth and pear midge emi-
nently suitable for national control and action I may be prejudiced by
the traditions and principles of the party to which, in national matters,
I adhere.

Perhaps I have spoken enough of problems and of difficulties, and
should mention some of the accomplishments, some problems solved.
Unfortunately there are none. Progress there has been in many direc-
tions and of the most encouraging kind, but no striking successes, no
epoch-making discoveries. We have not yet succeeded, for instance,
in dealing more satisfactorily with grasshoppers; but it is decided
‘progress to learn that in a single State several hundred ‘‘ hopper-dozers”
are in use under the direction of the entomologist and that the State
has realized the importance and necessity of this kind of work. Our
good friend and fellow-member, Dr. Otto Lugger, has certainly succeeded
in securing respect for his profession and a reduction of his preachings
to practice.

Chinch-bug work continues in a number of States; but we are not
much nearer a final decision concerning the actual value of the Sporo-
trichum as a destructive agent. The chief objection to it seems to be
that it requires the intelligent cooperation of the weather to secure the
best results, and the weather is notoriously unreliable except in so far
that you may count with reasonable certainty that it will not be as you
want it.

It is said that nothing is wholly bad, and so I find it possible to
see a good feature even in the continued spread and increased injury
caused by such imported pests as the elm leaf-beetle. I believe that
this creature has done more to arouse public interest in economic ento-
mology than any other single factor for many years past. Our cities
are the centers of public interest nowadays and our metropolitan press
voices its expression. Insect injury to agricultural products rarely
excites more than a passing curiosity, but the depredations of shade-tree
insects in streets, parks, on near-by country roads, and on the grounds
surrounding country houses attract attention immediately and produce
loud and continuous complaints. The press is interested, and through
it the public, while those most vitally affected, the owners of fine shade
trees, are induced to examine into a question which they would other-
wise have considered as of not the least practical interest. It is from
this point of view that I welcome the recent great spread and increased
injury from this elm leaf-beetle. City and town authorities and village
improvement societies haye taken up the matter, have inquired into it,

16

and have even made some more or less successful experiments; and
these, if continued, as they must be from the nature of the case, will
produce an increased interest in and appreciation of economic ento-
mology. Insecticide machinery and a knowledge of the application
of remedial measures against the more common pests will be required of
each park department and its employees, and the entomologist will be
as important an officer as the landscape gardener. This is an optimistic
prediction, but I believe it as [ believe in myself, and, as you all know,
my conceit is unbounded. For confirmatory evidence I refer you to Mr.
Grote.

No new insecticides of value have been introduced within the year,
though I have had the pleasure of testing a new “potato-bug extermi-
nator,” originating in Wisconsin, in which the potatoes are rolled before
they are planted, and are supposed to absorb qualities which render
them proof against beetle attack ever after. Perhaps it is because of
their extreme depravity that the New Jersey beetles seemed to take
especial delight in eating the plants treated with the Wisconsin prod-
uct, and this brings me to a notice of the fact that the idea of poison-
ing the plant juice to make it offensive to insects generally seems to
appeal strongly to the ordinary mind. We have flourishing in New
Jersey, and incorporated under its laws, a ‘“ tree-inoculation company”
which claims ability to protect trees of all kinds by.boring holes in the
trunk, near the base, at $1 a hole, filling them up afterwards with a
secret compound which is supposed to enter into the circulation and
make the wood and foliage so repugnant that insects refuse to eat it.
This seems so plausible and so logical that hundreds of owners have
authorized the inoculation of their trees. The result is shown in a
letter published in the New York Evening Post of August 12; but the
writer, while conceding the absolute failure of the inoculation in his
case, considers the method as the only true and logical one. It remains
for someone to demonstrate the futility of the system in such a way as
to be as logical and convincing as the arguments on the other side
seem now.

Sometimes observation lends itself to conclusions such as are claimed
for the inoculation method, and this was strikingly illustrated by the
results of an experiment made by me at Irvington in 1894. To destroy
the pear midge I had applied on an orchard also infested with the
Sinuate pear borer a top-dressing of kainit, at the rate of a ton to the
acre. The material was applied late in June and early in July, just
when the young borer larve were hatching, and, be the cause what it
may, neither in the fall of 1894 nor in the spring of 1895 did I succeed
in finding any larve of the 1894 brood. Of several trees cut down and
examined in the spring of 1895 not one contained even a single larva
of 1894, although plenty of beetles from the 1893 brood. Now, this
may be a mere coincidence, and I am far from even suggesting that the
potash applied on the ground had any direct effect on the young larva

=e

iv

in the tree; but might it not possibly exercise an indirect effect? The
Keiffer among pears is the least troubled by this borer, because it
repairs damage almost as rapidly as it is caused, and quite usually
crushes the working larva in its channel, so that it is only rarely that
the beetle matures, unless the tree is otherwise weakened. By stimu-
lating growth when the larvee are young and least able to resist, by
means of an excess of readily available fertilizer, it is not impossible
that results may be obtained that seem now to be quite out of our
reach. That some trees do carry in their sap an excess of certain solu-
ble substances I am convinced from my own observation, and this is
not contrary to the teachings of plant physiology; but actual knowledge
of the matter is scant, and we have rather an indication of a line in
which experiments may prove profitable than results upon which we
can base conclusions.

I have noted an increasing tendency of late to attempt the control
of insect pests by methods of cultivation or farm practice, and this, in
my opinion, is much to be commended. There are periods in the life
histories of many insects when they can be easily reached if we only
know how, and where resort to some simple bit of field practice may
prevent injury. A good example of this is seen in the practice of cut-
ting close to the surface all shoots of blackberry about June 20 to pre-
vent injury from the Agrilus ruficollis. All the eggs have been laid at
that time, and the new shoots will be exempt, of course, while the larvee
can not develop in those that have been cut down and will die. The
whole matter seems so simple now, and yet it is less than two years ago
that this was practiced almost simultaneously in New Jersey and Ohio.

Preventing injury from the larve of Melittia ceto in late squashes by
planting summer varieties upon which the eggs are laid and in which
the larve are afterwards destroyed is another method which has been
worth many hundreds of dollars to farmers on Long Island and in New
Jersey.

But there is yet much to be done in this direction, and I am convinced
that in the future “circumvention” will be practiced in many cases
where we now use poison. Farm practice, using this term in its widest
sense to include the mechanical treatment of land, selection of ferti-
lizers, date of planting and harvesting, rotation of crops, ete., will in
time give us control of many injurious species which at present seem
beyond our reach. It must be our aim to ascertain as far as possible
the circumstances least favorable to the development and maintenance
of the troublesome species, and then our attempt must be to produce
just those conditions.

We should, I think, whenever possible, lay great stress upon the
importance of destroying crop remnants when they are no longer
needed. Tor instance, cucurbit vines are usually left on the ground
after all the crop is off, affording abundant opportunities for the
maturing of Anasa tristis, the melon lice, and other pests, Removing

6042—No, 2 2

18

them when no longer needed and destroying will save much trouble
during the year following. Systematically burning potato vines as
soon as the crop 1s harvested will prevent all danger of injury from the
potato-stalk weevil (Trichobaris trinotata), and I might cite many other
cases were it necessary. We should also set out the advantages of
winter work against many kinds of insects in orchard, vineyard, and
garden, and the desirability of destroying by fire everything that comes
under the head of rubbish. Especially against certain kinds of Hemip-
tera this sort of work would prove effective, and fire, judiciously used;
can be made a valuable friend. So, much of the pruning should be
done at this season, where the character of the plant warrants it, and
if the cuttings be burnt many ova of insects will be destroyed. But I
am.-telling you old facts which you do not care to hear. My purpose was
not to offer them as information, but to urge their more forcible pre-
sentation to the farmer, and to indicate that in my opinion the future
development of our dealings with insects will be along this line.

T have preached the use of certain fertilizers against certain kinds of
insects so long that I really believe in it; the more as results during
the present season have again borne out previous conclusions. My
pear-midge experiment of a former year was duplicated in a new
locality under very different conditions and again proved satisfactory,
though not so strikingly successful as the other, owing to local causes.
ts not this a matter of some importance in those States where fertilizers
are largely used? Could we not gain a very important point if we
found positively that the proper selection of a fertilizer, applied at a
proper time, prevented or even lessened injury? The subject is quite
a new one; and while excellent results have been obtained on the light
soils of New Jersey, they may not be equally good on heavier lands, or
perhaps must be differently apphed. This, too, is one of the cases
where field experiments will give more reliable results on the whole
than those carried on in the laboratory.

On the whole, I may repeat, we have rather cause for congratulation
than otherwise. Our favorite branch of scientific investigation has
made continuous and healthy progress; we have firmly established the
reason for our existence and have impressed the general public with a
dawning of appreciation for the work we are doing. Our session here
will, { doubt not, improve our standing, and will at all events be profit-
able to those taking part. _

Mr. Fernald discussed interstate entomological problems with par-
ticular reference to the gypsy moth and the attempts to get the work
against this insect undertaken by the General Government. He re-
ferred also to the difficulties arising from the conflict of interests of
different States.

19

On motion of Mr. Howard, the president and secretary were consti-
tuted a programme committee.
Mr. Marlatt read the following paper:

NOTES ON INSECTICIDES.

By C. L. MARuatTti, Washington, D. C.
KEROSENE AND WATER SPRAY.

At the previous meeting of the association I called attention to the
kerosene and water pump designed by Prof. E. 8S. Goff, of the Wis-
consin Experiment Station, and put on the market by the Deming
Company. A thorough testing of this apparatus indicated that the
percentage of kerosene in the water varied with a number of conditions,
such as the comparative fullness of the two tanks, the imperviousness
of the two reservoirs to air, and, as afterwards explained by Mr. Goff,
the accumulation of oil in the air chamber of the pump during the
action of pumping, and its escape therefrom as soon as pressure is
released. As a result, it was impossible to know what percentage of
oil was coming from the nozzle at any time, and it was concluded that
the apparatus was entirely unsuited for careful work, particularly if
placed in the hands of comparatively unintelligent laborers. The
inventor of this apparatus has since suggested a new combination
spray pump to overcome the objections pointed out. This apparatus
was described in Garden and Forest, April 10, 1895, and was devised
to insure a uniform level for oil and water, and by a different arrange-
ment of the discharge pipes to avoid the accumulation of oil in the air
chamber of the pump. I have no doubt that this apparatus of Mr.
Goff corrects some at least of the defects in the first apparatus. No
opportunity to experiment with it has offered, however, as it is not
being manufactured.

Prof. H. KE. Weed, of the Mississippi Experiment Station, has, how-
ever, described a new modification of the original knapsack kerosene
sprayer (Miss. Agric. Exper. Sta., Bull. 52), which he claims to be more
satisfactory. This apparatus is being manufactured by the Deming
Company and supplants the one originally made by them. It is the
apparatus as originally made, with the addition of a check valve to
the oil chamber and a graduated arrangement for the oil stopcock,
by means of which the oil is indicated on the gauge in percentages
ranging from 34 to 50. A sample of this apparatus was secured, and,
with the assistance of Mr. R. 8. Clifton of the division, a series of
experiments was made with it, both in spraying the liquid into gradu-
ated jars, to determine the actual percentage of oil, and in testing its
action on foliage. All the old objections to this apparatus were devel-
oped in the experiments. The fullness of the oil and water tanks
exerted considerable influence on the percentage of oil, as in the former
instance, the best results being obtained when the tanks were both half
or more than half filled. After having been reduced by spraying much

20

below one-half the proportions of kerosene become uncertain. If spray-
ing be suspended, as would naturally result in passing from one tree or
plant to another, and the oil stopcock be not closed, there is a very con-
siderable increase in the percentage of oil, apparently from a passage of
the oil into the pump and water tank in spite of the presence of the oil
valve. It is therefore necessary to immediately shut off the oil after
every spraying. HEven this will not prevent a variation in the results,
because the first minute’s spraying, even with this precaution, will
show a greater percentage of oil than subsequent pumping will produce.
This seems to be due to the accumulation of oil in the air chamber of
the pump as a result of the action of the latter, as explained by Mr. Goff.
There is also a separation of the oil and the water held in the length of
the spray tube.

Even when spraying steadily, without intermission, more or less oil
escapes from the oil tank through the pump into the water tank. _ This
is probably by means of the drawing of the oil into the air chamber of
the pump owing to the faulty position of the former, as pointed out by
Mr. Goff. The series of experiments tried, listed in the accompany-
ing table, indicate the different results obtained by varying the con-
ditions of spraying, all of which would frequently occur in actual prac-
tice. They show a range for the two-tenths gauge mark which should
produce 20 per cent oil, of from 10 per cent to 23 per cent oil. Spray-
ing continuously, without any stop or shutting off of the oil, will pretty
regularly secure 10 per cent oil at the 20 per cent mark on the gauge
if the two tanks are half or more than half full. Ifa stop of a minute
be taken and the oil immediately shut off the first spray following has
an average of 13 per cent oil. If the oil stopcock be not turned off, but
left at the gauge mark, as directed in the bulletin referred to, and
which would naturally be done in passing from one tree to another, the
percentage of kerosene in the first minute’s spray will range from 16 to
23 per cent, and thereafter 10 per cent. Finally, spraying at the differ-
ent percentages indicated on the gauge, one after another, taking the
precaution to operate the machine after each change for a sufficient
time to produce the normal mixture, the different amounts of oil pro-
duced do not agree with the gauge indications, except the highest—40
and 50 per cent. At the most serviceable percentages—i. e., 10 and 20
per cent—the amount obtained was about one-half that indicated by the
gauge.

It was found by repeated experiment that when the index indicated
20 per cent oil, uniform pumping yielded pretty regularly, under favor-
able conditions of tanks, about 10 per cent strength of oil. This is
equivalent to a dilution of ordinary kerosene emulsion with 52 parts
water. A number of plants, including peach, pear, cotton, mulberry,
and tomato, were sprayed at this strength. With the exception of the
mulberry, no injury to the foliage resulted. With the mulberry, how-
ever, a considerable spotting of the leaves with yellow followed in a day
or two.

21

The only experiment against insects was a treatment, twice repeated,
against the Euonymus scale. Atthe time of the application the young
scales were emerging in great numbers, and the strength employed was
the 0.2 gauge, indicating 20 per cent of kerosene. Samples of oil were
taken at intervals during the spraying and indicated an actual strength
of oil ranging from 14 to 19 per cent. Examination of the scales a
week after spraying indicated that 80 per cent of the young scales and
50 per cent of all scales, young and old, were killed—a result far from
satisfactory, and indicating that the kerosene emulsion at much weaker
strength of oil is more effective; doubtless because, being of thicker
consistency, it is more persistent in its action, whereas the water and
oil both evaporate somewhat rapidly. No injury to the bushes resulted
even after a second application at the same strength had been made.
The second application resulted in the destruction of about the same
percentage of the surviving scales as succumbed to the first treatment.

The spray as it comes from the nozzle is milky in color, and when col-
lected in graduated receivers is of the appearance of milk. Although
beginning to separate immediately, the separation is not complete in
some cases for several hours. There can be no question that when the
liquid strikes the plants the oil is as finely divided as it is in the kerosene
emulsion. Wherever it collects in drops, however, the oil of course will
separate from the water; but, from actual experience in spraying, this
does not seem to be a very great source of danger at the 10 per cent
strength, which would be considered a pretty strong wash even with
kerosene emulsion. In the case of the collection of the liquid in drops
the oil which separates is not very considerable, and its influence is
modified by the existence of the underlying stratum of water, the slow
evaporation of which allows the oil to act on the plant very gradually.
The fact that the strength indicated did not injure the tender foliage of
the plants is a strong indication that the principle involved is a valuable
one and may possibly be made of great service. The objections urged
are, therefore, simply in the way of pointing out defects in this partie-
ular apparatus, ali of which it will probably be possible to correct.

Parallel experiments by application to plants were made with
kerosene and whale-oil soap emulsion, the emulsion being used at a
strength to give the same percentage of oil obtained with the knap-
sack pump. The results on the foliage were equally favorable in the
latter case. No injury whatever was done. All of the plants sprayed
with kerosene and water were treated with the kerosene emulsion with
the exception of the mulberry, of which we had only one small tree for
experiment. The important points to be noted in correcting this appa-
ratus by the parties who are interested in its manufacture are, first;
to insure a uniform percentage of oil for any reasonable condition of
tanks as to fullness; second, to make the tank absolutely independent,
as well while the pumping is in operation as when the stopeocks are
Shut off. The remedying of these two defects should prevent the more

22

serious of the irregularities noted. It is possible that the improved
Goff apparatus points out the necessary conditions to overcome the
existing defects. It would also be of advantage if by means of some
form of index the height of the water and oil could be more readily
determined at any time.

EXPERIMENTS WITH PUMP.

The apparatus was charged with kerosene and water, the gauge fixed at 4 (63 per
cent), and the liquid sprayed into a vessel until the mixture ran whitish.

Tubes 1 and 2 were then filled without intermission. After the lapse of three min-
utes tubes 3 and 4 were filled without intermission.

The gauge was then fixed at 4; (20 per cent) and the pumping continued until a
uniform mixture came from the nozzle, when tnbes 5 and 6 were filled without inter-
mission, and after a lapse of three minutes tubes 7 and 8 were filled.

The gauge was left open during the three-minute intervals between experiments
2 and 3, 6 and 7.

More or less oil having entered the water reservoir, the oil was shut off and the
pump thoroughly cleaned and refilled.

The gauge was again placed at +3;, and after pumping for a sufficient interval the
oil was shut off for one minute and promptly stopped. Tubes 9 to 12, inclusive, were
filled, with an intermission of one minute between fillings, during which the oil was
shut off and pumping suspended.

The pump was then cleaned, refilled, charged at 3;, and operated until the normal
mixture came from the nozzle. The oil was shut off, pumping suspended for about
two minutes, and then tubes 15 to 16, inclusive, filled one after another continuously.

To further test the accuracy of the gauge indications, a series of samples was taken
at the different grades indicated. After the change from one mark on the gauge to
another the pumping was continued to another vessel for a time sufficient to get the
normal mixture at the nozzle.

The following results were obtained:

Per cent of oil | ah ae el
indicated by | Per cent of oil

actually obtained. |

| gauge.
| No. |- =
| First Second
| Gauge. | Percent. experi- | experi-
ment. ment.
| }
ez ry | ‘E ; . =
1 1 62 ia Wile eet ae
2 te 62 oe Ce Ge
3 v 62 3 Sie! (et ale
4 Sa 62 1 are Bs te
5 a 20 GH let ane tee
Heck 2 20 SG een
7 = 20 Os tae (rare ore
8 2, 20 RU sl SES eee De
9 - 20 TOP rae ae
10 2 20 oye een
Le 20 Thy So ik iene Bak
: aah 20 He pe eeseoneds
EAT ae O15) IDK od Qe oer
2. | 20 LOK hake eee
ur Wie Oss) ia ee oh
<: | 20 NO Weare
TO 50 | 60 53
5 | 40 45 41
a 30 | 24 23
25 20 Male arate 13
10 10 13 63
ts 3 9 o”
a 3h 2 3

23

SOAPS.

The value of fish-oil soaps as insecticides has been particularly em
phasized during the past year as a result of experiments conducted by
the division against the San Jose scale. <A full statement of the out-
come of these experiments is given in an article in the last number
of Insect Life (vol. Vu, pp. 365-374). A full discussion is there given of
the effect of the soap on the trees at various strengths, and of the
nature and results of its action on the scales. The action of soap
washes on insects has also been carefully investigated recently by
Targioni-Tozzetti, and Dei Guercio. The experiments of these gentle-
men have been more particularly in the examination of the plysio-
logical action of the soap on insects. The conclusion reached, which
seems to be pretty well sustained by the experiments, is that soap has
the same action that has been assigned to oil, asphyxiating the insects
by closing the stomates, and that the effect is therefore mechanical and
not due to any particular caustic action. They made microscopical
examinations of insects and found that the soap solutions were effec-
tive in forming a delicate film over the external opening of the trachea.
They also found the various emulsions experimented with to be effec-
tive in proportion to the amount of soap contained in them. Their
emulsions, however, were not of the kind we should consider satisfae-
tory. They conclude that simple soap solutions are quite as effective
as the more complex emulsions, and seem disposed to abandon emul-
sions in favor of soap. This is probably going further than the facts
warrant, particularly as a careful examination of the writings and
experiments of these gentlemen shows that they have not succeeded in
making a satisfactory kerosene emulsion according to our standard;
but it emphasizes the growing tendency to place soaps among the more
valuable insecticides.

In this connection it may be well to call attention to an error which
seems to have become widespread, relating to the domestic or home
manufacture of soaps. -A formula is frequently given nowadays which
makes the astounding statement that some 20 pounds of good soap can
be obtained by combining 1 pound of lye with 3 pounds of fish oil in
3 gallons of water. This formula had its origin in some experiments
conducted by Mr. Alwood in the work of the division on remedies for
the hop aphis. Recent careful experimentation in soap manufacture,
repeated many times, has shown that there is no possible ground for
this statement, and on consultation with three or four prominent soap
manufacturers the absurdity of the statement was at once apparent.
The fact is that a good hard soap, such as the ordinary whale-oil soap,
very little exceeds in weight the combined weights of the oil and lye
or grease, and not more than one-fourth or one-third increase in weight
can be reasonably counted on. Hence for the proportions given above
4 or 5 pounds of hard soap is the limit. It is true that almost any

24
quantity of water can be combined with the soap; with a good hard
soap, for instance, you can still have a soft soap, a gelatinous mixture,
after having added ten or fifteen times the weight of the soap in water.
But such a soft soap or soap-and-water mixture can not be used with
any hope of good results in following out formulas which call for so
many pounds of soap. The result of our experiments was that home-
manufactured soap is much more expensive than soap bought in com-
paratively large quantities from regular makers, at a price, say, of 4 to
6 cents per pound. These manufacturers have the advantage of
purchasing ingredients in very large amounts, and the competition is
such that the price of the soap to the consumer is but a slight increase
over the cost of the ingredients. When the soap is purchased in
1-pound lots, put up in neat druggists’ papers, four or five prices are of
course asked.
ARSENATE OF LEAD.

This insecticide, introduced by the Gypsy Moth Commission, is so
promising in many respects that it is well worth a place in the list of
standard mixtures. It has in general been very satisfactory in its
effects on insects, and is totally without action on plants at any strength
whatever, even when applied almost as a sirup. The chemical nature
of this substance has been investigated by Mr. K. P. McIlroy, of the
Division of Chemistry, and his report, hereto appended, shows in gen-
eral the nature of the insecticide, and particularly the probable action
of an excess of lead acetate, which, at first thought, might not be
deemed essential to the insecticide value. Mr. McElroy says:

In accordance with your request, I have looked up the matter of the interaction

of lead acetate and sodium arsenate. In the presence of an excess of the former,
such as you employ, the reaction proceeds as follows:

(Pb (C,H202)2 °3H,O); + (Na,H AsO, -12H,0), = Pb2(AsO,4), + (NaC,H302)4 + (HC2H302). + (H.O);

Expressed otherwise, 1,137 parts by weight of crystallized lead acetate (contain-
ing 14,25 per cent of water) react with 804 parts of crystallized sodium arsenate
(53.73 per cent of water), both being dissolved in water to form 899 parts of lead
arsenate, 328 parts of sodium acetate, 120 parts of acetic acid, and 594 parts of
water. The lead acetate, being wholly insoluble in water, separates out, but the
other bodies remain dissolved.

Whether lead arsenate suspended in a solution of the above substances plus an
excess of lead acetate would prove more advantageous as an insecticide than would
the equivalent amounts of lead arsenate and lead acetate used separately I am not
prepared tosay. Thatis matter for direct experiment. As a solution of lead acetate
dries down to a varnish-like film, it may prove advantageous in a mechanical way
in keeping the arsenate on the leaf.

CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM.

The use of this substance in generating hydrocyanic acid gas for the
treatment of scale insects has been introduced in the East, and has
been particularly experimented with at Charlottesville, Va. Some
additional experiments were also made on various seale insects on the
Department grounds. The action of the gas was very unsatisfactory,

25

and analysis of the cyanide subsequently made showed that the par-
ticular brand purchased, which should have contained 53 per cent, in
point of fact contained only 31.75 per cent. The obvious lesson from
this experience is that in the use of a chemical like this, when a defi-
nite proportion is required, it will be necessary to have a chemical
examination made before there can be any certainty of its accomplish-
ing the desired end.

ARSENITE OF COPPER.

In an article on Paris green in the last number of Insect Life (vol.
Vil, pp. 408-411), attention was called to a new insecticide, viz, arsenite
of copper, prepared under my direction for experimental test. The
preparation of this substance occurred to me from a reasonable doubt
which I entertained as to whether the Paris green isnot really more expen-
sive than is necessary for its use as an insecticide. Paris green is an
aceto-arsenite of copper, originally made for use as a pigment, and, hav-
ing been adopted by entomologists as an insecticide, is now being manu-
factured for this purpose at the rate of 2,000 tons or more per annum.
The cost of this substance is very greatly increased by the addition of
acetic acid. The simple arsenite of copper, without the acetic acid,
can be had at about halt the cost of aceto-arsenite. It has also the
very decided advantage of coming in a very fine pulverulent powder,
whereas the aceto-arsenite is in the form of rather coarse crystals,
which results in its rapid settling in water. In the article referred to
no tests with the arsenite of copper were recorded. Since that time,
however, a large quantity of arsenite of copper has been obtained, and
it has been tested on the foliage of various plants in conjunction with
parallel tests with Paris green. The strength used was 1 pound to
100 gallons of water and 1 pound to nearly 200 (192) gallons. The
mixtures were made without the use of lime. On the foliage of cotton
and pear no injury resulted whatever with either strength or with
either mixture. The cotton experimented with was of vigorous growth
and the foliage very tender. The pear foliage, however, was mature
and hardy. In the case of peach both mixtures resulted in scalding
the foliage, the stronger proving very disastrous; but there was practi-
cally no difference in the arsenite of copper and the aceto-arsenite.
The evidence so far, therefore, goes to indicate that as far as the action
on the foliage is concerned the arsenite of copper does not differ mate-
rially from ordinary Paris green. An analysis of the arsenite of copper
by the Department chemist shows that the arsenic in the arsenite of
copper is not soluble to any extent in water, and practically agrees in
this respect with aceto-arsenite, but is soluble in weak acetie acid, and
would therefore yield tu vegetable acids and other natural solvents
or to the juices of the digestive apparatus of insects. The percentage
of arsenic contained in the arsenite of copper is 49.23, which approxi-
mates that usually found in Paris green.

26

Owing to the lateness of the hour, discussion was deferred until the
afternoon session, when it was proposed to present all communications
relating to insecticides, following with a general discussion.

AFTERNOON SESSION, AUGUST 27, 1895.

The following paper by Mr. H. EK. Weed was read, in his absence, by
Mr. Davis:

SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH THE KNAPSACK KEROSENE
ATTACHMENT.

By Howarp Evarts WEED, Agricultural College, Miss.

At the meeting of this association last year Mr. Marlatt reported
unfavorably upon a kerosene attachment to the knapsack pump. As
my own experiments of last season agreed in the main with those of
Mr. Marlatt, steps were taken for the improvement of the attachment
so as to obviate (1) any mixture of the two liquids, except in the act of
pumping, and (2) guesswork as to the proportions being pumped. As
all are doubtless familiar with the improved attachment as now placed
upon the market by the Deming Company, and especially as most of
the members of this association have personally tried the attachment
this season, any description of the apparatus is unnecessary in this
connection. I trust that a full discussion of the merits or demerits of
the attachment will take place at this meeting, and only regret that I
am unable to be present to give the results of my own experiments
more informally than can be presented in a paper.

There are two main points to be considered with a new insecticide or
an old insecticide applied in a new way: (1) The effect of the insecticide
upon insect life, and (2) the effect on the foliage upon which the insects
may feed. The mechanical mixture of kerosene with water is designed
to do all the work of a kerosene emulsion, and if it accomplishes this
matters are greatly simplified and kerosene will be more largely used
as an insecticide.

In this paper I had expected to go into detail with each species of

insect against which the kerosene attachment has been used, and also
present in tabular form a statement giving the results of different
strengths of kerosene which different foliages will bear without injury.
I find, however, that in the case of the insects against which the kero-
sene attachment has been used the subject can best be presented in
the form of general statements and noting particular species for con-
firmation, while in the case of the strength of kerosene which foliage
will bear without injury the results have been so uniform as to make
the contemplated table unnecessary.

In general I find that in the use of the mechanical mixture it takes
slightly more kerosene to accomplish the same result as an emulsion,

27

doubtless owing to the addition of the soap in the latter. The differ-
ence, however, is very slight, and as foliage will stand a greater strength
of the mechanical mixture than of the emulsion, as explained later,
this point can not be an objection to the mechanical mixture, as the cost
of the additional kerosene is no more than the costof the soap. In the
literature on this subject a strength of from one-fifteenth to one-tenth
has generally been recommended for use against various caterpillars and
from one-twentieth to one-fifteenth for plant-lice. [ am inclined to
think, however, from tests made this season, that the strength of the
emulsion as thus generally recommended is hardly enough to accom-
plish the desired results.

I find that a proportion of two-tenths (two parts kerosene to eight
parts water) is needed for thorough work with most caterpillars, al-
though a proportion of one-tenth will kill many young. Thus with
Pieris rape one-tenth will kill about one-half the larve, two-tenths
being needed for effectual work. In the case of the catalpa sphinx
(Ceratomia catalpe) one-tenth killed only a few of the newly hatched
larve, while two-tenths killed all. Emulsion killed a larger number
of these two species than the mechanical mixture, but still a propor-
tion of two-tenths was needed for effective work.

Most species of plant-lice have shown themselves more tenacious of
life than I had formerly supposed. While the most of them are killed
by an application of one-tenth, two-tenths will do more effective work.
The principal species experimented with have been the cabbage aphis
(Aphis brassice) and the grape-vine aphis (Siphonophora viticola).

With the use of pyrethrum, mixed with either the kerosene or the
water, the mixture has somewhat greater strength, the pyrethrum
adding just about as much strength to the mixture as the soap in an
emulsion. It is easier to use a greater strength of kerosene, however,
than it is to add the pyrethrum.

Kerosene and Bordeaux mixture go well together, but the Bordeaux
will not adhere to the foliage as well as when used alone. I have used
it especially with the grape-vine aphis, which 1s common in early
summer and can be destroyed at the same time that an application of
Bordeaux mixture is made.

The combination of kerosene and Paris green can be made more sue-
cessfully by the use of the kerosene attachment than when Paris green
is added to an emulsion. The Paris green, of course, is mixed with the
water in the main tank.

As to the effect of the mechanical mixture on foliage, the results
here have been quite a surprise, for I find that the mixture can be ap-
plied of a much greater strength than can theemulsion. I have applied
it upon all our common plants, and repeated the application at various
times to ascertain whether sunlight or other conditions would vary the
effect of the application. I find that all plants will stand one-tenth,
and so far as I have experimented only the sunflower and tomato are

28

damaged by two-tenths, and these but slightly. The cabbage is dam-
aged by a prolonged spraying of two-tenths, but is not damaged if only
enough at two-tenths is put on to cover well. Practically no tree
foliage is damaged by an application of even three-tenths, but beyond
this the foliage is injured.

Mr. C. M. Weed read the following paper, exhibiting the apparatus
described :

A MODIFICATION OF THE KEROSENE KNAPSACK SPRAYER.

By CLARENCE M. WEED, Durham, N. H.

[Author's abstract. ]

The author reported a series of tests of the knapsack sprayer with
kerosene attachment, showing that the principal machine now on the
market is unreliable in its present form. The chief source of error
appears to be due to the continual differences of level in the kerosene
and water tanks. ‘To avoid this a kerosene attachment had been made
at the New Hampshire Experiment Station, and was exhibited, of the
same height as the water reservoir and holding one-tenth as much.
A stopcock with a single hole one thirty-second of an inch in diameter
connected the kerosene reservoir with the pump. By this arrangement
a fairly constant spray having 9 per cent of kerosene in it was obtained.
The opinion was expressed that to get successful results we must aban-
don the idea of having a large range of variation in one combination of
reservoirs—i. e., in expecting to get either a 5 per cent or a 30 per cent
emulsion by turning a stopcock at a less or greater angle. The author
believed that the kerosene sprayer was capable of great improvements
along the lines indicated, and thought it too great an advance in methods
of insect warfare to be lightly abandoned.

The following communication, by Mr. J. M. Aldrich, was in the form
of a letter to the secretary, accompanying a working sample of the
apparatus. The ‘apparatus itself and the manner of working it were
described by the secretary with the aid of blackboard illustrations.
The following is an abstract of the letter:

SPRAYING WITHOUT A PUMP.

By J. M. ALprRicu, Moscow, Idaho.
[Abstract from letter describing the device.]

The spraying device which was suggested by the author to the asso-
ciation last year (Insect Life, vol. 11, p. 114) is again presented to call
attention to two changes in the machine from the firstidea. First, it is
necessary that the stream from the hydrant enter the lance within

29

rather than veyond the entering point of the insecticide; second, the
Nixon nozzle is entirely inapplicable to this form of apparatus, for
the reason that it chokes the flow so as to destroy the suction in the
insecticide tube. No nozzle has yet been devised free from this objec-
tion except a plain deflector tip. The author is aware that a deflector
does not give so good a spray as can be obtained in other ways, and
hopes yet to overcome this objection.

The spraying device consists of a sort of lance, forked at the base.
One fork connects with a hose to a hydrant or water supply under pres-
sure, and the other with a tube leading into the vessel containing the
insecticide. Both forks are provided with stopcocks. The suction
caused by the passage of the water through the lance induces a flow
through the fork and hose leading from the insecticide.

To use the apparatus, attach to an ordinary lawn hose by the large
coupling. Turn on the city water, and it will be at once perceived
that there is a strong suction through the small or insecticide tube.
Put the end of this in a pail of water or kerosene, and, in the case of
the apparatus experimented with, 16 per cent of the total discharge
comes through it, the stopcock being wide open. By partly turning
off the stopeock the proportion of kerosene can be reduced at pleas-
ure, and the percentage may be indicated by graduations on the back
part of the stopcock.

For Paris green, make up a pailful at the rate of 1 pound to 25
gallons of water, and when: drawn through the machine it will be
diluted at the 8 per cent kerosene gauge mark to 1 pound to 150
gallons and thoroughly mixed.

‘The device was experimented with by the inventor with a water pres-
sure of 75 pounds, which was inferred to be an average for city water.

No claim to novelty for this device was made except in the applica-
tion. ‘he principle is the same as that in the “jet pump” used for
draining out barges, cellars, ete.

If. the instrument deserves any name, it is suggested that it be called
the Idaho jet sprayer.

Discussion of the foregoing papers followed. Mr. Southwick had
canvassed the question of spraying from hydrants in his work in Cen-
tral Park, New York, but had found it impracticable on account of the
insuflicient pressure of the water and the small number of hydrants.
He said he was devising a steam pump which he hoped would give
greater satisfaction than any apparatus hitherto used.

Mr. Davis suggested that any apparatus dependent on a constant
water supply, as of hydrants, would be more feasible in the West in
connection with irrigation plants.

30

Mr. Howard remarked that a stream of water produced by a pressure
of 75 pounds to the square inch, mentioned by Mr. Aldrich as obtained
from his hydrants, was quite sufficient to kill insects, with the excep-
tion of scales, without the addition of oil.

Mr. Lintner asked if the oil and water mixture referred to in the
various apparatus described in the papers could be properly considered
an emulsion.

Mr. Marlatt. said that an oil emulsion was merely the breaking up
of the oil into minute globules in the emulsifying agent, and that on
this basis the water and oil mixture, as long as permanent, was as
properly an emulsion as the kerosene and milk mixture. He referred
also to the fact that emulsions are often made with solid ingredients,
as powdered lime.

Mr. Southwick referred to a nozzle which had lately come under his
observation, which effects the mixture of the insecticide element with
water at the moment of spraying. He had not yet experimented with it.

Mr. Marlatt said that from the description Mr. Southwick undoubt-
edly had in mind the Gillmore nozzle (to which Mr. Southwick assented),
and said that Mr. Gillmore had been at the Department, and some very
careful tests were made with this nozzle with various insecticide agents.
The character of the nozzle and the practical objections to its use as at
present constructed were pointed out.

Mr. Forbush said he knew of a similar principle at one time employed
by a fire apparatus company to mix a fire extinguisher with water at
the moment of spraying.

Mr. Smith said it was very encouraging to see such decided interest
taken in the manufacture and improvement of machinery for the appli-
cation of insecticide mixtures. He was of the opinion that the origina
tion of new devices and the work of perfecting old ones or overcoming
mechanical difficulties may be safely left to manufacturers, whom he
had always found very ready to adopt suggestions in the matter of
the betterment of apparatus. In this connection he referred also to the
adoption by the Climax Pump Company of an improvement in the kero-
sene knapsack sprayer suggested by Mr. Goff. His experience with the
improved knapsack sprayer, he said, corresponded very closely with
that detailed by Mr. Marlatt. |

Mr. Marlatt, referring again to the device suggested by Mr. C. M.
Weed, pointed out that while the arrangement of the kerosene and oil
reservoirs suggested by this author would probably obviate several of
the difficulties, still an important objection, arising from the oil escap-
ing into the water chamber during the action of the pump or immediately
thereafter, was not corrected by this means, although possibly rectified
by the combination suggested by Mr. Goff in a communication in Garden
and Foxest of April 10, 1895 (vol. v111, p. 143).

31

ww

Mr. Smith read the following paper:

“RAUPENLEIM” AND “DENDROLENE.”

By Joun B. Smitu, New Brunswick, N. J.
{Author's abstract. *]

‘¢ Raupenleim ” and “ dendrolene” are both crude petroleum products
of a butter-like consistency at ordinary temperatures, and becoming
only slightly softer at high temperatures. The raupenleim is a Ger-
man product, very dark in color, with a tarry odor and probably mixed
with some tar preparation. The American product is brown in color,
almost without odor, and without foreign admixture to disguise its
character or give it a specific smell. Raupenleim is largely used in
Germany to protect trees from the attacks of certain insects and to
prevent their being injured by stock or deer during the winter. The
materials were tested comparatively for the purpose of preventing
borers from attacking fruit trees, and if possible to prevent their issu-
ance when already under the bark. Both materials can be readily
applied with a paddle or trowel and distributed by means of a stiff
brush so as to make a tolerably even coating. Experiments showed
that it did not injure even young shoots where applied to the bark only ;
but where buds or growing tissue were covered it killed the buds and
shoots by choking the stomata. A young tree set out in 1894 was cov-
ered from the surface of the ground to the buds without detracting from
its vigor during the balance of the season. It was applied upon an
orchard of pear trees infested by the sinuate pear borer and both mate-
rials prevented oviposition. The raupenleim absolutely prevented the
issuance of all the beetles maturing under the bark. The dendrolene
did the same where thoroughly applied. The raupenleim has a ten-
dency to harden on the surface. This is a good thing where it is in-
tended to prevent beetles from issuing from the trees, but a bad thing
where itis intended to prevent insects from crawling up the trunk. The
dendrolene becomes very soft at high temperatures without running.
This prevents insects from crossing it; but where it is applied thin it
does not always form a barrier to insects emerging through the bark.
Its application is recommended as against the fruit bark-beetle (Scolytus
rugulosus), which can not emerge through it when already in the tree,
and can not enter the bark protected by a coating. It was also tested
against peach borers, and both materials proved effective.

It was stated by the grower conducting the experiments that the
dendrolene killed the borers that were in the tree when it was applied,
while the raupenleim did not. This fact may have been accidental
and is not to be expected under ordinary conditions. The material is
recommended for application to fruit trees to prevent attacks of round

* The entire paper is published as Bulletin No, 111 of the New Jersey Agricultural
College Experiment Station, October, 1895,

32

and flat headed borers, and also wherever it is desirable to prevent

insects from ascending or descending the trunk. A broad band, put on
thickly, is recommended against the codling moth, and in cities against
the white-marked tussock moth and the bag worm. Itis suggested that
applied on trunks on which insects like the pear psylla hibernate it will
destroy these insects by preventing their coming out in the spring.

The cost of the raupenleim, free on board, in New York City is, for
25 pounds, $3.75; 50 pounds, $6.75; 100 pounds, $12.75; barrel, from
250 to 275 pounds net, about $25. Dendrolene is supplied free on
board at 6 cents a pound in New Brunswick, N. J., in lots of 25 to 50
pounds, and at 54 cents in lots of 100 pounds and over. The material
can be washed from the trunks of the trees if desired by a strong potash
mixture, say 1 pound of potash in a gallon of waver. As the substance
is a mineral product, it does not become rancid.

In answer to a question as to the composition of the lime, Dr. Smith
stated that it was chiefly, if not entirely, crude mineral oil.

Mr. Southwick read extracts from a letter from agents for an imported
insect lime, which were very extravagant in statement.

Mr. Fernald said he had experimented with the lime against the
spring canker-worm, in conjunction with other experiments with print-
er’s ink, the latter applied on paper bands, and banding the trees also
with cotton, two or more bands being placed on the same trunk. Very
few worms passed over the cotton bands, considerable numbers over
the ink bands, and a few over the lime. The larve effected their
‘passage over the latter chiefly on cool mornings, which indicates that
very diverse effects may be expected in different climates. He thought
that of the three substances experimented with the imported or rau-
penleim gave the best results.

Mr. Howard asked what period of the year was included in the five
months during which the lime was on certain trees.

Mr. Smith replied that they were the five months immediately pre-
ceding the middle of July.

Mr. Lintner suggested that the lime be so thinned down that it could
be sprayed, to facilitate application.

Mr. Smith stated that this thinning would be especially desirable for
work against scale insects, but that even when considerably thinned it
could not be sprayed through an ordinary spraying nozzle.

Mr. Forbush said he had not his notes with him and therefore could not
give in detail his experience with lime, which had been very extensive.
He had used the raupenleim and an American material, Menzel’s brand.
He had found considerable difference in imported material obtained in
different years. Sometimes it had proved very unsatisfactory, and he had
discontinued its use for other methods which he deemed more advisable

33

for his work. He said that some insects can cross the lime, but when
it is warm, and especially on sunny days, it is a nearly perfect barrier.
On cool days, and particularly in stormy, rainy weather, insects can
pass it with comparative ease. On smooth bark it will run somewhat,
and will also crack or break, especially on rough-barked trees, Ger-
man authors, he stated, claim that no injury results to the trees from
its application, and his own experience was confirmatory of this. The
only injury he had noticed came from the scraping prior to the appli-
cation of the lime, or injury from the lime as a result of such scraping
of the bark. On dusty streets the lime soon crusts over and may
be crossed by insects, and pine needles adhering to it produce a simi-
lar result. It is claimed by some that limed trees are not frequented by
birds, but this idea was not confirmed by his own experience. He
had used various machines and various devices had been constructed
by the commission for the application of the lime. The necessity in
cities or public parks of applying the lime at considerable heights on
the trunks to prevent contact with it on the part of passers-by rendered
many machines for its application impracticable for his purpose, and he
had been compelled to employ chiefly paddles and trowels. European
machines were found to be crude and somewhat unsatisfactory. Hesaid
that in Europe the lime was employed also as a coating for egg masses
to prevent the escape of the larve. The objection to this was that such
egg masses were very apt to be broken open by squirrels and the larvee
thus enabled to escape at the proper time. He thought lime would be
of value, particularly against the cankerworm. He had found in cer-
tain instances that after lime had been exposed on trees during summer
and winter the following spring it was still of a consistency to be of
service.

Mr. Smith said that the dendrolene referred to in his paper is entirely
without odor, whereas the European lime smells very strongly of tar.
He was of the opinion that this odor was given to the European product
to conceal its true composition.

Mr. Davis had tried wool bands with parallel experiments with rau-
penleim against canker-worms, and found the latter successful in every
instance; but this could not be said of the wool bands. He had found
lime impracticable against cutworms, many of them crawling over it in
the cool of the evening; and it had not proved entirely satisfactory
against the peach borer, as the borers frequently emerged in spite of
the coating of lime.

Mr. Smith said that this would be very probably the case if the
‘application were made to the peach after the larvie were in the tree,
but that the application would be more successful if used to deter the
moth from ovipositing.

Mr. Southwick said that in his experience he had found the tussock
moth larvee so numerous that they had been able to crawl over the lime
on account of mere numbers.

6042—No., 2 3

34

Mr. Smith said this would not occur in the case of young larvie.

Mr. Forbush said larve would bridge over any band when very
numerous, and that such a result could only be prevented by visiting
the bands at frequent intervals and collecting the larve accumulated
beneath.

Mr. Smith said that the American product referred to in his paper
was less affected by extremes of temperature than the European lime.
He was convinced that in insect ime we have a valuable means of
defense against many insects, but that there is room for considerable
improvement at present.

Mr. Forbush said that while he had discontinued its use in the work
against the gypsy moth, he believed that there were great possibilities
in the proper use of insect lime.

Mr. Fernald, referring to the Russian lime, said that all the material
probably came originally from Germany.

Mr. Smith stated that the constituent elements of the lime very
possibly came from the oil regions of Russia.

Mr. Marlatt said the Department of Agricuiture had received samples
of this raupenleim and called attention to the very strong similarity
between this substance and ordinary axle grease, both in odor and
physical qualities, and suggested that the composition of the lime was
probably very similar to that of axle grease. He said that in applica-
tions to trees, as against scale insects and wherever applications were
more generally made than by mere banding, the after effect on the tree
would probably be disastrous, although it might not deveiop for some
months. Experiments with other oils on trees gave a strong proba-
bility in this direction.

Mr. Smith said the insect limes would very probably turn out to be
material similar to axle grease. The dendrolene referred to by him
was a Standard Oil Company’s product, and would very likely appear
under different names as coming from different houses, although all
would obtain their supply from the Standard Oil Company. As applied
to old bark, which had no vital function, subsequent injury need not be
feared.

Mr. Howard referred to the press reports of the loss by a Kentucky
orchardist of a thousand valuable peach trees from the application of
linseed oil, with other ingredients, as a preventive to the borer. The
recommendation which led to the application was charged to the
Department of Agriculture, this charge proving, however, by the man’s
own admission, to be unfounded.

Mr. Davis remarked that a similar remedy had been recommended by
the United States pomologist to the fruit growers of Michigan.

Mr. Smith called attention to the necessity, in reporting results, of
giving adequate explanations, instancing the danger of confusion in
the use of the term “emulsion” arising from the different kerosene emul-
sion formulas used as a case in point.

35

Mr. Forbush gave further results obtained by the Massachusetts
Gypsy Moth Commission in the use of lime against the gypsy moth and
against the tent caterpillar, all indicating the value of lime. He also
described the method of clearing out underbrush as a means of stary-
ing out the larvie.

Mr. Howard said the starving-out plan was the one principally relied
on in the work against the nun moth in Austria. Trees of considerable
size were banded with the insect lime to prevent the ascent of the larve,
and all low-growing vegetation was then absolutely destroyed, and
the larve perished for want of food. He further said that there are
certain species of plant-lice which descend the trunks of trees in autumn
and ascend again in spring, against which bands of lime could be used
to advantage. This would be particularly the case with the species
common upon the tulip tree.

Mr. Lintner, referring to the difficulty of preparing a good emulsion,
suggested the advisability of someone’s undertaking the preparation
of the emulsion as a merchantable article, to facilitate its use by the
general public, who were not sufficiently skilled or equipped to under-
take its home manufacture.

Mr. Smith said that some patented insecticides very closely imitated
the kerosene emulsion, but were more expensive than their cost of man-
ufacture warranted; but he agreed with Dr. Lintner as to the desira-
bility of having the standard emulsion on sale.

Mr. Howard said that where an appropriation was available the
superintendent of parks might make the emulsion and distribute it free
of charge, as had been done in New Haven.

Mr. Southwick read a paper entitled “ A City Entomologist and
Insecticides.” It related to the experiences, amusing and otherwise,
which had happened to the author during his term of office as Ento-
mologist of New York City, and was not designed for publication.

Mr. Davis presented a paper entitled ‘Insects of the Season in
Michigan.” *

The paper was discussed briefly by the following members:

Mr. Smith, discussing the work of Seolytus, stated that they normally
attack weakened or unhealthy trees, and that a vigorous tree would
require very considerable work by Scolytus to seriously injure it.

Mr. Lintner said he understood from Mr. Davis that the trees were
thus diseased and unhealthy.

Mr. Davis replied that some of the trees were thrifty and others
lacked vigor.

Mr. Rolfs referred to the great numbers of scolytids which followed the
disastrous frost of last winter in Florida, causing great alarm among
fruit growers. He said, however, that the trees attacked were such as
were greatly injured by the frost and would probably have died any

*This paper was published in part in the Allegan Gazette during July.

36

way from the effects of the latter, and that the beetles were always
present, though rarely injuriously abundant.

Mr. Howard said that it is well known that in the absence of sickly
trees Scolytus will attack healthy and vigorous trees, and that the
present large numbers of Scolytus are therefore a constant menace.

Mr. Smith said he had been informed by Mr. Schwarz that the beetles
will enter healthy, vigorous trees, but are unable to successfully prop-
agate in them.

Mr. Lintner said that Professor Peck had found scolytids attacking
perfectly healthy spruces.

Mr. Smith, referring to the climbing cutworms, said that he had been
frequently called on to determine for correspondents moths described
as having been bred from climbing larve. He had received several
such from Mr. Slingerland. He questioned if they did not adapt them-
selves to differing conditions, sometimes assuming the climbing habit,
while perhaps normally working on the ground.

Mr. Howard reported that the species Mamestra subjuncta and Agro-
tis scandens had been repeatedly sent in this year as climbing cut-
worms.

Mr. Sirrine asked if all cutworms did not climb as young larve, giv-
ing his experience with cabbage cutworms as sustaining that view.

Mr. Smith said that this is the habit of Carneades messoria on onions.
In this connection he urged the value of personal observation to impress
one with the true significance and importance of the working habits of
insects. In illustration of this he referred to his having recently wit-
nessed a grasshopper invasion in the West, which had brought to him
a realization of the possibilities of this insect to which before he had been
a Stranger. He said also that the Hessian fly, commented on by Mr.
Davis, had proved very much more numerous in New Jersey this year
than in years recently past.

Mr. Lintner said this fly was also very abundant in western New
York.

Mr. Howard said this is distinctively a Hessian fly year, and that
the division of entomology had recently found it necessary to issue a
circular to facilitate answering the numerous inquiries received on the
subject.

The following paper, by Mr. Chittenden, was read by Mr. Sirrine:

HERBIVOROUS HABITS OF CERTAIN DERMESTIDZ.

By F. H. CHITTENDEN, Washington, D. C.
[Author’s abstract. ]

The Dermestide, as is well known, feed chiefly upon dried animal
substances. Certain species, however, are reported to have injured
vegetable material, and a few recorded instances of damage of this
character were cited. Until very recently the various species of house-
hold Dermestidz had not been suspected of actually breeding in other

37

than animal substances, but the experiments of the writer indicate that
they subsist also on a vegetal diet.

The larva of Attagenus piceus, or black carpet beetle, was received in
cereals from various sources, and was finally brought to the attention
of the writer in such manner as to lead to a suspicion that it might feed,
atleast occasionally, on vegetable substances. Adult insects were con-
fined in a jar of flour and meal, and their progeny were found to thrive
upon this material. This species wasalso found to breed in timothy seed,
and incidental mention was made of serious injury to bolting cloth by itin
amill at Georgetown, D.C. A brief review of the history of this insect
in America, where it has been known since about 1806, was given, and
instances of its reported occurrences in granaries cited.

Trogoderma tarsale Melsh., a common museum pest, was found to
infest flaxseed, castor beans, and cayenne pepper that had been on
exhibition in the museum of the United States Department of Agricul-
ture, the larva having been reared from the egg deposited in these sub-
stances and the adults having bred from other larve feeding on them.

An unknown and evidently recently imported species of Trogoderma
was stated to be living in flaxseed, castor beans, and silkworm cocoons
with the above-mentioned species, and in red-clover seed. This species
is believed to have been introduced at Washington in the silkworm
cocoons. It has been taken in New Mexico and will probably be found
to have established itself elsewhere in the United States. |

Anthrenus verbasci Linn., our most abundant insect cabinet pest,
was reported as occurring in ‘“‘middlings” and spoiled flour, and the
fact mentioned that at the time of writing larve placed in flour were
feeding upon it, from which it was judged that they would in due time
reach the adult condition.

In conclusion, it was stated that in the case of the Attagenus and
Anthrenus these insects were probably first attracted to granaries by
the presence of weevils and other grain insects, and that the granivor-
ous habit is consequently an acquired one. The presence of Trogoderma
in oil seeds and red pepper, however, admits of no other explanation
than that of the absence of animal food, and shows a wonderful adapt-
ability to unnatural environment.

Mr. Howard said that the “buffalo moth” does not oceur in Wash-
ington, its place being taken by Attagenus piceus. He asked for the
experience of others as to the former insect to determine its southern
extension. <A. piceus, he said, is not so troublesome as the * buffalo
moth” but is yet a serious pest. In answer to a query from Mr. Davis
he gave a brief description of the larve of the two species.

Mr. Lintner, referring to the popular designation of the insect as the
“buffalo moth,” said that he had often urged the discontinuance of
the use of this misnomer and thought an effort should be made to secure

38

popular acceptance of a more appropriate common name for this species.
He thought it not so strange that Dermestid feed on vegetable material,
since many species having an altogether animal-feeding habit in the
larval state are vegetable feeders as adults, instancing the feeding of
larve of various species on woolens and other animal products, the
adults of which feed on pollen.

Mr. Fernald discussed the use against these insects of inflammable
and explosive insecticides in connection with its bearing on insurance
policies and was inclined on this latter account not to recommend them.
He gave the method of controlling the carpet beetle followed with suc-
cess by his wife, as follows: (1) Before bringing flowers into the house
thoroughly shake them to dislodge the beetles. (2) Regularly collect
and destroy the beetles which emerge and gather on the windows of
the house during the months of March and April. (3) Carefully treat
the carpets on the upper floors of the house, as the beetles commonly
enter through the upper windows, and these carpets act as traps, get-
ting the first and the bulk of the invasion.

Mr. Davis said his wife had been unsuccessful in the use of similar
remedies.

Mr. Rolfs said that the work of the carpet beetle was much worse in
the South than in the North, but he did not know the species. He
used carbon bisulphide or cyanide gas, preferring the latter. If used
with caution he thought neither of these substances dangerous, and
their use was especially desirable in connection with herbariums.

Mr. Lintner said that he ordinarily recommended kerosene, which he
thought more suitable than gasoline. Before laying new carpets all
the grooves should be carefully filled with cement or plaster, and the
carpets should be left loose at the borders to facilitate frequent inves-
tigation. The use of tarred paper was also advisable. He had found
the following trap method valuable: Remove all woolens from rooms
or closets and scatter about them bits of red flannel, which is a very
attractive bait for the Anthrenus. The beetles thus attracted are
afterwards collected and destroyed. Referring to Mr. Fernald’s state-
ment regarding the method of entrance of the beetles from flowers out
of doors, he said that this is a common experience and that they com-
monly enter houses through the upper windows and appear first in the
carpets of the upper rooms.

Mr. Fernald discussed the subject of the relation of color in woolens
or carpets to infestation by the “ buffalo moth,” and said that it had been
carefully investigated by his former assistant, Mr. Lounsbury, as
to the attractiveness both of particular colors and different dyes to the
beetles. The information was sought from various sources, including
factories for the manufacture of carpets and rugs. The conclusion
arrived at was that color is not an important factor—at least the
beetles do not confine their attacks to particular colors, though show-

ing a preference for the greens. He thought it more likely that the

’
a ee See

39

preference exhibited by the beetles in certain cases was due rather to
the mordant employed.

Mr. Howard said that the best remedy, and the one which he now
always advised, was to abandon the use of carpets altogether.

Mr. Smith had used the method suggested by Mr. Davis and had
also employed gasoline. He had not found anything in insurance
policies against the use of this or like substances in small quantities,
but he was always careful to urge the greatest caution in the use of
inflammable substances. He gave, by request, certain experiences which
he had had with the use of bisulphide of carbon in the National
Museum, a rather serious explosion having in one instance occurred
from the ignition of this substance by the heat from a steam radiator,
while there was another equally startling case of the ignition of the
substance in a large box, resulting from a spark having been struck off
from a nail in fastening down the lid of the box in which the bisul-
phide had been placed. In the latter case the box exploded, and the
negro laborer was either thrown or had leaped a distance of some feet
under the excitement of the moment.

Mr. Howard asked Mr. Taylor, a visitor present, who is engaged in
the manufacture of bisulphide of carbon, if he knew of any cases of
accident from the use of this substance.

Mr. Taylor replied that he knew of but one case of serious results,
_and that was where an explosion had resulted from a stroke of light-
ning. He was inclined to think that with ordinary precautions the
danger was trifling. He said that the substance will ignite at 220° F.

Mr. Smith said that the radiator referred to by him was not nearly
so hot as that.

On motion, the following nominating committee was appointed:
Messrs. Lintner, Rolfs, and Davis.

WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 28, 1895.

The auditing committee appointed at a previous meeting, consisting
of Messrs. Southwick and Lintner, reported that they had examined
the accounts of the secretary and found them to be correct. They indi-
cated total receipts from dues of $30, and total expenditures for postage
and printing for the years 1894 and 1895 of $22.67, leaving a cash bal-
ance of $7.33.

The report was adopted and the committee discharged.

The three papers following, relating to the same subject, by Messrs.
Howard, Marlatt, and Lintner, were then read, the discussion being
postponed until the end.

40

SOME SHADE-TREE INSECTS OF SPRINGFIELD AND OTHER NEW
ENGLAND CITIES.

By L. O. Howarp, Washington, D. C.
THE ELM LEAF-BEETLE.

It is not worth while to speak of any shade-tree insects in Springfield
at the present time other than the elm leaf-beetle, Galerucella luteola
(xanthomelena), and the woolly maple leaf-louse (Pseudococcus aceris), so
I shall confine my remarks in the main to these. In July I took arather
rambling trip through Connecticut and Massachusetts, largely with a
view to the settlement of the northern boundary in New England of
certain injurious insects, a matter which I had found it difficult to settle
_ by correspondence, and the elm leaf-beetle soon became the most inter-
esting feature of the little investigation.

It is now a number of years since this insect in its slow progress
moved up the Hudson River to Albany, but it seems to be very recently
that it has begun a similar march up the Connecticut River in New
Engiand, although for many years it has been known on both sides of
Long Island Sound. Even New Haven, as far south as that city lies,
has known this insect for but a few years, and at Hartford, although
this season the trees are brown and bare, little work was done by the
beetle last year, and in 1893 Hartfordites were unfamiliar with it.

In Massachusetts there has never been a verified published statement
of its occurrence before the present season.

Coming westward from Boston on the Boston and Albany Road in the
third week of July, and stopping off at many points in search of the
insects I had listed, I first found the elm leaf-beetle here in Springfield.
At that time only here and there a tree was damaged, and in no case
was the foliage nearly all eaten. Realizing that the insect had prob-
ably spread still farther up the valley, I traced it northward. At
Holyoke and Northampton I found it about as bad as at Springfield.
At Amherst I found it upon nearly ail of the trees examined, although
no especial damage had been done; and at Millers Falls, only 12 miles
south of the State line, it was found rather abundantly upon a few trees.

I had not time to pursue the insect farther, but a few specimens
received since indicate that it has spread in small numbers some 50
miles farther up the valley.

There seems to be no reason to suppose that the elm leaf-beetle will
not multiply and become the same grievous enemy to elm shade trees
in Springfield, Northampton, and Amherst in another year or two that
it has been this year in Hartford and New Haven and for many years
in other cities in Atlantic States south to North Carolina. Whether it
will spread to any considerable extent east and west of the Connecticut
River Valley in Massachusetts remains to be seen. It may do so, but

Al

Tam inclined to think that in towns of higher elevation and which lie
decidedly outside of the upper austral life zone it will not assume the
serious aspect that it takes on within this zone.

I have spoken only of its occurrence in cities, partly because its
importance in cities is so very great, and also because it practically
does not occur outside of cities or towns where elms are planted in some
number and rather close proximity. In Washington, where the insect
has been known for more than forty years, it does not occur upon elms
growing along neighboring country roads or even in immediate suburbs.
I have noticed the same thing in New England. The plain inference is
that the insect does not spread fram town to town by using country
trees as stepping-stones. The great means of transport here must be
the railroads. The beetles developing on trees near railway stations,
searching in late summer for hibernating places, can certainly find no
more convenient places than freight or box cars. Itis probably mainly
in this way that it has spread up this valley, and in this way it has
probably been carried many times into regions where the climatic con-
ditions are such that it has not succeeded in perpetuating itself.

That the elm leaf-beetle should be a more serious insect plague in
New England than it is farther south seems rather a strange fact, aside
from the somewhat greater popularity of the elm as a shade tree North
than South.

It is, however, a much more serious enemy here, and this is due to
the comparative shortness of the season. I have seen handsome old
trees in Stratford, Conn., absolutely killed after three years’ consecu-
tive and complete defoliation.. The recuperative powers of the more
southern elms lie in their ability to throw out a second and even a third
crop of leaves, with rains coming at the right time. It results from
this fact that trees defoliated forty years in succession are still appar-
ently healthy, although they have not made much growth—almost none
at all. With rains at the right time, in late July and early August, and
abundant rains they must be, Connecticut trees will put out a second
crop of leaves and will recover to a considerable extent. With a
drought through August, however, extending either side a little into
July and September, the trees remain without leaf surface the whole
year, and are practically asphyxiated in a couple of seasons. The
Stratford elms were killed in this way, and if we are to believe the
newspaper accounts, a number of trees on the Princeton Coliege campus
have died this year from the same cause.

The unsightly appearance of the defoliated trees, therefore, the non-
fulfillment of their function as shade makers, and their possible, if not
probable, early death make the destruction of the elm leaf-beetle in
Springfield and other Connecticut River Valley towns a matter of very
great importance. |

Of all the remedies which have been proposed none is so satisfactory
as thorough and careful spraying with some arsenical mixture. No

A2

other remedy is worth a moment’s consideration except the destruction
of the larve on the tree trunks or at the surface of the ground after
their work is done. This latter remedy, however, can never be made
complete; it is only palliative at best, since many must escape. The
best way to practice it is to scrape the trunks rather smooth, since other-
wise many larve will never reach the ground, but will transform under
every loose bark scale, and then to make some inclosure around the
base of the tree in which the larvie will accumulate and in which they
can be killed conveniently, either with hot water or strong kerosene
emulsion. Even then great numbers of larvee will drop to the ground
from overhanging terminal branches, and some treatment must be given
the whole ground surface covered by the tree if the operation is to be
even approximately thorough.

Where early spraying is neglected, as it was this year here and in
New Haven, work of the kind just outlined should be conscientiously
carried out, as, indeed, it was in both of the cities mentioned.* The
spraying, however, is far more important, both on account of its greater
completeness and for the obvious reason that it locks the barn door
before the horse, if not stolen, is at least borrowed for the year.

This remedial advice is so far trite to the members of this association,
but they may be interested to know that by means of three early spray-
ings the elms on the grounds of the Department of Agriculture, at
Washington, have been kept in prime condition this season. The details
of this work will be given by Mr. Marlatt in a later paper.

*Remedial work was begun in New Haven July 15. At this time thousands of trees
were brown and the larve had begun to descend to the earth. The subcommittee of
the board of public works having this matter in charge authorized Mr.T. B. Kelly, the
superintendent of parks, to go ahead and do what he thought best at an expense not
to exceed $1,500. Mr. Kelly, fortunately, had posted himself thoroughly on the
elm leaf-beetle, and was consequently able to begin work in the most intelligent
way. Hehad kerosene emulsion made on a very large scale, and immediately had the
loose bark on the trees scraped off and the emulsion applied not only to the larve
descending the trunk but also to those which had transformed at the base of the
trunk, and had the ground saturated under the entire limb spread. Mr. Kelly used
the standard emulsion diluted with five parts of water, and this he found to be per-
fectly successful. In addition to this treatment of the shade trees, all of the news-
papers were notified that citizens having affected elm trees on their grounds could
obtain the standard emulsion upon application to Mr. Kelly. The citizens almost
without exception took advantage of this offer and large quantities of the emulsion
were given out. In the course of a month over 14,000 trees, nearly all of very large
size, had been treated by the superintendent of parks. In addition to the use of
the emulsion many citizens adopted a cheap, simple, and ingenious band, which con-
sisted of hay wrapped around the tree and covered with a cloth held in place with a
pin. Every morning the cloth was removed and the hay burned, new hay being sub-
stituted. In this way many thousands of larvie were caught and killed. Other plans
were used by citizens, such as bands of sticky fly paper; but these are not worth men-
tion. As there are probably 30,000 elms in the city of New Haven, the work could
not have been complete, but a strong popular sentiment has been aroused, and appro-
priations will probably be made in time for an active spring campaign.

43

The serious and immediate question with affected New England cities
is how to bring about general and prompt spraying. In most cities
there are no appropriations for the specific care of shade trees. In gen-
eral they are under the control of the street and sewer department or
board of public works, and only very small sums can be diverted to
their care. It will be important for the board of aldermen in each Uon-
necticut River Valley city this winter to appropriate from $1,500 to —
$2,000, all of which may be used for the destruction of shade-tree insects,
and particularly the elm leaf-beetle. This appropriation should be made
available well before spring to enable the supervisor of streets or the city
forester (if there be such an officer) to make his plans and get his appa-
ratus ready. This having been done, I firmly believe that it will prove
economical in the end for each town to have a steam spraying apparatus
rigged up for this specific purpose. A small portable engine with
abundant throwing and tank capacity can be put together, according
to estimates submitted to my office by manufacturers last spring, for
from $300 to $400. An apparatus of this sort, throwing from three or
four nozzles a perfect spray at the rate of several gallons per second,
would alone cover the threatened trees in a city the size of Springfield
in a few days.

Without such an apparatus the city steam fire engines may be util-
ized, or the construction of several tank carts with strong hand force
pumps will be necessary, full details concerning which can be had from
the experiment stations at Amherst and New Haven.

I am perfectly aware of the probable difficulty in securing such an
appropriation from the average city government; but a determined and
widespread popular sentiment frequently expressed will bring it. I
almost wish that there were no alternative, so that the work could be
done properly and thoroughly and by the proper authorities; but truth
compels me to state that there is a fairly good alternative in private
enterprise. Out in California for some years back individuals have con-
ducted orchard spraying and fumigating operations commercially on a
basis of so much per orchard or so much per tree. A pioneer in this
business in the East appeared last year or the year before in the person
of Mr. W. S. Bullard, of Bridgeport, Conn., who I am sure will not
object if I give him some prominence in this connection. Mr. Bullard
is a gentleman whose regular business, that of a contractor for roofing
and paving, ordinarily leaves him some leisure in June and July, and
this leisure he has utilized in an enlightened way by constructing sev-
eral good tank-cart spraying apparatuses and contracting to keep the
elms on the places of many wealthy Bridgeport citizens in good con-
dition through the summer at a certain rate per tree. Mr. Bullard is
not making a fortune at this business, but he keeps his men employed
at an otherwise dull time, and he does his work well. The result is
that owing to his efforts I saw more green elms in Bridgeport the third
week in July than in any other badly infested city which I visited.

A4

Barring appropriations from city governments, then, here is a chance
for a private enterprise in which any intelligent man can engage.

This, however, is only a fair substitute for the general work under
the city forester. Perhaps I might more truthfully have said that it is
a rather poor substitute; for probably only a comparatively small pro-
portion of the citizens of a town will feel like going to the expense of
having the work done in this way, and unless all trees in a neighbor-
hood are treated the work will have to be done over and over again
year after year.

One word more must be said about the city appropriation. The
jurisdiction over the city parks and over the streets usually lies with
different officials, and of course as thorough work must be done in the
parks as on the streets, otherwise a part of the work will have been
rendered comparatively useless.

Another word, too, about the undertaking of shade-tree spraying as a
private enterprise. It may pay an individual for a while to claim merit
for a secret composition used in spraying, but in the long run it will not
pay. No patented or secret mixture has yet stood the test of compara-
tive experiment against the well-known remedies recommended by the
experiment stations. The advertised use of the best remedies known
to official economic entomologists will command the greater respect
of the most enlightened individuals. Moreover, in Connecticut at least,
the proprietor of a secret remedy may find in the near future less
than the usual amount of credulity to exist, particularly among those
individuals who were last year bitten by a tree inoculating company.

The operations of this company have undoubtedly been brought to
the attention of most of the members of this association, so that I need
not describe them at length. They bored auger holes into the trunks
of the trees to be protected and inserted a secret compound which it
was claimed was taken up by the sap and would render the foliage dis-
tasteful to leaf-feeding insects. By ingeniously devised tests capital
was enlisted and confidence gained, and the company probably made
many thousands of dollars last year by inoculating elms at 75 cents a
tree, am told. I am also informed that the State rights for New Jer-
sey were sold for $6,000. I wrote several letters to inquiring individ-
uals last year showing the probable absurdity of the claims made for
the remedy, and some of these got into print, with the effect of limiting
sales in certain directions. This year I have had an opportunity of
examining many trees which were inoculated last year and which were
quite as badly defoliated as neighboring trees which were not inocu-
lated. Ihave further secured, through Mr. Bullard, a quantity of the
secret and mysterious substance used in the inoculations and which
was taken from nearly dead trees. This was anaylzed for me by the
Chemist of the United States Department of Agriculture, Dr. H. W.
Wiley, who found that it was composed of nothing but flowers of sul-
phur disguised in color by the addition of carbon.

— es ? ee e

45

I confess that I was surprised to find that this modern and more or
less successful fake was but a revival of the old sulphur-plug remedy
which has repeatedly been exploded in this country since certainly as
long ago as 1830.

THE MAPLE LEAF-LOUSE.

In Springfield the maple is practically as important a shade tree as
the elm, and it is discouraging to find that the maple is also attacked
by a new and serious insect enemy. On the occasion of my July visit
to Springfield I found Pseudococcus aceris occurring in very great abun-
dance on nearly all of the leaves of perhaps a majority of the maples
-in the city. This insect, as is well known to members of this associa-
tion, is probably imported from Europe, and, while first found in this
country eighteen years ago, has only begun to attract much notice since
last year. In the writer’s article on the species in Insect Life, pub-
lished last December, the only known localities in the United States
were Peoria, Ill., Mount Carmel, Ill., Lancaster, Pa., Jamaica Plain,
Brookline, and Norwood, Mass., and Kingston, Rk. I. All of these
localities, except Peoria, Ill., and Lancaster, Pa., were discoveries of
last season, and it is very probable that the insect would have remained
unimportant and would not have seriously spread had it not been
assisted by one or more nurseries. The Norwood (Mass.) locality is a
large nursery, and the insect may have been sent out for a number of
years from this and perhaps other nurseries. It has evidently been
increasing and spreading from tree to tree in Springfield for a long time,
and it is practically impossible now to tell how or when it was intro-
duced. In my July trip I did not notice the insect in any city other than
Springfield, although, as a matter of fact, I was not looking for it or
expecting to find it until after I reached Springfield, and, like the San
Jose scale, it has probably been disseminated by nurseries for a number
of years, and probably now occurs in many unsuspected localities. In
fact, only two weeks ago I received specimens from Dr. Smith, with the
information that it occurs abundantly in New Brunswick, N. J.* Itis
quite likely, in fact, that it has in a number of localities been mistaken
for the common cottony maple scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis) and so
has not been thought worthy of special notice.

I have so recently set forth the life history of this insect that it will
be unnecessary to do more than state that there are three annual gener-
ations, the adult egg-sac bearing females occurring upon the leaves and
the young larve as well, half-grown larve of both sexes migrating
frequently to twigs and branches, full-grown male larve frequently
reaching the top of the trunk. Half-grown larve hibernate usually at
top of trunk and at crotch of the lower limbs. This latter peculiarity
renders the insect more easy to treat than it might otherwise be.

*T have since been informed by Mr. A. V. Capen, of Holyoke, Mass., that it also
eccurs in that city.

46

A little scraping of the bark with long-handled scrapers, such as are
used by Mr. Southwick in his admirable work in the parks of New York
City, and the application of a strong whale-oil soap solution, either with
a Jong-handled whitewash brush or even as a strong spray, in the late
fall or early spring, will largely obviate difticulty the ensuing summer.

Little more need be said about this insect. That it is a rather serious
enemy of the maple no one is in better position to say than Mr. Clark,
the city forester of Springfield, and it will be well for those in charge of
the shade trees in other cities to keep a sharp lookout for this destruc-
tive species.

Fifteen years ago, when Miss Emily A. Smith first studied this insect
at Peoria, [11., she found that it was-extensively parasitized by a very
minute chalecidid, which she called Acerophagus coccois, and which she
considered at some length in her paper. Coming to Washington a year
or so later, Miss Smith brought specimens of this parasite with her, and
it proved to belong to Foerster’s genus Rhopus, a form of marked
structural peculiarities. I have carefully preserved in rearing jars all
of the specimens of the Pseudococcus received since, whether from
Illinois, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island, in the hope of again rearing
thisinteresting parasite. I have been unsuccessful, however, until very
recently, and was consequently greatly pleased at my first success, on
August 5, in rearing a small series from specimens of the scale insect
sent in by Mr. Clark, of Springfield. Rhopus coccois therefore exists
here in Springfield, and may be of some aid to the city forester in his
work against the Pseudococeus.

OTHER SPECIES.

The most important of the New England shade-tree insects remain-
ing is the white-marked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma), and this
insect, aside from the gypsy moth, is really the principal shade-tree
insect in eastern Massachusetts. This species is so well known and so
successfully fought in New York that it is strange that it should be
allowed to spread unchecked in most cities. ‘This insect and the fall
webworm, a few borers, and, sooner or later, the bagworm (in the
northern portions only), may be successfully fought by individuals; and
this brings me to a rather good plan which has recently been started in
Washington. A number of years ago certain enterprising and public
spirited citizens in Brooklyn, N. Y., started a society known as “‘ The Tree
Planting and Fountain Society of Brooklyn,” its expressed objects
being “* * * to promote the planting and protection of trees, the
erection of drinking fountains, and otherwise to render the city of
Brooklyn attractive.” The plan of the society is admirable, but the
results as regards shade-tree insects have not been good. In fact,
the shade trees in Brooklyn are in very bad condition, as those of us
who were at the Brooklyn meeting of this association can testify. This

_————

47

is probably due to lack of funds, for the society is intelligently man-
aged, and its officers know how to kill insects, even if they are unable
to do so.

It seems likely that the very existence of such a society is an
inducement to citizens to leave such matters as caterpillars to the
society, and in this respect the Washington plan seems better, although
on account of its newness it is too early to judge of its workings. The
plan, in brief, is to form a tree-protection league among the citizens.
This is no formal league or society; it has no meetings, and its mem-
bers have no way of knowing who the other members are except by
looking for results. The matter has been taken up by one of the daily
papers, and in every issue the following coupon is published in a
prominent place:

Times Tree Protection League—Membership coupon.

Believing that much of the beauty of our national capital is derived from its
famous wealth of shade trees, and that these trees are now in danger of destruction
by their natural enemies, *~ * * I hereby promise to do all I can to protect the
tree or trees in front of or bordering on my place of residence, and for that purpose
submit my name for membership in the Times Tree Protection League.

Name, ——————._ Residence, ——

Whether this plan succeeds in Washington or not, it has great merit,
and aS a means of arousing public sentiment at least it is well worth
trying in other cities.

No cities in the world exceed in the beauty derived from shade trees
those of the New England States. Nowhere in this country are to be
seen more beautiful elms, and maples in particular, than in these New
England cities, and no effort should be spared to preserve their beauty.

THE ELM LEAF-BEETLE IN WASHINGTON.

By C. L. Martattr, Washington, D.C.

In the grounds of the Departinent of Agriculture are a number of
very interesting and instructive collections of various forest trees, nota-
ble among which is the elm grove, containing thirty or forty trees,
representing many species and varieties, largely of foreign origin. For
many years back this grove has been regularly defoliated twice annually
by the elm leaf-beetle, most of the trees, however, surviving, albeit
making little growth. Random efforts have been made from year to
year to protect the trees, but without any notable success, and the
superintendent of the Department grounds had reached the conclusion
that there was no practical remedy and was discussing the remoyal of
the grove entirely. The present season the elms were placed in the
hands of the Division of Entomology, which was made responsible for

48

their protection from the beetles. The reputation of the division was
thus at stake, and it was resolved not only to endeavor to prevent
serious damage but to prevent all injury at whatever cost.

If the results of remedial treatment reported as thoroughly success-
ful for the more northern range of this insect could have been dupli-
cated here the problem would have been of simple and easy solution.
A single spraying, or at most two, for the larvie, would have accom-
plished the desired protection. The experience of other years, however,
has demonstrated that little if any practical protection is secured by
such treatment, largely from the fact of the presence of the pest
throughout the growing season instead of for a few weeks only, and, in
the case of the Department elms, from the constant renewal of the
insects from adjoining groves.

A chronological statement of the work on the elms in the Department

grounds during the present summer will give a fair idea of the difficulty »

of controlling this insect under the conditions outlined, and I doubt if
any very great diminution of this labor will prove successful anywhere
in the southern range of the insect.

The beetles begin to appear by the 15th of April and toward the end
of the month are out in force, before many of the elm trees have put
out their foliage. The European elms of the Department grounds are
somewhat in advance of the native species in leafing, and thus act as
lures or decoys for the beetles, which collect on them in great numbers,
sitting about on the buds, waiting with impatience for the leaves to
unfold. If undisturbed the insects will attack and riddle the young
and tender leaves as fast as they develop. Spraying, therefore, is neces-
sitated as soon as leafing begins. The first treatment was therefore
made April 25, when many of the trees showed scarcely aleaf. Arsenate
of lead in very strong solution, 1 pound to 17 gallons of water, was
used. The beetles are not easily killed, and even at this strength from
10 to 25 per cent failed to succumb. This poison has the advantage
that it can be applied at any strength, and, as the protection of the trees
was imperative, on the 2d day of May they were again sprayed with a
mixture twice as strong as in the first instance. Many of the trees
were still white from the first application, and the effects of these two
sprayings remained visible on much of the foliage throughout July.
The second spraying resulted in the killing of practically all the beetles,
those appearing on the trees after that being undoubtedly recent comers,
the renewal, however, becoming much less abundant as the season
advanced. Few eggs were deposited during May, which, however, was
avery cold, wet month and kept the insects throughout the city in
check to a considerable extent. Larve beginning to appear about the
1st of June, the trees were again treated, the spraying this time being
with Paris green, at the rate of 1 pound to 100 gallons of water. The
larvee were never very numerous, not sufficiently so to do any particular
damage. The spraying was successful enough, but belated beetles were
continually coming in from outside, and toward the end of June new

49

larve began to appear, and, although the effects of the early spraying
with arsenate of lead were still noticeable on the leaves, the larve
seemed to find areas that were not poisoned sufficiently to prevent their
development. Another spraying was therefore given with Paris green
at the same strength as the last, A few larve, a dozen or two to a tree,
still survived, however, and transformed at the base of the trees about
the Istof July. These were killed by the application of kerosene emul-
sion to the trunk and about the bases, at a strength of 1 part emulsion
to 3 of water.

The Department trees were thus carried safely through the first
brood of the elim leaf-beetle, covering a period of three months. In
the meantime many of the elms in the adjoining grounds of the Smith-
sonian Institution and at various places about the city had had their
foliage completely killed. The decided preference of the insects for
particular varieties of trees was frequently very noticeable, given trees
in many instances having their foliage entirely destroyed, while the
surrounding ones were untouched, presenting a very striking contrast.

Under ordinary conditions the Department trees would have had
their foliage dead or dry by August 1, and the riddled and skeletonized
leaves would soon have fallen. The individuals of the second brood
first appearing would have had considerable difficulty in finding sub-
sistence on the few old leaves remaining, but the later appearing and
more numerous representatives of the second brood would develop on
the beautiful new spring-like foliage which the trees hopefully throw
out in late August and early September. The foliage of the Depart-
ment trees is now old and hard and more or less gummed with repeated
sprayings and accumulated dust, a condition which affords consider-
abie protection, and up to the present time the beetles so far developed
of the second brood have not seemed to show any decided liking for
the trees, very few occurring on them. A careful watch will, however,
be maintained, and if there is the slightest indication of the appear-
ance of larvie another thorough spraying will be given. It is hoped,
however, though by no means certain, that the trees will now carry
their foliage safely through to the end of the season, with the gradual
assumption of the autumnal tints (a phenomenon which has not been
observed in Washington for many years), and finally shed it naturally
under conditions of frost and rains.

To sum up, the protection secured for the Department’s grove of elms
has necessitated two thorough sprayings for the adult beetles of the
first brood, two for the larve of the first broed, the destruction about
the bases of the trees of the few larvie which succeeded in reaching
full growth, and the probable necessity of an additional spraying to
protect the trees from possible attack of the second brood of larvie.*

*The beetles did not Ranehien attack these trees, but elsewhere the sec ooa crop
of leaves following defoliation by the early brood of larve, was thoroughly riddled
dy the second brood of beetles and larvie as in former years.—C,. L. M.

6042—No, 2——-4

50

This amounts to the spraying of the trees every ten days or two weeks
over a period of two and a half months for the first brood, and if this
is carried out universally through a district or town the result should be
of so decided a character that the second brood would be of no particular
moment.

The necessity of prompt spraying at the first appearance of the leaves
is emphasized by the experience of the previous year, when the work
was postponed until the larvee appeared. In the meantime the adults
had so thoroughly riddled the young and delicate foliage that the
appearance of the trees was already seriously marred, and such a quan-
tity of eggs was deposited and larve developed that, with the interfer-
ence of frequent rains, the trees were practically ruined for the season
before the poison could take effect.

I am convinced that early spraying for the adults is a most important
measure and, for the southern range cf the beetles at least, the key to
the whole question of control.

THE ELM LEAF-BEETLE IN ALBANY.
By J. A. LINTNER, Albany, N. Y.

For more than a decade past I have watched with interest the steady
although slow progress of this destructive insect northward along the
Hudson River Valley. When it was first observed in the State of New
York does not appear on record, but as early as 1879 the elms in
Newburg (60 miles to the north of New York City) were nearly all
stripped of their foliage by “‘an insect new to that locality,” which
proved to be this insect. In 1885 many accounts were received of its
destructiveness and remarkable abundance in Westchester County, in
portions now embraced within the limits of New York City. In 1887
it created considerable alarm in Poughkeepsie, 74 miles from New York
and almost midway between that city and Albany. In 1890 the citizens
of Hudson became excited over its advent. In 1891 it was seen in New
Baltimore, and a year later it reached and commenced its operations in
the southern portion of Albany.

When first observed in Albany. —The first example of the beetle to
come under my notice was taken on a window within my house on the
25th of September, 1894. It was learned later that its operations had
arrested the attention of Superintendent of Parks Egerton in 1893,
while engaged in the construction of a new park near the southern
limit of Albany. And still later, upon visiting a locality where the
insect had been very destructive, a little to the north of the new park,
it was learned that the injury to the elms had commenced in the spring
of 1892.

51

Abundant in July of 1895.—In the middle of July of the present year
the capture of several of the beetles abroad led me to examine the elms
near my residence. At the base of a large English elm (Ulmus cam-
pestris) large numbers of the pupe were found lying on the hard, dried
ground between the branching roots and on the adjoining brick pave-
ment. Examination of other elms on Hawk street, between Hudson
avenue and Hamilton street, while some of the trees were apparently
exempt, more of them showed a similar abundance of pupe, with an
occasional newly disclosed beetle among them. in places twenty-five
pup could be counted to the square inch. Many were also seen in
crevices of the bark. They were transforming rapidly, for of five
placed in a vial on the 15th two had changed to the perfect insect on
the 17th, and the remainder on the day following.

From the fact that no larve were noticed either at the base of the
trees or descending the trunk it was evident that their descent must
have commenced, at least two weeks earlier, or, more probably, in the
month of June. Absence from the city the month following June 10
had prevented my making any observations during this time upon the
development of the brood.

A second brood.—I was again absent from Albany from July 15 to
August 12. On my return a great surprise awaited me. It had been
predicted that only a single brood of the insect would occur in the
northern extension of the insect in New York, Professor Smith having
shown that there was but one annual brood in northern New Jersey,
and the statements made of two broods in the vicinity of New York
City were believed to rest on inaccurate observations. But here was
unquestionable evidence of a second brood in much larger numbers, as
might be expected, than the first. Many elms had their foliage entirely
destroyed. A notable illustration of the severity of the attack was
afforded in the condition of a row of nine English elms in Hawk street,
opposite my residence, centrally in the eastern portion of the city. The
elms were slender, and from sawing away the lower branches had
attained a height of nearly 100 feet. Every leaf had been destroyed
except a few which still retained their form, although skeletonized, on
the extreme lower branches.* At their bases, against the trunks, the
larve, in the circular form that they assume when in readiness for pupa-
tion, and the pup, were lying to the depth of an inch or morein places
where they had not been swept away. On any of the trunks hundreds
of the larvee were within range of the eye at any one time, descending
to the ground, and many had transformed to pup in the crevices of
the bark. Opposite to this row and on my own premises was a wide.
branching Scotch elm (Ulmus montana). The leaves of this had been
much less eaten—had not been destroyed, although all showed the
peculiar eating away of the epidermis of the under surface and the
parenchyma characteristic of the work of the larve.

*All of the infested European elms observed in the city have been much more
badly eaten toward their tops, as if attack had commenced at the highest point.

52

In such numbers were the larve descending the trunk that for sev-
eral succeeding days they were repeatedly swept down with a broom
before spraying them with kerosene, pouring hot water over them, or
sweeping them into piles of leaves for burning. The largest proportion
of the larvee, instead of transforming at the base of the tree, crossed the
sidewalk and collected against the side of the house and a brick wall
adjacent, or in the crevices at the ends and sides of the adjoining first
course of bricks in the walk. Many were observed in the attempt to
climb up the side of the house and wall, but they almost invariably fell
before attaining a height of 2 feet. At one point, where a small shrub
of a few inches in height had sprung up against the house, there were
swept up on August 23, from an area of 8 by 10 inches, nearly a pint
measure full of the larve and pup, with a few of the newly trans-
formed beetles. From a partial count it was computed that this collec-
tion embraced 9,750 individuals.

Transformations.—A few facts relating to the transformations of this
brood may be of value. The time intervening between the descent of
the larve and their pupation was not noted; it probably did not exceed
five days, for of 100 taken August 15 almost one half pupated on the
18th and the remainder on the 19th. Those taken in their curled form
pupated within two days, as observed in 150 examples taken from the
base of a tree on the 16th, 58 of which became pupe within thirty hours,
and all within forty-eight hours.

The time from the pupa to the imago was seven days, as was observed
in several lots that were separated soon after pupation, which in each
instance gave the beetle—at first of a pale tint of yellow, with entire
absence of black on the elytra—on the seventh day.

The descent of the larvee was apparently completed by the 25th, none
being seen upon the trunks after this date.* The degree of develop-
ment of the brood at this time was about that of the first brood when
observed by me on July 15. From this we may infer a period of about
six weeks for transformations of the brood, or about a week less than
that which has been recorded for the earlier brood in New Jersey.

Do many larve drop from the branches ?—Writers upon the habits of
this insect have stated that many of the larve drop from the tree
instead of traveling down the trunk, particularly when the elms have
drooping branches. This would seem reasonable, but it was not con-
firmed by my observations. The Scotch elm on my premises which has
been referred tohas long and somewhat drooping branches, which extend
over an extension to the house; but I have not been able to find at any

* There seem to have been some later than this, perhaps by dropping from the
leaves, for they coutinued to be found in small numbers near the wall until Septem-
ber 9. Pupze were noticed until the 12th, and the beetle was abroad until September
24. On the 3d of October one came to light in my office in the capitol, of a remark-
ably dull color, suggesting the idea that it may have been drawn from its hiding
place after its development from the last larve brought by me within doors.

53

time during the season a single larva or pupa upon its roof, although
fallen leaves in corners offered convenient resting places for them. Nor
in the hours that I have passed under the elms in my study of the insect
have I seen one of the larvee upon my clothing or known it to occur on
others.

Preference for different species of elms.—The preference shown by the
elm leaf-beetle for certain species of elms has often been stated by those
who have written upon it. While all agree in the statement that the
European elms are more infested by it than our native ones, yet there
is conflicting testimony in regard to the liability to attack of the Ameri-
ean elm (Ulmus americana). Dr. Riley has stated of it in Bulletin No.
6 of the Division of Entomology (1885), ‘This species is practically
free from the ravages of the beetle.” In Circular No. 8 (May, 1895)
of the same division Mr. Marlatt has written: ‘‘The American species,
Ulmus americana, is notably exempt,” but adding this qualification:.
‘All species of elms, however, are attacked more or less, and in the
absence of sufficient foliage of the favorite varieties the injury to less.
palatable sorts becomes almost equally marked.”*

Decided preference for the English eim.—The decided preference of’
the beetle for the Ulmus campestris has been strikingly shown during
its presence in Albany. A number of trees of this species have died
and are being cut ‘down in this the fourth year of their attack, while:
others—notably the row previously referred to as opposite my resi-.
dence—will unquestionably share the same fate the coming year, unless:
conditions should prove unfavorable to the beetles’ multiplication..
None of the Scotch elms, so far as I have discovered, have been killed,
and although the foliage of some of the smaller trees has been about:
one-half destroyed, there is little probability of their succumbing to
the attack, unless they should finally yield to partial defoliation through
several succeeding years. Just across the street from the doomed elins:
above mentioned is a large American elm (their branches almost inter:
mingling) which seems to be entirely free from the insect. Not a larva:
has been detected upon its trunk or indications of it upon the foliage:
when its branches were carefully examined from the housetop; Av
quarter of a mile from this point are the Capitol and the Boys’ Acad-.
emy parks, in which all of the trees, according to the State botanist,
are American elms. No trace of the insect was found in these parks;
when search was made for if during the last week of August. These
three species of elms are the only ones which have been identified by
me in the infested section of Albany.

The slow spread of the insect.—Perhaps no better illustration of the
slow distribution of this insect, when left to its natural spread and
unaided by facilities for transportation by railroad or boat, can be

*In the discussion that followed this paper it was stated that the Ulmus americane
under certain circumstances had been known to be quite as badly injured by the
insect as the European species.

54

given than the fact that in this the fourth year of its presence in
Albany it has not yet extended itself over a large portion of the city or
to any markedly injurious degree over one-half of its extent of 4 miles
as measured from its southern toits northern boundary. As stated by
Dr. Riley,* ‘‘the insects deposit mostly on the trees nearest to where
they develop, and are only partially migratory before ovipositing.”

On a short tour of inspection made on August 26 there were found
on Myrtle avenue, near Philip street, a portion of which bounds the
new park (Beaver Park), in the vicinity of which the insect was first
reported, eight English elms which had been killed by it the present
year. The feeble leafage put out in the early spring was soon consumed
by the larvee which had hatched from the comparatively few eggs,
presumably, that the beetles had deposited under the en feebled condi-
tion of the trees. The next street, Bleecker place, gave two or three
dead trees and others badly defoliated. Next in order, Elm street, be-
tween Eagle and Philip, showed similar defoliation, and one large elm,
between 70 and 80 feet in height, where it was said the larve and
pup had been abundant about two weeks previously, upon which not a
single leaf could be seen. Two blocks to the northward, where the attack
had probably reached a year or two later and the beetle had not yet
become very abundant, the badly eaten trees were putting out a new
growth of leaves. A few blocks farther north are the Hawk street
elms, previously mentioned, which, in the steadily increasing numbers
of the insect, had been so continuously fed upon that not a vestige of
new growth was discoverable. The preceding year there had not been
the slightest apparent injury to their foliage.

The examination extended over only a half mile, and, although each
street crossed showed marked evidence of the injury wrought by the
insect, yet a steady decrease was easily to be seen in the successive
streets between Beaver Park and the capitol grounds. Tothe north of
the capitol the infestation has not been of a character to arrest public
attention, and it is only upon looking for the insect or its work that it
is to be found.

Not known north of Albany.—It is reported as not yet having appeared
at Menands, 3 miles to the northward of Albany, nor have I learned of
its presence in Troy, Schenectady, and other neighboring northern local-
ities, in reply to inquiries made, accompanied by information and illus-
tration that should insure its detection if it occurred. It is proposed
to follow up hereafter by personal observation the progress of this
insect along the Hudson River Valley until it shall reach Fort Edward,
beyond which we do not expect it to extend.

Only a small portion of Albany infested.—It may be stated here that
the insect thus far has not spread injuriously over the western part of
Albany; in fact, it is virtually limited to the southeastern corner. At

* Bulletin No. 6, Division of Entomology, 1885, page 13.

|
;

55

the time that myriads of the beetles were descending the elms in Hawk
street not a single example could be found in Washington Park, three-
fourths of a mile west of the Capitol Park, nor leaves showing larval
feeding on any of its at least half dozen species of elm. As narrow-
ing the infested area still more closely, on Washington avenue, within
three blocks of the capitol and about three-eighths of a mile from the
stripped Hawk street trees, are several English elms which are so
absolutely free from attack that for this reason it was questioned if
they could possibly be some other species, until they were identified as
the U. campestris by the State botanist.

Recommendations for controlling the insect.—While it is undoubtedly
true that the best remedy for this pest is spraying with an arsenical
mixture, so as to furnish the larve of the first brood with a poisoned
diet upon their hatching-from the eggs, yet experience has shown that
this remedy is not the one to be relied upon or urged for the protection
of the shade trees that line the streets of our cities. The labor and
expense attendant upon it will certainly prevent its ever being gener-
ally accepted, or even an approach to such an acceptance. It is, how-
ever, the remedy to be depended upon for the preservation of the elms
of our city parks and extended private grounds, where the needed
appropriation or the necessary outlay may be made for the purpose.
Improved apparatus and methods of application can readily be com-
manded, by the aid of which the largest elm can be effectively sprayed
at a moderate cost.

The lessee or owner of a city residence will not be at the expense of
purchasing a powerful force pump and sufficient hose—50 feet or more—
to reach up into the tree tops, for the preservation of the two or three
beautiful elms that may shade and beautify his premises. True, he
might, with a simple and inexpensive force pump and the few feet of
attached hose, spray the entire foliage of his trees from his house top,
but it would be labor almost wholly lost in placing the arsenite upon
the upper surface of the leaf, instead of beneath, where needed.

Instead, therefore, of urging upon the citizens of Albany the imprac-
ticable—viz, arsenical spraying—I have contented myself (after indicat-
ing the spraying as the proper remedy when it can be employed) with
urging in all earnestness, by voice and through the public press, the
necessity of a watchful and persistent warfare against the insect in
each home where it occurs, beginning at the time when the larve are
descending the trees and the first pupa, so readily recognizable in its
orange-yellow garb, is seen beneath it, and continuing it for the ensu-
ing two or three weeks, or until the last pupa has been killed. The
killing of the larve and pup is simple and involves no outlay, or a
very moderate one. It only requires that hot water be poured over
them or that they be sprinkled with kerosene. Where the method of
making kerosene emulsion is known, this may be sprayed upon them,
using one part of the emulsion to four of water.

56

As somewhat militating against this remedy, it has been represented
as requiring frequent, almost daily, repetition. This is not necessary.
Intervals of five days will suffice. If all the larve and pupe are killed
on any one day, there could be no pupal transformation into the winged
insect until the sixth or seventh day thereafter. The simplicity of this
method is therefore evident, and there seems to be no reason why
through its use 90 per cent of the insects that descend the trees from
the elms upon our walks may not be destroyed. In consideration of the
many contingencies that attend the hibernation of all insects and
the fatality known to exist in that of the elm leaf-beetle, we would
not have much to fear or to suffer from the small fraction of the remain-
ing 10 per cent of the brood that might successfully accomplish their
hibernation.

Mr. Howard discussed the occurrence of a second brood of the elm
leaf-beetle and the habits of the larveein pupating. The larve bred by
him in July in Connecticut were of the first brood. The second brood
occurred in very limited numbers in Bridgeport and other Connecticut
towns. In regard to the habits of the larve in pupation, he said that
not above 60 per cent crawl down the trunk to the ground. ‘The others
fall from the branches direct to the ground or undergo their trans-
formations in the rough bark. |

Mr. Smith corroborated Mr. Howard as to the habits of the larvee in
the particulars pointed out. He described also their climbing fences
and transforming in the erevices thereof.

Mr. Southwick gave a résumé of his methods of spraying for the elm
leaf-beetle, including careful treatment of particular trees which are
especially subject to attack. His experience with the second brood
was similar to that reported for Washington. He referred particularly
to the larve pupating in bunches of grass and weeds. He described
the insecticides which he employed against these larve.

Mr. Smith asked if estimates had been made of the cost of keeping
the New York parks in good condition. Mr. Southwick said no such
estimates had been made, and he described the conditions under which
he was attempting to keep the 4,000 acres of parking coming under his
Supervision in a measure free from insect ravages.

Mr. J. W. Clarke, city forester of Springfield, described the habits of
the larve in pupating in Springfield, stating that the small trees were
much the worst affected. He discussed also, in the same connection,
the maple leaf louse, and said that the damage from this insect to
maples was much worse than the damage from the elm leaf-beetle
to the elms. He said that the maple-louse was first noticed in Spring-
field four years before.

Mr. Southwick said he had found the slippery elms quite as badly
eaten as the European elms.

57

Mr. Riley said that an important new recommendation in the matter
of treatment was contained in the paper by Mr. Marlatt, referring to
spraying for the beetles beginning, if necessary, at the moment the
leaves begin to expand. The method he had always recommended
and followed was to postpone treatment until the young larve were
beginning to hatch. He thought the beetles did not injure the trees
materially, and that the application of arsenic to tender foliage was
inadvisable. He queried, therefore, whether we are justified by the
facts in early spraying for the beetles, stating that he had protected
the Department trees on one or two occasions by giving treatment
after the larvee had appeared. He had not, however, been responsible
for the elms on the Department grounds, which were under the control
of the superintendent of gardens and grounds. The present year was
undoubtedly an exceptional one both in the leafing of the trees and the
appearance of the beetles. He agreed with Messrs. Southwick and
Smith as to the inadvisability of setting out European elms.

In regard to the distribution of the elm leaf-beetle, he was inclined
to believe that the explanation of its being now brought into prominence
in various New England towns where it had not before been observed
was not an instance of sudden introduction, but rather that’it had
been present and unsbserved for years before, and the present year
being an unusually favorable one for the beetle its work was rendered
noticeable. The elm leaf-beetle is distinctively a city insect, being
_rarely injurious outside of cities and parks. He had frequently found
different trees of the same species of elm affected in a very different
degree and attributed this to variations in elms within the species,
pointing out in this connection the differences observable in time of
leafing and mode of growth of Ulmus americana. He was inclined to
believe that the second brood in Albany would prove to be a small one
and insignificant in its effects, the occurrence of a second brood largely
depending on conditions of foliage. If the beetles of the first brood find
comparatively fresh foliage, or new foliage following the loss of the first
foliage, by reason of the attacks of the first brood, a second brood would
be very apt to be developed. The larve, he said, are unable to subsist
on old dried foliage. He believed much good could be done by coopera-
tion, and particularly if civic pride, as in New Haven, could be aroused.
He pointed out the difference necessary in the treatment of larve (after
they had left the trees for pupation) between trees growing along
streets and trees in parks, referring to Professor Lintner’s remarks on
the treatment of larvie about street trees.

Mr. Howard said, in reference to the advisability of early spraying
for the beetles, that the Division of Entomology was not only expected
to effectually exterminaté the insect, but also to preserve the appear-
ance of the trees and foliage as nearly intact as possible, thus necessi-
tating spraying to prevent the considerable riddling of the leaves
which resulted from the feeding of the beetles before and during
oviposition.

58

Mr. Marlatt said, with regard to the necessity for early spraying,
that in the previous year in Washington the beetles had appeared in
enormous numbers, and had so thoroughly riddled the leaves that the
effect was very marked in the appearance of the trees. He was con-
vineed that early spraying will be necessary where complete protec-
tion of the foliage is aimed at, and at the same time will be the most
effective method of stamping out the pest. If spraying be left until
the eggs begin to hatch, the damage done by the young larve before
they can be destroyed by the poison, even if they are successfully
destroyed in the end, will have a marked effect also in blackening and
otherwise injuring the foliage. He pointed out again that the experi-
ences detailed in his paper were confined practically to the experiments
of the present season, and did not include any of the earlier experi-
ments conducted by Professor Riley.

Mr. Webster, remarking on the great extension of our knowledge of
the distribution of the elm leaf-beetle the present season, and on the
facet that he had recently noticed it north of Salem, Mass., said that it
indicated to him that we are, after all, lacking in accurate knowledge
of the distribution of important insects. He gave some personal
instances further illustrating this idea.

Mr. Fernald gave an account of the Amherst experience with the
elm leaf-beetle. He said he had reported to Mr. Howard as late as this
year that the insect was unknown at Amherst, and in fact it had never
been collected in former years by any of his many student collectors or
assistantsin entomology. Yet the present season, after he had reported
its nonoeccurrence, he found it in numbers within a short distance of his
insectary. He even queried if this might not be a recent jump of the
insect, rather than an excessive development after possible presence
in small numbers for some years.

Mr. Smith said that he was inclined to believe that the most good
would result from early spraying for the beetles, rather than waiting
until the Jarve putin an appearance. Ordinarily the leafing of the
elms is a little in advance of the appearance of the adult insects in
spring, but the present year was an unusual one climatically and this
condition was reversed, the beetles appearing in advance of the
unfolding of the foliage. He described the elm trees at New Bruns-
wick and the difficulties attending their treatment on account of their
large size; also the trouble experienced as the result of frequent show-
ers. He had employed the present year arsenate of lead, using it at
the rate of 15 ounces to 80 gallons of water. He had sprayed the elm
trees on the college campus three times, the last treatment just as the
larve were hatching. This spraying effectually protected the trees
treated, the benefit being indicated by the fact that other trees in the
neighborhood were very badly injured. He had seen no trace what-
ever of a second brood of larve the present season. He emphasized
the importance of keeping the first foliage on the elms, for the reasons

Se

59

pointed out by Professor Riley, namely, the inability of the larve to
develop successfully in any numbers on mature and hardened foliage.
He said that the explanation of the second brood of beetles reported
by Dr. Lintner as occurring in Albany, if true, was undoubtedly due
to the presence of comparatively new and fresh foliage.

AFTERNOON SESSION, AUGUST 28, 1895.

Professor Fernald opened the discussion on the gypsy moth again with
an extended account of the operations up to the present time, illustrat-
ing his remarks with specimens and photographs. He has furnished
the following stenographic report of his remarks:

NOTES ON THE GYPSY MOTH IN MASSACHUSETTS.

By C. H. FERNALD, Amherst, Mass.
[Stenographic report. ]

It may be needless for me to tell you that the gypsy moth was intro-
duced into this country about twenty-six years ago by Mr. Trouvelot,
living in Medford. He was, as you know, a celebrated astronomer, and
he had an idea of experimenting with this and other silk-producing
insects with a view of making silk profitably from them. I wrote to
him to know how this insect escaped from him, but received no reply.
I was informed a short time ago that a gentleman was with Mr. Trou-
velot in Paris not long before his death, and Mr. Trouvelot told him that
he brought the eggs over from France, and when they hatched he put
them on a shrub near his house and covered them with a mosquito net,
and that a storm came up in the night and tore the net to such an
extent that the insects escaped. I suppose that this is the way that the
insect escaped, althongh we have another story. The insect became
quite abundant and spread from Medford rapidly, attracting a great
deal of attention in the immediate vicinity, but the people lost sight of
the fact that it was a foreign species and took no measures to rid them-
selves beyond what they could do personally. They tell us of the abun.
dance of these inseets; how they ate all the foliage from the trees, and
continued this until the trees died. One gentleman says they spread
over the side of his house so that it was impossible to tell the color
of the paint; another, that when he started to his place of business it
was impossible to step anywhere on the street without crushing the
caterpillars.

I have a box here containing specimens of the gypsy moth in its dif-
ferent stages—an egg cluster; two eggs, separated; the different molts
of the larva; pupa, male and female; male and female moths, spread
and unspread. These boxes were distributed about the State and to
experiment stations in adjoining States for the purpose of instruction.
Many insects have been sent in order to ascertain whether they were
the gypsy moth or not, and it seemed desirable to inform the people as
widely as possible, so they would know what the gypsy moth is, and
this was one of the methods used to give the desired information.

60

I have here a male and female and two hermaphrodites. One of the
latter is badly rubbed, but the form of the wings and the antenna on
the right show it to be a male; on the other side the wings and antenna
Show it to be a female. I have left directions with my assistant, Mr.
Kirkland, to make a critical dissection of a specimen, if one should be
found, as I thought it would be of interest to know just what the inter-
nal structure of the hermaphrodite insect is.

The gypsy moth spread from that central locality—the locality of
Mr. Trouvelot’s home—to more distant points, and grew so much more
numerous that at last the people began to feel that it was necessary
to do something.

In 1889 the outbreak in Medford was so great and they were doing so
much damage that specimens were sent to the secretary of the board
of agriculture, in Boston, and he sent them to the experiment station
at Amherst. At that time I was abroad, and my wife and son had
charge of the work, They identified the insect after a little trouble,
not being aware at first that it was a Huropean species, and wrote me
immediately at London. I then got what information 1 could in Europe
of those who could give me the best advice.

After my return I went to Medford and visited the territory. There
was a region of perhaps a square mile in which the trees, trunks and
branches, were literally covered with clusters of eggs, so that they were
yellow. It was surprising to see how great a quantity of eggs there
was. After what I had been told by the entomologists in Europe, I
felt quite alarmed about the matter. I thought we had an invasion
that demanded careful attention. Accordingly, I prepared a bulletin
on the subject, and the secretary of the board of agriculture was kind
enough to add to our funds so that an edition large enough to send a
copy to each voter whose name and address we could get in all that
region was printed, and this bulletin I presume has been seen by most
ot you. This closed ny official connection with the work for the time.

I do not know at present who called the attention of the governor to
it, but he made mention of it in his address and brought the matter
before the legislature. A commission was appointed, but it was a
political commission and I gave no advice in the matter.

The work of the first commission was not satisfactory to the governor,
and that commission was discharged and the work put into the hands
of the board of agriculture of this State. The board took it upon itself
as one of its duties and appointed a committee on the gypsy noth. This
was the second year. Anappropriation of $25,000, was made the first
year and before the year ended another appropriation of $25,000 was
made. With Mr. Sessions I spent a day looking over the territory.
As soon as the committee was appointed by the board of agriculture
they called in several experts. I think the gentiemen called on that
occasion were Professor Riley, Mr. Scudder, Mr. Henshaw, and myself.
Mr. Henshaw could not be present. The others were present and gave

61

their best judgment and advice. I certainly advised as it seemed best
to me, and, as it proved, my advice coincided with that given by Pro-
fessor Riley.

The committee then appointed Mr. Forbush as field director. The
committee was advised to import parasites. I was then called from
Cape Cod to go over the ground and make a critical examination and
advise in regard to the matter. After making a close study and find-
ing that our native parasites were at work on the insect it seemed to
me that it would be wise to wait a little before attempting to import
others, as there seemed to be a davger that secondary parasites might
be imported with the primary ones and thus undo all that we attempted.
My advice was taken in that case, whether rightly or wrongly remains
to be seen. I was then asked to act as entomologist, and in an unhappy
moment I consented, and, although I have since resigned, the committee
has declined to accept my resignation and I still hold that position. I
was at first prone to judge of this foreign insect by the habits of our
home insects, and I am not sure but that Professor Riley and I both
had the same inclination.

I have been studying the habits of this insect from that time until
now, and have not finished yet. We find out something new and
striking nearly every week, and things that we were not expecting to
find have developed. .

Experiments with Paris green were made the first year, and I have
no doubt that vast numbers of caterpillars were destroyed, but I know
in many cases I could go to a most thoroughly sprayed tree two, three,
or five days afterwards and find living caterpillars that would trans-
form, and this on trees where Paris green had been used at the rate of
1 pound to 150 gallons of water, which was as strong as the trees
would bear, aS shown by a slight burning of the foliage. We tried
other substances, as Paris green and lime, and then secured a chemist
to experiment with different insecticides. It would be impossible to
state the different substances that were tried, many of which would kill
the insects and at the same time kill the trees. Other things that
would kill the insects and not injure the trees cost so much that we
could not use them; so there was some difficulty with most of the dis-
coveries he made. At last the chemist hit upon arsenate of lead, and
this has proved quite valuable. I regret to say that this young man,
contrary to our expectations, has applied for a patent. The Common-
wealth of Massachusetts has entered a protest. The authorities have
tried to get information from the Patent Office, but were informed
that it is not customary in the Patent Office to give out information.
Whether the chemist will succeed in getting the patent I do not know,
but I hope not. I wish him no harm, but I want this Commonwealth
and other States to have the advantage of any discoveries we may
make. No man can now be employed on the gypsy moth work or be
paid by the State until he signs an agreement that all his discoveries

62

Shall go to the advantage of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
So long as the Commonwealth pays for the work I think it is right for
our citizens to enjoy the full benefit of all discoveries made by its
employees. .

We have tried various experiments and find some few to be exceed-
ingly useful, as, for instance, where there are valuable trees on private
grounds we can use this arsenate of lead in large quantities without
injury to the foliage and yet destroy the caterpillars. In other cases
where the land is covered with shrubbery and is of small value we can
burn it over. We havea method of burning which I can not describe.
It approaches as near to Tophet as anything I can think of.’ It is the
most terrific blaze that I have ever seen. It is used where we want to
force the heat down into cavities or places where it would be impossi-
ble to reach the insects otherwise. In woodlands the insect crawls
down among the rocks so far that it is beyond the influence of any fire
that we are able to get up. But if we burn everything in the territory
around and leave only here and there a tree they will hatch in the
spring and crawl up the trunks of the trees. We have another method
of attacking them at that time. We put bands of burlap about the
trees; this has proved to be exceedingly useful. We found that they
feed only in the night after they are about half grown. They descend
the trees toward morning and go into any concealed place they can find.
We cover the cavities in the trees with tin or other material and leave
no place for the caterpillars to hide except under the bands of burlap.
The men go around and destroy all the caterpillars under the bands,
and in a few days or in several days they will clear that tree more
effectually than it could be cleared at any other time except in the egg
state.

I must refer to the statements made by Mr. Scudder at the time of
the meeting of these experts. He stated that this insect passed the
larger part of the year in the egg. stage, and it seemed to him that
the proper method of fighting them was in that stage. It has proved
that he was correct; that we can do very effectual work in destroying
the eggs. We have discovered a method of destroying the eggs which,
to our minds, is far superior to those used by the Germans and Austrians
in fighting the nun moth. While they cover the nests with raupen-
leim, we use a combination of creosote oil and carbolic acid. Experi-
ments have shown that it destroys the life of every egg. Although the
egg clusters are covered with hairs from the underside of the abdomen
of the female, yet this mixture penetrates and destroys the eggs. In
no instance have we bred a caterpillar from eggs treated in this way,
and at least five hundred egg clusters have been used in the experi-
ments to test the material.

By authority of the State, we have prepared a book, which is now
going to press, in which we are giving all the facts that we have gained
on the whole subject. We want to put in all that can be learned from

ae

63

European works in regard to the gypsy moth, and have been going over
the European literature, getting information from every source. This
report will contain several colored plates as well as plain ones, and will
give many things of special scientific interest. It is now in the hands
of the State printers.

We have had a vast deal of work in cleaning trees, stone walls, and
fences. These insects, when they reach the adult stage, go down the
trees and into cavities that are almost inaccessible. One must look in
every conceivable place. It takes time and is expensive.

MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION.

It is a remarkable fact that the females do not fly. I was very much
interested in a paper read on the life history of the gypsy moth before
one of the entomological societies of Europe, in which the person who
had worked out the life history stated that the female has a pair of
forceps by means of which she pulls out the hairs from her body and
puts them upon the clusters of eggs, and this statement was really taken
in sober earnest by every member present, so far as I was able to judge.
It was stated that we claimed the female moth does not fly, and they
claimed that it was a lack of observation in the matter; that if we would
observe late in the night we would find that the females fly as rapidly
as the males. We have had observers working all night long. We
have had trees surrounded by a sort of Babel’s tower, so the observers
could go up and watch the individuals. We marked the caterpillars
and experimented on the methods of marking them to determine one
which would not injure them. The marked caterpillars were watched
to determine the time they started; how they went, whether straight or
whether they hesitated; how they went up the tree; where they went;
how long they stayed, and whether they came back to the place from
which they started, or whether they lost their track and went somewhere
else, ete.

Those men who were discussing the matter did not know what we
had been doing. I have been criticised because our reports were not
full, because all this has not been given. These reports have been sim-
ply for the legislature, and how many members of the legislature will
read a report of any length when you are asking for money? The more
money you ask for, the less they will read your report, and the com-
mittee said these reports must be very short. Nobody knows better
than Professor Riley how this matter is, for who has had more experi-
ence than he in getting appropriations? They look upon you in a
doubtful way, in a very different way from an audience like this.

The territory over which the insect is spread was stated in my first
report to be a mile and a half long; but I stated then (and I had only
one day in which to inspect the territory) that the insect was in all
probability spread over a larger territory. Weare able to tell from the
character of the nesvs (in fact, some of our men are so expert that they

64

ean tell almost to a year) the age of acolony. We found that the terri-
tory over which they were spread was a large one and that it would be
a year or more after the present work was begun before we would be
able to locate the outer colonies. We do not say a whole town is infested ;
we can only say the insect occurs in that town. So long as they are
left the colonies will be spreading until the whole town will become
thoroughly and fully infested. The territory infested is about 200
square miles, including thirty towns and cities. <A part of that terri-
tory we think has been cleared. Colonies which were known to exist
in certain places three years ago show no trace of the insect. There-
fore we think we have reason to believe that these colonies are really
exterminated; but I doubt if I should want to say they are extermi-
nated until we have watched them ten years.

We have been giving especial attention this year to the food plants,
and have a list of over three hundred plants that this insect feeds on
in Massachusetts, some not natives of this country. Some cotton
plants were brought from the South, and we find that it is a very
excellent food plant for them. They revel in it; in fact, they ate the
whole thing up. If they should get into the South I fein they wauld
be capable of committing sad havoc there.

Our field director is an ornithologist, and he has been giving a great
deal of time to the subject of birds. He has been working it out very
carefully, and has much he could say if it were so desired.

We have been giving a great deal of attention to predaceous insects
with a view of breeding predaceous beetles. We have some eight or
ten of these, and they are certainly doing good work. Every report on
entomology that you take up contains a list of predaceous insects.
We have some that are not given in these reports. We have about
thirteen species of true parasitic insects. I sent the Diptera to Dr.
Williston for determination, and after giving them a preliminary exam-
ination he told me there were so many species of this genus and so many
of that which were probably new.

Parasitic plants is a subject we took up. I talked over the matter
with Dr. Thaxter and Dr. Farlow, but they gave us no encouragement
in regard to the matter. Dr. Thaxter said, ‘‘ Why don’t you use Paris
green?” We gave him our experience with this insect—that it would
eat more Paris green than the foliage of the trees could bear and still
transform and lay its eggs, which would give rise to caterpillars the
next year. I did not believe it at first, and I doubt if any of you would
have accepted it. I took some of the insects home and fed a large num-
ber of them, and I could not believe my own results and had my assist-
ants try it again. I had it tried in the field, and I tried it three years
in succession myself, and I am obliged to say that you can not kill this
insect with Paris green unless you use more than it is possible to put
on the trees without destroying the foliage.

As the females do not fly, of course the distribution in the adult stage.
is very limited. But the caterpillars in the early stages spin down

65

from the trees and are carried long distances on vehicles, cars, ete.
There are several lines of cars running through the infested district.
We found it necessary to clean all the trees along the lines of cars and
where the cars stopped in the infested region, and many a place did we
have to clean out which cost time and money, and sometimes we had
to exercise the authority which was given us by the State to prevent
material being carried away by the railroad companies, lest it should be
infested with the eggs or caterpillars.

These caterpillars before the first molt are different from what they
are after this molt. They have two sets of spines, those on the upper
part of the body being smooth and pointed, with a balloon-shaped swell-
ing at the basal third filled with air or gas, which probably has quite a
lifting power. The nun moth of Europe has the same structure in its
early stages, and some claim that the caterpillars are swung off in the
air and float away by means of the lifting power of these miniature
balloons on the spines. We have never demonstrated that it gives any
aid in the distribution of the gypsy moth larve, but I am not prepared
to say that it does not have a lifting power.

The distribution is mainly in the caterpillar stage, when they get
upon moving objects. We find that the people who drive about in the
infested region carry it around the most, as doctors and milkmen, who
are going from house to house. They distribute this insect uncon-
sciously and unintentionally. Wealmost invariably find their premises
infested.

We tried experiments to determine the distance a newly hatched
larva would crawl before it died of starvation. The thought I had in
mind was that if we knew the outer limit of the territory infested by a
colony we would then know how wide a belt it would be necessary to
burn to protect the territory outside. We put newly hatched cater-
pillars on a level table, on white paper or ordinary newspaper, thinking
that that would give them quite as good a chance to travel as they
could have in nature, and had persons follow behind them with a lead
pencil, with instructions to let them take their own course and not to
punch them along. Although the caterpillars took a peculiar course,
we got the number of feet they would travel before they died and the
number of hours it took them to travel the distance. One traveled 92
feet in 10 hours, one 145 feet in 12 hours, and another 144 feet before
it died. I had the impression that if food were placed in the imme-
diate vicinity the caterpillars might perhaps direct their line of travel
in the direction of the food, but they did not. They did, however,
travel invariably toward the light—toward a window or lamp. Iam
not surprised at that, because where these caterpillars are hatched, in
the cavities of trees, they naturally travel toward the light, and are
governed by the light more than by the odors or proximity of food.

We also tried to ascertain how much a caterpillar would eat. These
experiments were performed in the winter and in confinement. One

6042—No0, 2——5

66

female ate 212 square feet of lettuce leaves from the time it hatched
until it pupated. One male ate 110 square feet of lettuce leaves during
the same period. Dr. Gray gives the leaf surface of the Washington
elm in Cambridge as 200,000 square feet. That represents both sides
of the leaf. Taking 100,000 square feet, if 179 females are allowed to
lay their eggs, and the eggs hatch, and the caterpillars reach maturity
without any accident, they would be sufficient to defoliate that tree.
And yet in Meaford I found trees that were literally yellow with the
egg clusters.

We tried experiments in assembling, with a view of ascertaining
whether it would be possible to destroy all the males in a given region,
so that no fertilized eggs would be laid. We took a somewhat isolated
colony and placed the virgin females in traps or cages. The cages had
gauze over the sides, so that a draft of air passed through and the
odors would be carried away, and the males would fly up from the lee-
ward side and would come in contact with the “sticky fly paper” on
the sides of the cage, and would be taken the next morning and
destroyed. We took enormous numbers of males in that way. It would
seem as though the females would lay unfertilized eggs, but, strange as
it may seem, they were found to be fertile, and we gave it up as an
impracticable thing. It was interesting and settled the question to my
mind. We found that the males would mate with four females in sue-
cession, So it was not necessary to have as many males as females.

The people of the State of Massachusetts saw they had a stupendous
undertaking on their hands, and I think you will all admit that a mag-
nificent fight has thus far been made. The State has already appro-
priated $525,000, and the last appropriation 1s not yet all expended.
We in Massachusetts are not the only ones interested in this matter.
Every citizen of the United States is interested. In Europe it extends
as far north as Riga; occurs abundantly in Moscow, but not at St.
Petersburg. It occurs south in the islands of the Mediterranean; is
abundant on the north coast of Africa; occurs in southern Siberia as
far as the Amoor; and my colleague, Professor Brooks, found this
insect in Japan—one of the Japan species—and I infer from his reports
that its habits there are much the same as here.

I have been severely criticised because I have not favored the impor-
tation of parasites. I may be wrong. If I have made a mistake I
myself must bear the responsibility. I never dealt with abler men
than those of this committee. If there is any credit it is due to them,
and if there have been any grave mistakes during the past few years the
responsibility lies with me. The committee has considered carefully
every suggestion that I have made. I have not made any rash or
hasty statements, but have given them advice as to the methods of
procedure, and they have almost invariably followed my advice. I felt
that there was a great responsibility upon me, and I asked them to
invite entomologists from other States to go over the territory and

67

inspect the work. Accordingly ten entomologists were invited, nine of
whom visited the territory. We took them over as much of the terri-
tory as possible—over the worst places and the best places. I wanted
to share the responsibility and I wanted advice. They gave us advice,
and a part of their reports has been published in the reports of the
committee. Some of the suggestions have been adopted; others have
not. We were advised to cultivate parasites. The law makes it
obligatory upon us to exterminate the insect, so we must kill every
caterpillar, whether infested with a parasite or not, and in that way we
are exterminating parasites as well. If the State directs to merely
hold the insect in check, then is the time to work with parasites.

In response to a request, Mr. Kirkland, assistant entomologist to the
gypsy moth commission, gave a verbal report on the more recent experi-
ments with insecticides conducted by the commission. He said that no
success had been had with insecticides until the arsenate of lead had
been devised, and even this, at the rate of 10 pounds to 150 gallons of
water, effected the destruction of only about 50 per cent of the larve.
He described his examination of the alimentary canal of the larve with
a view to determining the probable action of the juices contained in
various parts of the canal on insecticide substances. He had found the
juices strongly alkaline, and of the substances which seemed most likely
to be acted upon by an alkaline liquid he had considered the cyanides
of different metals to be the most promising. The cyanides of lead,
antimony, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, mercury, etc., were considered.
The cyanides of antimony and copper, on theoretical grounds, seemed to
promise best. The cyanide of antimony was totally without effect at
the rate of 10 pounds to 150 gallons of water. Cyanide of copper was
fairly effective, but too expensive for practical employment, 3 pounds to
150 gallons being equivalent to 1 pound of Paris green to 150 gallons of
water or 3 or 4 pounds of arsenate of lead to 100 gallons. Even where
no practical results seem to have been obtained, as in the above series
of experiments, he pointed out the value of the negative results; in that
the very fact that the merits of these substances have been tested our
knowledge of the substances valuable for insecticides is better under-
stood and limited. In connection with the various experiments with
insecticides he had occasion repeatedly to emphasize the extreme vitality
of the gypsy moth larva and its immunity from the action of poisons.

Mr. Riley discussed the gypsy inoth question at considerable length.
He said he had always been much interested in the gypsy moth work,
and referred to the original conference called by the State board of
agricniture of Massachusetts, giving an account of this meeting and
of the suggestions made by himself and others as to means of control-
ling the insect. These suggestions were necessarily based on expe-
riences with our well known common insects having somewhat similar

68

habits, and had no basis in any actual experience with the insect under
discussion. He had recommended and believed that the use of the
arsenites is one of the most practical and effective means of control.
There can now be no doubt, however, that this insect is an exceptional
one and probably can not be controlled by means which are quite effec-
tive against other insects, enemies of our trees, having similar habits.
Emphasizing the great damage which may be done by this insect, he
was convinced that its control and destruction are not only extremely
necessary to the State of Massachusetts, but are also of national impor-
tance. He had always been in favor of extermination rather than of
attempting to limit and control, but he pointed out the very great diffi-

culty of exterminating the species if the work is mainly directed toward |

the destruction of the eggs, referring in this connection to his early
statement in this regard, in which the destruction of the eggs had not
been deemed of prime importance. He thought, however, that in this
particular he had been too extreme. He pointed out the absolute
futility of any efforts at extermination which did not promise complete
results. All that he had said in criticism of the commission had
been relative to the operations prior to Mr. Fernald’s controlling
connection with the work. He heartily appreciated the value of the
present methods as detailed by Mr. Fernald. He felt that if at the
outset a supreme effort had been made, with the aid of a very large
appropriation, complete extermination of the insect could have been
accomplished. He gave a summary of some early work and his eriti-
cism of it. He was somewhat inclined to question whether we are now
justified in working on the basis of extermination through a State com-
mission, or whether it would not be better to encourage the efforts of
private individuals wherever the insect occurred, as is the case with
other insect pests. He complimented very highly, however, the present
work of the commission. In discussing the subject of parasites, which
had been referred to by Mr. Fernald, he was not inclined to agree with
the idea that the aim of the commission at complete extermination
detracted at all from the necessity of undertaking the importation of
foreign parasites. He said that such introduction could be accom-
plished at comparatively slight expense and would aid just so much
the object of the commission, pointing out also the greater usefulness
of European parasites over native ones if introduced without second-
ary parasites. This would be particularly evident if his idea of the
greater value of the destruction of the larve rather than the eggs were
conceded.

In illustration of the great weight: and value of Mr. Riley’s ideas on
this subject, Mr. Fernald referred in the most complimentary way to
the value of his long years of labor in the field of economic entomology,
which had resulted in a store of information used and appreciated by
all the workers of the world at the present day. He gave some statis-
tics of the injury capable of being done by the gypsy moth in the State

69

of Massachusetts, basing his deductions on the value of farm products
and the estimated value of forest and shade trees (Mr. Lintner inter-
jecting in the latter connection that the Saratoga elms were insured
at $500 each). Taking the probable injury from this moth as a basis,
he pointed out that a comparatively trifling tax only would be neces-
sary to raise a sum sufficient to control the pest, and was very strongly
of the opinion that the work of the commission should be upheld and
continued.

Mr. Howard said he was familiar with the work of the commission
and had gone over the territory and examined the methods of procedure
in detail somewhat recently, and was convinced that anyone, seeing the
operations and the results already reached, would be impressed with
the fact that the work is now being done in the best possible way and
according to methods which are most likely to accomplish the ultimate
extermination aimed at. He offered a resolution regarding the work of
the commission, which was subsequently acted upon by the association.
(See infra.)

Mr. Lintner said he had been one of the first called to inspect the
work and the conditions of the work, and had been deeply impressed
with the amount of exertion necessary and the difficulties of successfully
prosecuting it. He also had been most favorably impressed with the
value of the methods at present employed. Whether ultimate extermi-
nation would be accomplished or not was at present, of course, merely
a matter of opinion, but he was convinced of the necessity of continuing
the work on the basis of extermination rather than mere control.

Mr. Lintner presented the following paper:

THE STRIPED COTTONWOOD BEETLE.
By J. A. LINtTNER, Albany, N. Y.

The wonderful multiplication of species of insects not usually inju-
rious, or, indeed, even rare, as the result of the cultivation of a crop on
a large scale and in extended areas, is often brought to the notice of
the economic entomologist in appeals made to him to suggest remedies
available against the ravages of some (to the culturist) new insect pest.

A recent occurrence of this character is the threatened destruction
of the basket-willow industry of Onondaga and some others of the
western New York counties from the ravages of the insect which has
been known for the last score of years as the striped cottonwood beetle.
Scientifically it is Melasoma (Lina) seripta Fabr.

In May of 1894 there was sent to me by Internal Revenue Collector
Von Landberg, from Syracuse, N. Y.,a bottle of beetles, with the infor-
mation that the willow raisers of Liverpool, N. Y., and Salina and neigh-
boring localities were experiencing great trouble and serious loss from
the ravages of a beetle which was destroying acre after acre of the
basket willow.

70

It was readily identified by me, and the request for its identification
and a remedy for it was answered virtually as follows:

The beetle is a member of the destructive family of leaf-eating beetles known as
Chrysomelidxe. It has received in the Western States the popular name of the cotton-
wood beetle from its special fondness shown for the foliage of the cottonwood tree
(Populus monilifera). In recent years 1t has become almost equally injurious to wil-
lows. It was first brought to public notice by Professor Snow in the year 1875 by
its widespread destruction of the cottonwood in Kansas, and a few years later (1878)
by Professor Riley in his accounts of its more serious ravages in Nebraska and
Dakota, where the rapidly growing cottonwoods had been extensively planted by
new settlers in the treeless plains of that region. Many thousands of trees were
killed through their defoliation for successive years, the remnants of the leaves turn-
ing black and shriveled, as if struck by ‘fire blight.”

The beetle has never before, so far as known to me, appeared in injurious numbers
in the State of New York. It has not been a common insect with us. Indeed, ithad
never come under my observation until in the year 1890, when, during the early part
of July (4th to 7th), both the larvee and the beetles were found by me in Keene Val-
ley, in the Adirondack Mountains, feeding on willows growing along the banks of
the AuSable River. Nearly a hundred were collected for the State collection. Not
a single example of the insect has since been seen by me in the five following years
of collecting in that locality.

Both the larva and the beetle feed upon the willow. * * * The larva is at
first black; when full grown it is of an elongate form and measures nearly a half
inch in length. It is then of a dingy yellowish color, with head and legs shining
black, two rows of black spots on the back, and in line with these a row of black
tubercles on each side. These tubercles, when the larva is disturbed, throw out
from each one (for its defense from its enemies through the pungency of the odor) a
globule of a milky fluid, which is drawn into them again when the alarm passes
away.

The beetles are oval, more flattened than the chrysomelids usually, and vary in
length from two-tenths to three-tenths of an inch. The head is black. The thorax
is mainly black centrally, with its two outer sides bordered with red. The wing
covers are «lul? yellowish, with about seven black spots and lines, and the inner
margins joining over the back, also black. ‘The legs are yellow and black, and the
body beneath blue-black.

The injurious character of the beetle is intensified from there being two or three
or more broods of it each year. The brood now present with you is from eges that
were laid on the willow early inthe season. Under favoring conditions for multipli-
cation the subsequent broods will be more numerous and of course more destructive.

It is fortunate for your willow growers that we have a comparatively simple
remedy for this new willow pest, otherwise the industry so important to your people
might be seriously impaired. A thorough spraying of the willows with Paris green
in water should kill all the insects in their larval and perfect stages that feed upon
the leaves.

Directions for preparing and using the spraying mixture and infor-
mation regarding pumps available for the purpose accompanied the
above.

In some correspondence following only a partial success was reported
to me as the result of the spraying recommended. The increase of the
insects could not be kept down, and consequently in several instances

entire fields of willow had been destroyed and plowed up. Some other >

suggestions were made by me and were, I believe, faithfully tried.

71

Early in May of the present year I was notified that the ravages of
the insect had commenced, that it was operating more numerously and
seriously than ever before, that the willow growers were discouraged,
aud would be compelled to abandon the culture unless the insect could
be controlled. My presence was requested; but I was prevented from
making the desired visit at the time, and it was necessarily deferred
until the month of August. Although then too late to see the active
operations of the insect, I was able to look over the ground thoroughly;
to meet and confer with the willow growers and basket makers; to
learn from them the extent and importance of the industry, its threat-
ened destruction, and what was being done to avert the calamity.

The willow grown is the European osier. [tis propagated from pieces
cut by a machine into 9-inch lengths and set 6 inches into the ground.
These are placed about 14 inches apart, in rows 3 feet apart, permitting
the use of a cultivator between them and hoeing as often as necessary.
The fields are liberally enriched with barnyard manure. An ordinary
soil is as welladapted to its growth as a wet one. It can be cut for use
the first year, but is not in full vigor until the third or fourth year, and
continues to yield good crops for ten or twelve years, when it should
be plowed up and set out anew. A good growth will average about 6
feet in height. it is eut in November, when the leaves have fallen. It
may then be steamed for loosening the bark, and the peeling is done
by children in the shops of the basket makers.

The steaming—submitting to exhaust steam for about twenty min-
utes in large boxes holding 2 tons of the willow, placed on a heavy
truck for convenience in gathering and delivering it—is done by two
establishments in Liverpocl, one of which, that of Mr. A. H. Crawford,
treated 1,800 tons last year.

The green willow is worth from $15 to $45 per ton; when peeled and
dried, 6 cents a pound. The growers raise from one fourth of an acre
to 60 acres each. Mr. EK. P. Black, a very successful grower, who finds
an abundant return for the labor bestowed upon his crop, cultivates 20
acres. The yield is from 3 to 8 tons per acre. About 500 acres are
grown in the town of Salina, Onondaga County.

In addition to Onondaga County, where the crop is grown the most
extensively, it is also grown in Oswego, Oneida, Madison, Cayuga,
Schuyler, Seneca, Wayne, Ontario, Livingston, Monroe, Genesee, and
Wyoming counties, but I am not able to give the extent of cultivation
in the several counties or the comparative amount of injury from the
willow beetle in them.

As before stated, the willow of western New York is not a native, but
has been introduced from France. It is the osier, or basket willow of
Europe (Salix viminalis). A German willow is grown to a limited extent.
It isa taller and stouter plant, sometimes attaining 12 or 14 feet in
height. It is not so subject to insect attack, but it is less serviceable
for baskets, being coarser, less pliant, and only adapted fer the heavier
bottoms of baskets.

T2

A sinall proportion of osier is importea annually from France, Bel-
gium, and Germany, but it is decidedly inferior to the home-grown.

This industry is at present the sole one of Liverpool, since the salt
industry, proving unremunerative, has been abandoned. About 150
families are engaged in the manufacture of baskets, employing the
children and often the entire household. It has been a profitable
industry, aS shown by the fact that most of the dwelling houses in
Liverpool are owned by their occupants and have been paid for out of
its proceeds. The amount invested in this place in the growing and
manufacture is estimated at $1,500,000. The above perhaps uninterest-
ing details are given to show the economic importance of the insect
ravages which I shall bring to your notice.

This wiilow-feeding insect was known as injurious in Onondaga
County as far back as the year 1875, when 57 acres of willows were
destroyed in a swamp in Clay, Onondaga County. This was discour-
aging to the willow growers; fewer willows were grown for a time there:
after and but little was heard of the insect. Our first recent information
of it is that a gentleman who collected insects in Liverpool took some of
the beetles on basswood in 1887. From that time it seems to have been
steadily on the increase, but not until last year (1894) had it multi-
plied to such an extent as to claim general attention. Its destructive-
ness the present year is greatly in excess of that of the preceding. It
is stated that the cutting of this year will fall short of that of 1894 by
1,000 tons. A grower who grew 65 tons in 1894 will this year cut but
25 tons. Many fields have been abandoned and will be plowed up,
and others will only be cut in order to permit of a possibly more suc-
cessful growth another year. There is widespread discouragement and
a fear that the industry, which is the sole support of the town, is
doomed.

In inquiring into the life history of the insect no definite informa.
tion could be given me of the time required for its transformations or
the number of the broods. The number is generally thought to be
three. The hibernating beetle makes its appearance toward the last of
April, and is in readiness to attack the sprouts as soon as they start in
May. Itis said that they do not feed on the leaves, but at first only
upon the ends of the tips. When the willows are more advanced, with
the second brood of beetles this tip-feeding habit becomes more harm-
ful, as they then girdle the twig by eating away the bark, causing the
tip to bend over and die, necessitating the putting out of one or more
side shoots, which seriously impairs the value of the plant, producing
unsightly bends, necessitating trimming before use, and materially
interfering with the stripping of the bark. The larve feed only on the
leaves. The eggs being laid on the under surface of the leaves, in clus-
ters averaging about 40, the larvae, on emerging, in company eat away
the epidermis and the parenchyma between the small reticulating veins,
leaving the upper epidermis unbroken. This feeding habit makes a

73

more thorough and careful spraying of the arsenites necessary, in order
to reach the under surface of the leaf and kill the larve in their first
stage. Later they separate and eat through the leaf.

So familiar are the growers with the aspect of the larvee in their
several moltings that the only name by which they are spoken of is
“hangers.” The beetles are known as ‘hard shells.”

I was disappointed upon finding at my visit made on August 22 that
the beetles had already gone into their winter quarters, for Mr. Bruner,
entomologist of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, iu his
notice of the insects in Station Bulletin No. 14, has stated that *‘ the per-
fect insects in fall, after the first heavy frosts, leave the cottonwoods,
poplars, and willows, where they had been feeding, and seek some
shelter.” Only about a half dozen could be found by careful search to
show me. A few weeks before the air had been at times filled with
them in the streets of the village, ‘‘ gathered,” if was said, ‘in swarins,
like companies of gnats and midges.” They had commeinced to retire
for hibernation during the first half of July, and by the Ist of August
nearly all had disappeared. They are now to be found in old stone
walls. under rubbish of all kinds, in the crevices of rocks and stones,
aud occasionally in houses.

Should it be desirable to attempt the destruction of the eggs of this
beetle, it is of importance to know that the first deposit is by no means
confined to the willows, but that they are placed on various plants and
weeds, and even on other than vegetable growths, but presumably in
close vicinity to thewillows. As showing the abundance of egg clusters,
it was stated that 700 clusters had been picked from a row of willows 20
rods long in passing over them once; and, as illustrating the abundance
of the beetle, 3 bushels of them had been gathered in a day by one
person from his fields by the aid of the “bug catcher” which has been
devised to serve in the present emergency.

Remedies.—The efforts made to arrest the increase and ravages of
this pest have been these: Hand-picking the beetles, or shaking them
into vessels with water floated with kerosene; collecting the egg clus-
ters; spraying with Paris green or London purple in water; dusting
by hand with Paris green and lime; collecting the beetles with the
‘bug catcher.”

The hand-picking and jarring has proved quite effective where small
fields, say of an acre or less, have been treated in this manner. With
larger onesit would be virtually impracticable. Perhaps the best—the
tallest and most uniform and less injured—field that I saw was a
half acre to which the owner and his son had given time each day by
this method of protection. Although not so informed, I suspect from
the good condition of the leafage that lime had been applied to kill the
larve. The next most productive fields that came under my observa-
tion were those of Mr. Black, where the ground had been well enriched,
carefully cultivated, sprayed at different times with a sprayer that

74

*

would cover six rows at once, and the “ bug catcher” faithfully used.
It is hardly necessary to state that this gentleman is not one of the
‘discouraged willow growers.” Although his pay roll runs into thou-
sands of dollars, there yet remain thousands on the profit side of the
balance sheet.

It remains only to speak of the ‘“‘bug catcher,” so called. It was
devised by one of the willow growers, and if without knowledge, as it
is believed, of our Western ‘“ hopper-dozers,” it certainly is an ingenious
contrivance and the originator is entitled to considerable credit, for it
is certainly producing, even in its present rude form, excellent results.

The bottom of the machine (described from recollection merely) is of
a single piece of 2-inch plank, 20 inches broad and 4 feet long. The
sides and ends are about 8 inches high. At the back are fastened two
diverging arms extending forward nearly twice the length of the frame,
and at their ends sufficiently far apart to receive two rows of willows
as the horse drawing the machine passes between them. ‘To these arms
are fastened two cross pieces, and also a longitudinal arm, which may be
adjusted in a slot so as to depress or elevate the arms according to the
height of the willows at different periods of growth. A pair of bent
arms like those of a plow are also attached at the rear for holding and
guiding the machine. Its bottom is covered to a moderate depth with
kerosene, the too free movement of which is controlled by several trans-
verse Slats, forming compartments. A series of slats arranged in pairs
like a gable roof, with space between pairs to permit the beetles to
fall into the kerosene, are fastened in a frame, which may be lifted out
whenever the accumulated beetles require removal. The slats prevent
the willows from coming in contact with the kerosene as they are pressed
downward by the arms.

As the machine is drawn forward the willows entering the ends of
the arms are brought nearer together in such a manner that before they
are released from beneath the arms the beetles upon them are shaken
upon the slats and drop into the kerosene.

A large proportion of the beetles is gathered and killed by this
method. It is found, however, as the beetles drop to the ground at a
moderate alarm, that the passage of the horse between the rows dis-
lodges many of them. To obviate this machines have been made which
are propelled by hand, having a wheel in front, after the manner of a
wheelbarrow. Their use, however, has been found quite laborious, but
there seems to be no good reason why they may not be made much less
cumbersome.

Mr. Marlatt, referring to the extreme strength of the arsenate of lead
used by him against the elm leaf-beetle, commented on by Dr. Lintner,
said that it was not at all necessary for the destruction of the beetles
or larve, but was employed merely to make the destruction prompt and
doubly sure, on account of the peculiar conditions and the necessity

2S

75

of preserving, if possible, the foliage of the trees from any injury
whatever. A much weaker mixture would be almost, if not quite, as
satisfactory.

Dr. Lintner said he had found 3 pounds of arsenate of lead in 150
gallons of water in his experiments to be about the equivalent of 1
pound Paris green in the same amount of water.

Mr. Webster read a paper on the probable origin of the genus Dia-
brotica. This paper, being somewhat technical in character, has been
withdrawn by Mr. Webster for publication elsewhere.

The following paper by Mr. Hopkins was read, in his absence, by Mr.
Southwick:

ON THE STUDY OF FOREST-TREE INSECTS.
By A. D. Hopkins, Morgantown, W. Va.

The study of the insects affecting forest growth, from an economic
standpoint, is in many respects a unique branch of economic ento-
mology, which should in our opinion be designated by the term ‘“ for-
estry entomology.”

The importance of advancement of knowledge in this particular
branch of science may be inferred from some references to the char-
acter of insect injuries to forest growth; to estimates of the amount of
damage and the annual pecuniary loss occasioned by such injuries; to
the limited knowledge of this class of insects, and to the possibilities
of preventing a large per cent of the loss by the adoption of simple,
practical methods of combating the pests.

CHARACTER OF INJURIES.

The injuries to forest growth may be separated into two classes, those
affecting the living plants and those affecting the dead or dying plants.
Of the former we have injuries to the foliage by leaf-eating, Jeaf-mining,
sap-sucking, and gall-making insects; to the twigs and branches by sap-
sucking, twig-mining, bark- and wood-boring insects; to the trunk by
bark- and wood-boring, and to the roots by wood-boring, bark-boring,
and sap-sucking species; the effect of the injuries thus caused upon
_the living plant being either destructive or detrimental to its growth
or usefulness.

The injuries of a destructive character are those caused by insects
which oceur in sufficient numbers and make their attack in such a
manner as to destroy or weaken the vitality of the tree sufficient to be
the primary cause of its death.

The injuries of a detrimental character are those which are detri-
mental to the health, perfect growth, or future usefulness of the tree or
its product, but does not cause its death.

Of the injuries affecting the dying and dead trees we find, as among
those affecting the living, some which are of a destructive character,

16

while others are simply detrimental. The destructive injuries are those
caused by wood-boring insects, which render the wood worthless for
any practical use toman. The detrimental injuries are those which
produce defects in the wood and hasten the decay of the affected parts.

CHARACTER AND EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO FORESTS BY INSECTS.

Few persons who have not given considerabie thought to the subject
realize the serious character of insect depredations upon our forests
and forest products. This is evident from the fact that the subject is
seldom discussed at the meetings of forestry associations and is rarely
referred to by writers upon forestry economy in this country.

If we were to assert as our belief that the annual damage and loss
occasioned by insects to owners of forest and forest products in the
United States was greater than that caused to the same by fire, few
persons, if any, would believe that it could be possible. Yet, when we
come to consider the varied losses resulting from insect depredation,
both in a destructive and detrimental manner and in the general influ-
ence of their work upon the forest economy of the country, we believe
that such an assertion would not be far from correct.

The pine and spruce killed by bark-beetles over vast areas in New
England and in the Southern States within the last few years has
caused an enormous loss of valuable timber; yet this is only a small
portion of the damage to timber by insects. That caused in oak by
the timber worms (Lymexylon sericeum and Hupsalis minuta), the
Columbian timber beetle (Corthylus columbianus), and the carpenter
moths of the family Cosside, to the chestnut by the chestnut timber
worm (Lymexylon sericeum), and to the tulip and other kinds of timber
by the Columbian timber beetle, all of which attack living trees, will
equal that caused by many forest conflagrations. Then when we come
to consider the damage to the wood of dying, dead, and felled timber,
and the work of «lestruction only begun by fire and completed by wood-
boring species, it appears to us that the damage caused by insects is at
least equal to that caused by fire.

There is also another feature of the question, and that is in reference
to the effect of the detrimental and destructive ravages of forest insects
upon the forestry economy of the country. Owing tothe large amount
of timber destroyed and rendered defective by insects, it is necessary
for the manufacturers to cut over a larger area than would otherwise
be necessary in order to supply the demand for the best grades of lum-
ber and other timber products. According to a statement by Hon. J.
Sterling Morton at the last meeting of the American Association of
Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, the area cut over every
day in this country to supply the demand for forest products is 30,000
acres. From our observation in the lumber regions of West Virginia
it would indicate that at least 10 per cent less timber might be cut each
year for this purpose were it not for the detrimental ravages of insects

|
;

77

upon the standing and felled timber. Therefore, in this item alone the
anuual loss to the country and to the manufacturers is enormous, for 1t
must be remembered that a large per cent of the defective lumber is
manufactured and disposed of at a loss to the manufacturer, and 1s often
the cause of serious loss to the consumer.

No accurate estimates of the pecuniary losses caused by forest insects
ean be made. Yet with the knowledge gained on the subject from
recent investigations of the ravages of forest-tree insects, from corre-
spondence with lumber manufacturers upon the subject, and reference
to the statistics of forest products, we feel justified in presenting some
figures which will at least indicate the extent of the Joss.

We would estimate the loss caused by bark-beetles of the family
Scolytidz, which have caused the death of pine and spruce trees over
vast areas within the last ten years, at an average of $5,000,000 per
year; by bark and timber beetles of the Scolytide family, causing
defective wood in felled timber, $1,000,000, and by the same in timber
injured by fires and other causes, $1,000,000; by the Columbian timber
beetle to standing and living timbers, an average of $1,000,000 per
year; by the timber worms and the carpenter worms to the differ-
ent species of oak, an average of $2,000,000 per year; to chestnut
timber by the chestnut timber worm, which is rendering one of the
most valuable woods almost worthless, an average of $1,000,000; by
wood-borers of the family Cerambyecid to standing timber injured by
fire, $2,000,000; te felled timber and saw-logs by the same kind of
insect, $2,000,000; by other wood-infesting insects to standing and
felled timber, $2,000,000; by foliage-infesting insects to living forest
and shade trees, $3,000,000; by the white-pine weevil, plant-lice, scale
insects, etc., to young forest growth, $1,000,000; by the powder-post
beetles (Ptinidie) to forest products, such as seasoned handles, spokes,
hoop poles, building material, ete., $1,000,000, and by miscellaneous
insects not included in the above estimates, $3,000,000—a total of
$25,000,000 direct annual loss from insect ravages, which is without
doubt a low estimate.

To the above could be added the loss to manufacturers in manufae-
turing and disposing of defective material, to consumers from the use
of the same, and to the indirect losses to the country in the diminished
forest area due to insect ravages; all of which, could it be estimated in
dollars and cents, would doubtless equal at least 10 per cent of the total
value of the anuual forest products of wood material in this country,
or about $100,000,000 annually.

WITH FURTHER KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT MUCH OF THE LOSS
CAN BE PREVENTED.

Probably one of the principal reasons why the economic study of
forest insects has been neglected in this country is the prevalent belief
that few, if any, practical methods can be found to prevent loss from
their injuries. It is true the methods used to prevent loss from the

78

attack of farm, garden, and fruit insects can not, as a rule, be success-
fully used against those affecting forest growth; neither can many
of the successful European methods of combating forest insects be
adopted in this country. But there are simple, practical methods
known which, if better understood by forest owners and manufacturers
of forest products and properly applied by them, would prevent the
annual loss of many millions of dollars’ worth of timber.

Some of the results recently obtained and facts determined in the in-
vestigations now in progress in West Virginia in reference to the proper
time to fell timber to prevent detrimental injury by insects, the utiliza-
tion of defective material to the best advantage, and the introduction
of predaceous and parasitic insects to prevent the undue increase of
destructive species lead us to believe that many of the more serious
troubles can be easily controlled when we learn more of the habits of
the insects and the various conditions, favorable and unfavorable, for
their development.

ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND MORE SPECIAL, ORIGINAL WORK
NECESSARY.

Further original research and additional published knowledge are
sadly needed in this branch of economic entomology. As compared
with the knowledge of insects affecting other economic plants, scarcely
anything is known of the life history and habits of even our commonest
forest-tree insects. Consequently, the field for original work in forestry
entomology is a broad one, rich in interesting material as well as in
possibilities of important discoveries.

One of the most important aids toward advancement would be, in
our opinion, carefully prepared monographs of the insects known to
infest the different economic forest trees, on a similar plan to that
adopted by Professor Forbes in his recently issued part of A Mono-
graph of Insects Injurious to Indian Corn.

Previous to the undertaking of work of this kind, however, further
knowledge is necessary in reference to the food habits of the insects
found upon or within the different host plants, and whether they are
destructive, detrimental, beneficial, or neutral in their economic rela-
tions to the host. This important information can be best and most
reliably supplied by specialists who are studying the different families —
of insects, and by those who will make a study of the food habits and
life history of certain classes of insects which infest forest growth,
such as foliage-infesting, bark-infesting, and wood-infesting insects,
etc., aS special lines of research.

If specialists in these various lines will keep in mind the importance
of noting the host relations of the species they collect or observe on
forest growth, and will publish the knowledge thus obtained, together
with lists ef species taken on the various economic forest trees, they
will contribute valuable service to the country in the rapid advance-
ment of forestry entomology.

@

Mr. Smith said he was interested in the estimate of injury given by
Mr. Hopkins, but was inclined to believe that it had been too strongly
drawn, because slight and comparatively insignificant cases had been
included in the estimates.

Mr. Webster read the following paper:

THE IMPORTATION AND REPRESSION OF DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS.
By F. M. WesstTer, Wooster, Ohio.

In the year 1795 my topic would have sounded remarkably visionary
and illogical; not that it was not known that destructive insects were
being brought into this country from England and Europe, but that
there should be any united action to prevent such importations, or to
suppress them after being introduced, would have sounded unreason-
able and impractical. But, come to think of it, can we name a single
imported insect that has been repressed, or, in fact, has been seriously
impeded in its diffusion over the country, by any systematic obstacles
placed in its way by the action of man? Is it not nearer the truth to
say that we have, as a people, assisted this sort of immigrants, both in
reaching this country and in getting inland as fast as possible after
they had landed? Our entomologists have increased in numbers
and efficiency to deal with these pests, but I do not know of a single
one that we have prevented from coming to this country or stamped
out after it had reached here.* That we have and are saving the
country millions of dollars annually by our advice and experiments I
freely admit, but that is only a temporary relief, and by no means a
protection against future depredations and losses. Now, there must be
something the matter somewhere, and if not with the entomologists,
as I feel that it certainly is not, then wherein lies the obstacle? Ento-
mologists do not make the laws, nor are we always able to get those
properly enforced that we do have; but that does not settle the problem.
For my own part, I have very little faith in State laws, even if they
could be enacted, and have often asked myself the question whether or
not it was possible for a republican government, composed of minor
governments, possibly, as in our case, numbering nearly half a hundred,
to protect its people from the immense losses occasioned yearly by
destructive insects whose place of nativity is known to be thousands
of miles away and across wide stretches of ocean which they could
never have crossed unaided.

At present we seem unable to deal with the problem intelligently
and practically, even within ourown borders. Wecan not, asa people,
protect ourselves from each other, much less from countries who very
naturally have less regard for us than we have for ourselves. It was
with such feelings that I watched the diffusion of the San Jose scale,

* See appended note at the end of this paper.

80

even after it had been located. Here was a simple problem in national
economic entomology, and the question appeared to me to be composed
of two propositions, viz, Could we do anything with it? and if so, what
would be the importance of the entomologist in the transaction? We
have been steadily gaining strength during the last quarter of a cen-
tury, and I was just a little desirous of seeing how powerful we were
getting to be, how much we could do to stop the spread of this pest,
as well as to effect its extermination where it had already gained a foot-
hold. True, we had no laws to sustain us; but if we could but show
the necessity for them we would have accomplished much, for, while the
San Jose scale is the latest importation, it by no means follows that it
will be the last. It is all right to study the biology of the insect, and
this is really the first step to be taken; but the duty of the economic
entomologist does not stop there by any means. The man who has
been unfortunate enough to get the thing in his orchard wants to know
all he can learn about it, but the one who is free of it would vastly more
like to know how to keep free of it. Some of you are aware that I
am not in the least in sympathy with the manner in which we have
been dealing with this pest, or rather with those who have knowingly
carelessly harbored it. Ido not say this with a spirit of fault-finding
or criticism, but rather with the idea of improving upon the policy. I
fully submit that it is not right to knowingly wreck the business of any
nurseryman who is willing to do everything in his power to prevent
distributing such a pest with his stock; but it seems to me that we
commit even a greater mistake and do a more unjust act when we say
that such a pest is in a certain locality, thereby throwing the onus on
both the innocent and the guilty. This appears to me to be the very
worst sort of an injustice and places a premium on dishonesty. We
should either give the name of the proprietor or else make no public
statement whatever, giving him notice that any attempt to send out
infested trees or plants will result in a prompt exposure and public
condemnation.

Tf I were to say that a member of this association was a murderer,
it would reflect on the honor of all of us, and would serve to protect
the guilty one from justice, provided there were such a one among us.
Hereafter when we have to quarantine, let it be against individuals or
firms and not against States or portions of States in which the inno-
cent outnumber the guilty. We must use harsh and severe measures
where such are necessary in order to be just to the deserving, but we
have no right to make these deserving ones a partner in dishonesty
with the unworthy and disreputable. To do this is but to place our-
selves in a position where we are sure to be imposed upon by the latter
and secure the merited distrust of the former. The people are coming
to place some of their interests in our keeping, and if we would hold
ou to that confidence we must deal justly but firmly with those who
threaten such interests, with the sole aim of profiting thereby. Even

81

if entomologists were clothed with the right to enter into an agreement
with nurserymen to keep the presence of a dangerous pest a secret from
the public, which I strongly question, if is poor policy to do so, For
a public servant to make private arrangements with those harboring
public enemies is, generally speaking, a risky business and not usually
conducive to elevation in the estimation of those whose esteem we can
not well afford to ignore. There should be a discrimination befween
the deserving and the undeserving, but it should be extended and not
promised, and even then with the understanding that it was entirely
in the way of official assistance. If we follow the proper course, so as
to merit the confidence of the people, the latter will be perfectly satis-
fied with the information that infested nurseries are under strict sur-
veillance, and nothing infected will be allowed to go out; but let there
be a few more revelations of the actions of some of these, such as we
have seen within the last year, and people will naturally begin to specu-
late as to whom we are assisting and whose interests we are protecting.

I mention these things because I believe we can improve upon the
policy that some of us have been following, largely by force of cireum-
stances. What I would urge is this: First, a uniform policy to be
followed as closely as our surroundings render possible by all of us;
second, on the information of an infested nursery coming to us the pro-
prietors are to be informed that no infested stock is to be sent out, and
that they are to promptly go to work to stamp out the pest, and that
any attempt to evade these rules will result in a prompt exposure. If
it is known that their trade will not suffer if they choose to purchase
their stock from uninfested localities until they have destroyed the pest
on their own, most men will see at once that it is the least expensive
way out of the frouble. I am satisfied that there is a method of pro-
cedure that will work the least hardship to the deserving, yet will com-
pel the stubborn to keep infection confined to their own premises and
stamp it out there as soon as possible. I believe that we hold the bal-
ance of power, so to speak, and need not barter our influence, but hold
it to be sought for by those who wish to escape with the least trouble
and loss. If we are but just in our actions there will be no trouble
about the better class of nurserymen siding with us, and we shall have
no difficulty in indicating the dividing line that separates the honorable
from the dishonorable, and it will avail nothing for a belligerent firm
to close their grounds and books against inspection and then demand
our proof of infection. The very lack of proof of noninfeetion will be
sufficient to fasten suspicion upon them.

I have noticed that the services of entomologists have been quite in
demand during the last year by nurserymen who were free of the San
Jose scale, and the statements of such entomologists were used in the
advertisements of these firms; and I think the influence of Dr. Lintner
and myself has been felt by at least two nursery firms when it came to
the question as to whether they could continue to impose on the public

6042—No. 2 6

82

or not. Now, while, as I stated, we have no laws to sustain us, we have
a strong public sentiment in our favor, quite sufficient to influence the
honorable to favor our plans, and the others we can whip into line, so to
speak, by working on their interests. While we have not come out of
this contest just in the shape that I wish we had, we have certainly
placed our profession on a better footing and shown that we have a
power to do for right and justice; that we can help the deserving and
at the same time deal firmly and judiciously with the undeserving
and disreputable; and so long as we are faithful to our trust we shall
be able not only to hold our influence but greatly increase the same.

I confidently look for considerable aid from nurserymen themselves
in the matter of preventing the distributing of orchard pests. The
most pushing and energetic are beginning to see that it will pay to
spray their trees year after year in the nursery row with both insecti-
cides and fungicides; that by so doing they will get a better growth
and consequently a larger number of first-class trees that will bring a
better return for use of their land and labor. Now, these are not likely
to be so blind as not to see that to be able to warrant their stock free
from insect and fungus enemies will give them a prestige, and they
will thus guarantee every bundle of stock that 1s shipped from their
grounds. When we reach this stage of advancement it will be a small
matter to get a United States law that will make this a condition of
acceptance for transportation by the railway and express companies.

In the past our advice and cautions have been more or less ignored,
but I think if a nurseryman were about to import trees or bring them
from California he would think to consult the United States entomolo-
gist in regard to the risk he would run with respect to injurious insects.
And there is little doubt that there will be much more caution exer-
cised in future than there has been in the past, and the next new thing
we get we shall be better prepared to exert our power and influence
than we were in this case. I am satisfied that the San Jose seale can
be stamped out where it has been introduced, at least between the
Rocky and Alleghany mountains. East of this area it will have to
be exterminated or else many nurseries will be compelled to suspend
business for lack of customers, and they are not going to do this in
the near future. We have done well this time, but we will do better
in the future.

Norre.—The fluted scale of the orange (Icerya purchasi), though it has
been subjugated in California, at a saving of thousands, if, indeed, not
millions, of dollars (and the importation of the natural enemies whereby
this was accomplished was the greatest achievement ever attained in
practical entomology), has yet to be exterminated. So of the gypsy
moth (Ocneria dispar), introduced into Massachusetts by a lamentable
piece of carelessness on the part of an entomologist many years ago,
while it has been overcome in some localities, has not been extermi-

83

nated. I am free to confess that up to the time of presenting this paper
I had very serious doubts as to the possibility of this ever being done;
not because of any fault or neglect among those intrusted with the
work, but because it appeared to me that they had attempted an
impossibility. I have since spent a day in examining the work in all
of its details, and believe that I saw not only what had been done but
also what yet remained to be accomplished; and that, too, with nnprej-
udiced eyes and mind, and in compauy with one who clearly had no
other motive than to show me every feature precisely as it existed, with-
out magnifying, minifying, or concealing anything. I now feel cor-
fident that the question of the extermination of this pest in Massachu-
setts is simply one dependent upon the support in future given those
in charge of the work; that with proper support financially this pest
will be absolutely wiped out of existence in America, and that the
achievement will be the greatest yet attained, and one of which we
shall all feel proud, while it will redound to the credit of economic ento-
mology all over the civilized world.—F. M. W.

Mr. Fernald asked if anyone was aware of willful and malicious impor-
tations of injurious insects from Europe, referring in this connection to
the report of the possible transportation of certain American insect
pests in the opposite direction. He was himself aware of no such cases.

Mr. Smith said the only case known to him was the importation of
the Ailanthus silkworm.

Mr. Howard said a report had been made that the hop louse had been
introduced into the States of Washington and Oregon from New York
hop fields by parties interested in the industry in New York, but he
placed no faith in the story.

Mr. Sirrine, referring to Mr. Webster’s communication, said that he
had found about the Ist of July instances of the purchase of apple
trees badly infested with living San -Jose scale, which trees had sup-
posedly been effectually treated before being sold and sent out.

Mr. Smith said that he was aware that these trees had been treated
with gas during the winter, and described the methods which had been
followed. In the examination made by himself he had found no living
scales, but undoubtedly some living specimens had been left, and prob-
ably from these the trees had become restocked. He pointed out the
necessity of examining every scale before it was possible safely to pro-
nounce stock immune, and therefore the impracticability of giving any
such indorsement to nurseries.

Mr. Riley emphasized the extreme difficulty and great liability to
error on the part of entomologists should they follow the plan of pro-
nouncing any particular nursery free from scale. In some cases cir-
cumstances may warrant such an indorsement, especially if there be

84

reason to suppose that the insect in question is recently introduced and
therefore confined to a restricted area or single point of infestation, as
seemed, indeed, to be the case in the first discovery of the San Jose
scale in the East. In such cases it may not be necessary to give pub-
licity to the point of infestation if proper measures are being taken to
suppress the insect. It was on this basis that he acted in the case of
the San Jose scale; but when an insect is known to be widely dissemi-
nated a full public statement of the extent of the infested locality is
desirable.

Mr. Smith agreed with Mr. Riley as to the difficulty of pronouncing
any nursery untainted, and had decided for himself not to give clean
bills of health to any nurseries in future.

Mr. Southwick read a paper entitled ‘* Economic entomological work
in the parks of New York City.” *

Mr. Howard, referring to Mr. Southwick’s remark that his men were
all too old to climb trees, said that the gypsy moth commission put
their men through a civil service examination as to their ability to
climb trees and look down from heights without dizziness. He asked
if accurate information as to the distribution of Megastizus speciosus
could be given by anyone present.

Mr. Smith said that this wasp was abundant at New Brunswick the
present year.

Mr. Webster presented the following communication:

INSECTS OF THE YEAR IN OHIO,

By F. M. WEBSTER, /Vooster, Ohio.

The present year has been an extraordinary one in Ohio from an
entomological point of view. So far, since the opening of spring, one
outbreak has followed another in rapid succession, and between the big
euns, like cutworms, webworms, Hessian fly, and chinch bugs, have
come the usual number of novelties, which, however disgusting and
perplexing they may be to the tiller of the soil, are to the economic
entomologist zephyrs that break the dead, stifling calm of everyday
life. After one has spent nearly the whole day replying to a mass of
correspondence that does not cover beyond a half dozen of our most
common species, and has written the same recommendations a score or
more of times, he feels almost devoutly thankful to the man or woman
who sends in a new insect with a careful statement in regard to its
good or bad habits.

Sometimes, while in a particularly cheerful frame of mind, we think
that we have gained a pretty full knowledge of an insect and can tell
with reasonable certainty what its condition will be a few months in
advance. The chances are, however, that ere those months have passed
we have about decided that were we to live to the age of Methuselah

* Not furnished for publication.

85

and to be reasonably industrious we would still be considerably in the
dark. Last autumn, as the ground was rather dry during the season
of wheat sowing, | thought surely that this year would show a marked
decrease in injury by the Hessian fly, for the reason that seed germi-
nated very slowly and the plants did not appear above ground, except
in damp places, until very late.

Fortunately, I did not make any public statements to this effect, and
luckily so, for this pest has not been so destructive in Ohio during the
last thirty-five years as it has been the present summer, and only a
comparatively few fields escaped injury, at least so far as personal
observation revealed, and these were either among the later sown or
on low, rich ground, where drought and lack of fertility did not empha-
size the work of the fly. Last fall there was nothing to indicate this
outbreak, and I believe the chief element in causing the unusual abun-
dance of the spring brood was the meteorological conditions during
April and May, which, if we fully understood: their influence, would
prove to have been unfavorable to the natural enemies and favorable
to the development of the pest itself. Whatever the cause may have
been, we have a further illustration of the frightful risk one runs in
attempting to foretell the future in regard to injurious insects, for by
so doing we only pit ourselves against subtle influences that we do not
as vet begin to understand. Professor Lugger recently asked me how
the Hessian fly could inhabit a country where there was neither grain
nor grass growing for six months of the year. I replied by asking him
the same question, and myself the one that has presented itself to me
again and again, viz, Must it not necessarily be single-brooded in the
North?

In May reports came in myriads regarding an outbreak of cutworms
that seemed to cover the southern half of the State, gradually disap-
pearing toward the northern portion. A very conspicuous feature of
- the larvee of this species, Feltia herilis, as determined by Mr. Howard,
was its nomadic nature, great numbers moving across highways and
pathways almost as does the true army worm, excepting that in this
case the worms did not move so regularly forward, but were more
inclined to run about, hither and yon, as if with no objective point in
view. In very many cases these larvie were spoken of as the army
worm, and the most of my correspondents considered them as such, at
Jeast for a time.

Now, while all of this was going on in the southern part of the State,
the northern farmer was practically unmolested and only knew of his
brother farmers’ misfortune as he read of it in the papers. But in the
meanwhile an enemy as devastating in its effects and even less easily
managed was lurking in the grass lands, in the shape of several species
of webworms, larvie of species of Crambus. These webworms were
more abundant over the northern portion of the State, gradually
decreasing to the southward, overlapping, as it were, Feltia herilis, and

86

disappearing as this became more abundant and destructive. Fields of
young corn and oats that had germinated nicely and gave promise of a
bountiful crop were within the space of a few days swept out of exist-
ence, leaving the ground as devoid of growing grain as if none had
been planted. Even meadows did not escape, and in many places these
were left as bare and brown asin December. Of course the trouble was
confined to such lands as had been devoted to grass the preceding year
or on which the grass had not been subdued by the cultivation of the
previous crop, as, for illustration, a field of oats was nearly entirely
destroyed over an area that had produced wheat the previous season.
All sod lands did not suffer alike, an occasional field escaping almost
entirely. On the Experiment Station grounds one field had been
devoted to grass for two years and another for four, both being alike as
to soul and both sloping to the northward. The first-mentioned field
was plowed in spring and sown with oats, but nearly every plant
over the whole field was eaten off and killed by webworms. The second
field was partly spring-plowed and partly fall-plowed, but no percepti-
ble difference in point of attack was noted and the oats here were not
destroyed.

A field was broken in May, but the owner saw such numbers of the
worms that he became alarmed and delayed the planting of his corn for
two or three weeks. Some time atter the field had been plowed I had
an opportunity to examine it, and found that the worms were leaving
the field, pushing outward along two sides and taking every blade of
grass as they went, leaving only the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) that
grew among the grass. The attack was made among the dead and
decaying grass of last year, just above the surface of the ground. In
fields of corn or oats I noted that along the margins of the fields, where
the horses had tramped when turning, the injury was at first very
slight, though later on the worms seemed to spread out over this and
devour the plants here also, Very late fall or winter plowing appeared
ineffective, though there are some facts leading to the possibility of
early spring plowing being to a limited extent beneficial. Summer fal-
low was effective, though in one field where much injury was done the
worms were traced to small patches of grass growing about old stumps,
Of one thing this outbreak has convinced me, and that is that the farm-
ers of the Mississippi Valley at least must change their method of treat-
ing sod lands—that is, lands that are broken up from meadow or pasture
and planted. Just what to do Iam at my wits’ end to suggest, unless
it be to summer fallow. So far as I have been able to learn from lim-
ited collections made, the species of Crambus most abundant between
May 29 and June 17 were Orambus interminellus and C. laqueatellus,
while C. mutabilis* was secured in more limited numbers. On May 29
C. interminellus outnumbered C. laqueatellus in the proportion of 17 to
3, but on June 3 the latter outnumbered the former 14 to 2. Having

* Determined by Professors Fernald and Smith.

ee

87

no assistant and being absent from home much of the time prevented
my rearing anything.

We had fairly gotten over this irruption, so to speak, by the middle
of June, when I went to the section where chinch bugs (Blissus leucop-
terus) had occurred last year, having been informed that a field of corn
had been destroyed by this pest. The trouble, however, turned out to
be the work of the broad-striped flea-beetle (Systena teniaia), and |
could see or learn of no indication of an outbreak of the pest in the
section of country where they were the most numerous last fall. This
was the last week of June. Within a week an occasional letter came
complaining of the appearance of chinch bugs, but these came from
central Ohio, considerably to the east of the area of occurrence in even
small numbers last year, and little attention was paid to the matter for
two or three days. But complaints continued to pour in, some of them
accompanied by specimens, thus leaying no doubt as to the validity of
the statements. <A trip through the central portion of the State about
the 10th of July left no doubts as to the truth of the complaints nor of
the extent of the ravages of this pest. It had clearly been breeding
unnoticed in the wheat fields, and when such were harvested this pest
migrated to the cornfields adjoining, as is its wont. As one of my cor-
respondents expressed himself, it was like a clap of thunder out of a
clear sky. Thousands of farmers within the three worst infested coun-
ties—Franklin, Deiaware, and Union—had never seen a chinch bug,
and many had sent specimens to me asking what they were. I may
here say that in the above-mentioned counties I saw the bugs as abun-
dant as I ever did in Lllinois or western Indiana during the years of
their greatest abundance. Farmers were struck with consternation
and appealed te the station, the State University, and even to Govy-
ernor McKinley for aid in destroying the scourge. The Department of
Agriculture at Washington, Professor Forbes, State entomologist of
Illinois, and Professor Snow, of Kansas, were applied to for muscar-
dine fungus with which to destroy the bugs, there seeming to be an
exaggerated idea that if some of this or infected bugs were placed in
a field it would sweep off the pest instanter and stop its spread then
and there—an idea that certainly did not originate with anything that
I had either stated or written. ;

It was of no ayail to attempt to explain that the fungus Sporotrichum
globuliferum, while it would work quite rapidly in wet weather, would
be almost wholly ineffectual in the midst of the drought that was pre.
vailing at that time. I had received eight packages of the muscardine
fungus from Professor Forbes, and at once began infecting chinech bugs
to send out to such farmers as would apply for it, warning them, how-
ever, that it could not be relied upon to stop the spread of the pest
quickly, but that the true object in distributing it was to ward off
another visitation next season, if possible, in case the weather was favor-
able to the development of the pest. We have distributed something

88

over 600 packages of infected material, the greater portion of it going
to within a radius of 40 miles of Columbus, though 37 counties have
received more or less. (For distribution of chinch bug in Ohio in 1895
see map, fig. 1.) It has established itself in the fields in several localities,
and we shall certainly derive all benefit possible from its introduction.
For infecting boxes I at first used those recommended by Professor
Forbes, but later abandoned them. or rather had them remodeled,

' FULTON
WILLIAMS
DEFIANCE | 7
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PAULDING SENECA

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EXR 36:
STATION

COSHOOTON HARRISON

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TUSCARA
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——__—_—_—_——+— CHAMPAIGN=———

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HOCKING

Fig. 1.—Map of Ohio showing district infested by cbinch bug in 1894 (from drawi
Webster.)

ei COLUMBIANA
CARROLL wy

ng furnished by Mr,

and had additional ones made, 12 inches longer and 2 inches higher.
Instead of chalking the sides to prevent the bugs from escaping, we
had a strip three-fourths inch wide fastened around the inside of the
box, 2 inches from the top. This formed «a narrow shelf, which we
kept filled with sifted road dust, piling upon it all that would remain,
thus forming a steep barrier up which the bugs could not crawl, at

89

least until the abruptness of the ascent liad been greatly diminished.*
Then, instead of corn or grain cut off and laid in the box, we used grow-
ing millet taken direct from the field and cut off to about three inches in
height and set in the bottom of the box as thickly as possible. I found
that by this means we kept more of the bugs on or about the plants,
avoided mold to a greater extent, and also the trouble of continually
rechalking the sides of the boxes, though, of course, in time the bugs
would roll down a portion of the dust barrier and climb over it. [may
here state that on August 6 | received a large consignment of live
chinch bugs to be used in our infecting boxes. These were from Northup,
Gallia County, in the extreme southern part of the State, and the greater
part of them were very young, not yet having thrown off the red color,
and there were thousands of them, showing that the second brood of
young were present in great numbers.

In March I received the plum scale, whatever the name of this species
may finally prove to be, from several localities in Ohio, and in one case
in such abundance as to cause alarm. The pest was even more abun-
dant on the twigs than the dangerous cases indicated by Mr. Slinger-
land in his bulletin treating of this pest. Promptly on receipt of the
specimens the locality was visited and many trees found to be very
badly infested. Spraying with kerosene emulsion was recommended.
This was done, but later examinations of a large number of seales by
myself revealed the fact that not over 50 per cent had been killed, thus
leaving the pest uncomfortably near the danger line in point of num-
bers, and later plenty of the young were found moving about during
the middle of the day. From what I was told at the meeting of the
National Association of Nurserymen at Indianapolis in June, by several
New York fruit growers, it was clear that unless some unforeseen aid
came we would have trouble. On July 3 I visited two of the worst
infested orchards in Ottawa County, but failed to discover any young,
though, according to Mr. Slingerland’s studies, these should be present
about that date. July 25 these same orchards were again visited, and
with the closest and most patient search I was only able to find an
occasional young, either on the twigs or foliage. Now, all of thisrelates
to two plum orchards that were badly infested with this plum scale last
year, and the living young were very numerous this spring, even after
having been treated with kerosene emulsion. I secured some young
trees from the same locality and transplanted them into the insectary,
stocking them with scale larve brought from one of the infested
orchards. Soon after the young had established themselves on the
young trees in the insectary there appeared from out of the old
females that remained on the twigs brought from the orchard numbers
of Coccophagus flavoscutellum Ashm., and these began to oviposit in
the bodies of the ROUNEs and continued to do so until it seemed that

* This idk Weer inset Ww ith Mr. E. E. AETES who was my temporary assistant from
July 16 to September 16, but not afterwards employed.

90

hardly one could escape, as has since proved to have been the ease,
I find this parasite abundant in the two orchards, while many of the
old scales of last year that still remain on the trees are filled with
holes through which the parasites have escaped. To this useful little
parasite, then, I give credit for protecting the plum crop in at least
two orchards. From this plum scale, received from Medina County,
I have reared Coccophagus lecanii Fiteh, Hunotus lividus Ashm., and
Pachyneuron altiscuta How., while from other material sent me from
Harrison County | have reared Aphycus pulvinarie How. Moreover,
Comys bicolor How. has been found in the insectary under conditions
that strongly point to its being also a parasite on this seale. These
parasites were determined by Mr. Howard.

Colaspis brunnea Fab. has been sent me, accused of destroying grow-
ing potatoes by eating the tops; also of destroying beans and corn.

Owing to the depredations of webworms among oats last spring,
some fields were resown, which has delayed ripening. Up to August 7
Thad received Siphonophora avena, it being reported as attached to the
oat heads in immense numbers. The same phenomenon has also been
reported from Pennsylvania, and 1 have observed it to a limited extent
on the station farm at Wooster, Ohio. This in part covers a period over
which I have for the last eight years been trying in vain to follow this
species.

Brochymena annulata is either increasing rapidly or else I notice it
more closely, and I am rather fearful of trouble with the ill-odored
pest sooner or later. I find the eggs are hatching in northern Ohio all
through the month of July. |

The clover leaf-weevil (Phytonomus punctatus), though it threatened
trouble last spring, was held back from doing any serious injury by the
fungus disease, Yntomophthora spherosperma, and though the pest has
this year spread over the remaining area in the central portion of the
State not heretofore occupied by it, yet I do not consider it a dangerous
insect, because there is little danger of enough larve escaping this
deadly enemy to do much injury.

The harlequin cabbage bug (Murgantia histrionica) has at last gained
a foothold north of the Ohio River. It has been twice reported from
extreme southern Ohio (Scioto and Gallia counties) as having com-
mitted extensive depredations among cabbage last year, and is also
very abundant this year and rapidly spreading. ‘This is the first
record of serious depredations north of the Ohio, so far as I am aware.

I have this season had an opportunity to observe the work of Ceu-
thorhynchus rape Gyll. in young cabbage plants. This species is not
yet included in Mr. Henshaw’s lists of the Coleoptera of North America
north of Mexico, though it was reared from cabbage by Miss Murtfeldt
in 1888 at Kirkwood, Mo. I found the larvee, sometimes two or three
in a stalk, but reared only a single adult, and did not secure the pupa.
The pupaof a medium-sized hymenopterous parasite was found in one
of the burrows of the larva, but this also failed to develop to the adult.

91

The attack of this not yet common cureculio occurred near Dayton,
Ohio, in a small bed of young cabbage plants that had been started for
late planting. The ground was a low, marshy field, bordered by a pas-
ture of native grasses and other indigenous vegetation, in which the
pest doubtless breeds. The adult appeared July 18, at which time
larve were still to be found in the plants.

Monarthrum fasciatum Say was sent me in May from Noble County,
where it was working with Scolytus rugulosus on peach. The Monar-
thrum seemed to bore directly into the wood to a considerable distance
and then work as directly around the tree, so that its burrow consti-
tuted a complete ring, and this, too, in the green wood. The Scolytus
was exceedingly abundant last year, and there was much complaint of
its ravages, superinduced, I presume, by the unusually dry weather,
which really weakened the trees without its being noticeable.

The woolly aphis (Schizoneura lanigera) is certainly becoming more
abundant and working more and more injury to young nursery stock.
It has come to me more frequently during the last year than ever before,
both from Ohio and Indiana. I have of late been calling attention to
the fact that Australian nurserymen use Northern Spy and Majestine
stock upon which to top work other varieties, claiming that these two
are proof against this pest, which is there termed the American blight.

The time available for the reading of papers having expired, the fol-
lowing three papers the authors of which were absent, were ordered
read by title and referred to the committee on publications. (That com-
mittee, consisting of the president and secretary, has decided to include
them in the proceedings.)

ON THE NATURAL CONDITIONS WHICH AFFECT THE DISTRIBU-
TION AND ABUNDANCE OF COCCIDZ.

By T. D. A. COCKERELL, Las Cruces, N. Mex.

While the danger to horticultural interests from the general spread
of Coccide is sufficiently patent, any one who has given much atten-
tion to these insects must have been struck by the difficulty of predict-
ing how a particular species will act in any given case.

For example. Aspidiotus aurantii is very well known as a pest of
citrus trees in California and the eastern Mediterranean region. One
would have predicted that its introduction into Jamaica—a great
orange country—would have been disastrous: but as a matter of fact
it is already not rare in that island, where it is never observed on
citrus.

Its place on the citrus trees is taken by the similar-looking but
structurally quite distinct A. articulatus.

Again, Parlatoria pergandei is known as a citrus seale in the south-
ern United States. In Jamaica and Antigua it occurs, but only on
Croton, never on Citrus. But here comes in an important fact—the

92

West Indian P. pergandei differs a little from the type form in its scale,
so that I have named it variety crotonis.*

In the Eastern States Aspidiotus uve occurs on Vitis; at Las Cruces,
N. Mex., a slight variety, var. coloratus,t is found on Chilopsis, to which
it is quite destructive, but never on Vitis.

Conchaspis angreci 1s a species observed in the West Indies only on
cultivated orchids; in Mexico Professor Townsend has found a variety
of it living on Hibiscus. ¢

Numerous other examples might be cited in which marked differ-
ences in food habit coincide with varying degrees of apparent struc-
tural variations in the insects—ranging from inappreciable variations,
as in the Jamaican A. aurantii, to differences sufficient to separate
distinct species.

In the latter case we see no cause for surprise, but it is certainly
worthy of our attention that certain slight varieties or indistinguish-
able colonies of individuals act as though they were distinct species.
Ordinarily our species are founded on structural characters; but these
are what I have called physiological species, easily distinguishable by
their habits, but hardly or not at ail in their structure. That they
tend in the course of time to develop into ordinary species with dis-
tinct structural characters is of course more than probable. That
they already in every case possess some structural peculiarities too
subtle to be observed is not impossible or unlikely. In some
instances, as noted, there is just enough of difference to permit the
separation of a variety.

From an economic point of view the importance of these facts is mani-
fest. Are we tosuppose that the Jamaican Aspidiotus aurantii, so called,
is really a physiological species distinct from Californian aurantii? If
so, would California aurantii, if introduced into Jamaica, proceed to
play havoc with the citrus trees? There is room for some experimental
work here. Is it possible that aurantii can not exist on Jamaican
citrus trees because of the abundance of other species, particularly
articulatus ?

We can understand why the Chilopsis Aspidiotus in New Mexico does
not attack the grape-vines (which are there free from coccids), since
there is a slight difference in the insect. But it is so slight that it
would assuredly have escaped notice but for the accompanying physio-
logical peculiarities.

Another instance is offered by the common large species of Pulvi-
naria found in this country. They are so much alike in structure that
they all go, as a rule, under the name of P. innumerabilis. The osage
orange form, P. maclura, is, I aim convinced, a distinct species; and
probably a thorough study, with abundant material from all parts of the
country, would reveal several physiological species or varieties. To sift

* Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1895, page 62.
t Psyche, 1898, page 571.
t Bull. Bot. Dept., Jamaica, May, 1895, page 101.

93

this matter to the bottom we must not merely study cabinet specimens,
but make numerous observations and experiments upon the living crea-
tures. It is a big task and will need many workers, but it is well
worth the doing, both from the scientific and economic points of view.

The situation is simply this: There is a prevalent tendency for dom-
inant types of Coccide to become multivorous or polyphagic, and when
they have become so to any extent they are nearly always of serious
economic importance. But there is the reverse tendency for polyphagic
species to split up into monophagie races, varieties, and ultimately
species. As they do so their economic importance usually decreases,
and when it does not they are at any rate more easily dealt with. It
is for us to ascertain in each case by close observation how far these
processes of evolution have gone, and until we do so we can not rightly
understand the situation before us.*

I can not refrain at this point from remarking on the utter inad-
equacy of the old-fashioned study of *‘ good species” only, accompanied
by a vast contempt for all species or otherwise which were not * good.”

The new entomology will have to consider with equal care all phases
of insect evolution, from the individual, through the mutation, form,
variety, to species, good, bad, and indifferent. The old pian was
excellent for collectors of insects, but for economic entomologists, at
any rate, it will no longer do. In Coccidz perhaps this is more obvious
than in any other group.

Another notion that I think we shall have to give up is that these
evolutional processes all take ‘“‘ages.” On the contrary, quite a number
of cases are now on record in which the habits and even the structure
of wild animals have changed within a few years. I need only remind
you of the Porto Santo rabbits, the Virginia Helix nemoralis, and the
Amphidasys betularia var. doubledayaria in England to show that char-
acters which might be deemed specific have begun to appear within a
few years under changed conditions of life. How many changes in
habit only have occurred we may never know, for it is only in striking
cases that they getrecorded. But the whole literature of Coccide teems
with records of species infesting in new localities plants they had never
before attacked. In many instances, as, for example, that of Orthezia
insignis, we can not tell what were the original food plants.

Among Coccide the rate of multiplication is prodigious, often prob-
ably more than a thousandfold in one generation, and the destruction
correspondingly great, giving full play to certain kinds of natural selee-
tion—i. e., those which affect the *‘staying power” of the individuals.
Among the many larvee blown by the wind or earried by birds or insects
and among the many falling victims to parasites it may be largely a
matter of chance which shall survive. That is to say, the survival is
not necessarily due to any peculiarity in the individual. But those
which can live on an unwonted plant or can stand adverse condi-
tions of weather survive by reason of inherent qualities in themselves.

*For a discussion of the theoretical considerations see Insect Life, vol. v, p. 117.

g4

Thus, theoretically, it is not impossible that the severe frost which
occurred in Florida may be followed by an extension of some Coccide
northward, owing to the repeo};ling of the trees by a race derived from
the exceptionally frost-proof individuals which survived. Under the
former conditions these individuals had no special advantage and did
not particularly multiply.

When a coccid abounds on a given tree, young larve will find their
way to surrounding shrubs, trees, and herbs. Often they must entirely
perish; sometimes, as one may see in Eulecanium, they survive in a
stunted and distorted form; sometimes, again, they contrive to not
only mature but multiply. In the course of time there may fall on an
uncongenial food plant one or two individuals capable of surviving
upon it, and these will give rise to a new colony, which from the very
start differs in its average character from the parent colony, just as the
pilgrims in the Jlayflower gave rise to a colony in America differing in
its average from the parent country, and, what is more, advantageously
differing.

These things do not require ages; [ am sure they are occurring con-
stanutly within the short period of our individual lives, and have only
to be looked for to be seen. Herein is the explanation of certain flour-
ishing colonies of coccids on plants not commonly infested by them; or,
on the other hand, of the absence of such colonies where they might
be expected. In Santa Ie, to cite a case of the latter sort, Aspidiotus
ancylus scarcely at all leaves the box-elders to infest the closely adjacent
fruit trees.

Not only is the spreading of Coccide from one species of tree to
another thus irregular, but there is even irregularity in the attacks on
different varieties of the same trees. It would be very interesting to
obtain full statistics as to the varieties of fruit trees attacked by cocecids
and see how far they coincided in different localities. Mr. Barrett, of
Las Cruces, N. Mex., gave me the following as his experience with
Aspidiotus perniciosus:

Pears: Comparatively free; Flemish Beauty, not bad; Walker’s Seed-
ling, very bad; Bartlett, not very bad; Leconte, very bad; Duchess,
very bad. Apples: Ben Davis, a good many scales; Loy, almost
entirely free; Maiden Blush, pretty bad; Red June, hardly any scales.
Plums: Wild Goose, least attacked; Lombard, very bad; Abundance,
pretty bad; Japanese, pretty bad. Quinces: Not bad.

On wild plants it is very remarkable how the coccids occur in isolated
colonies, even when the plants abound. The species on Atriplex canes-
cens in the Mesilla Valley are six in number, but all occur only in iso-
lated patches, though there is no apparent reason why they should not
spread all over the acres occupied by the food plant. They have para-
sites, however, and I suppose they are driven from bush to bush, here
and there almost annihilated, a few only surviving to found new colo-
nies. .This constant harassing might be expected to lead to the natural

95

selection of individuals able to escape the notice of the parasites and
so modify the race. But such modification may be very slow; tor exam-
ple, the Prosopophora on the before-mentioned Atriplex is very little
different from a Japanese species from which it must have parted com-
pany long ages ago. On the whole, selection by parasites is probably
a less important factor in coccid evolution than one had been ready to
assume.

In our ordinary accounts of coccid enemies we omit some factors
which may possess importance. Mr. Newstead has lately given some
interesting observations on the feeding of birds on coccids. Mr. Bar-
rett, above cited, found that the San Jose scale disappeared from his
Walker’s Seedling pear trees, which were very badly infested, when
Bryobia pratensis appeared upon the scene. I saw the trees with the
Bryobia upon them, and no scale to speak of. Mr. Steel, also of Las
Cruces, N. Mex., had some peach trees badly infested by San Jose seale.
- When I examined the trees this year there was no living scale, and the
trees were swarming with a small ant, which Mr. Pergande determines
as Tapinoma anale.* For two years these trees had borne no fruit; now
they are fruiting.

These rough notes may serve to indicate some of the lines of work
desirable in the future, if we are to understand our Coccide. No greater
mistake could be made than to suppose that I or any other person can
from cabinet specimens alone settle everything. We must have obser-
vations on the living insects.

HOW SHALL WE IMPROVE OUR COLLECTIONS?
By C. P. GILLETTE, Fort Collins, Colo.

A correctly determined collection of insects is about as important for
the best entomological work as a good library. The writer, in receiving
answers from various college and station entomologists in regard to
their collections, bas been surprised to find that there are so few really
good collections and that there are so many institutions that have
practically no collection of determined insects at all. This is not as it
should be, and with a little effort of the right sort on the part of the
entomologists in charge I believe it need not long be so.

Collections may be made in various ways. Some of the older insti-
tutions could well afford to purchase good collections, but few of us
‘an depend upon any considerable sums of money for this purpose, and
it is probably about as well that we can not. What I wish to urge at

* First described by Ernest André from 2 specimen collected by the present writer
in Mexico in 1893. In Proce. Cal. Ac. Sci., May, 1894, page 163, Mr. Pergande considers
it a variety of 7. pruinosum Rog. and records it from California and Lower Cali-
fornia. It is new to New Mexico.

96

this time is two methods of building up our collections that are inex-
pensive, require little time, and that will tend to bring the working
entomologists into closer fellowship with one another.

An economic entomologist should be acquainted with the injurious
and beneficial insects outside of his own little field of labor. I wonder |
how many of the stations or colleges there are that can not show a
specimen of Melanoplus spretus, Blissus leucopterus, Cecidomyia destruc-
tor, Aspidiotus perniciosus, or even Carpocapsa pomonella, if asked by a
visitor to do so. There are probably a number of institutions where
not one of these common species can be found, and I have serious
doubts if there is an agricultural college or experiment station in the
country that can show all of them.

I have a list of over ninety species of insects that have been reported
to me as being one of ten of the most injurious species in the different
States, and I do not believe there are more than a half dozen institu-
tions that can show one-quarter of these pests in their collections.

Entomologists in States where these insects are abundant could
easily collect them in quantity, and then, by a system of exchange,
every State could soon have a collection that would well represent the
more economic species of the country. For example, A could send Ba
list of the species in any order or orders that he has for exchange, and
B could return the list with those species checked that he desires, and
at the same time inclose a list of what he can offer in return, with the
understanding that they will exchange as many species as the one
marks who marks least. For my own part I should be glad to exchange
in all the orders in this way, and believe that all could enter into the
work with profit.

The other plan I have to propose is quite different, but I believe could
be entered into with equal profit, and especially by those who have
small collections. There are entomologists in the various agricultural
institutions, and others outside of them, who are doing special work in
every order. Most, if not all, of these would undoubtedly be glad to
receive undetermined material in quantity from any locality, with the
privilege of retaining uniques and with the understanding that he
should return to the sender a determined set of the duplicates.

In this way specialists would be greatly aided in working up their
favorite groups, which will result in a blessing to entomological students
in general. The person furnishing the specimens will gradually work
up a collection the species in which will be determined by the best
authorities, and at the same time will feel that the specimens that were
retained by specialists are placed where they will do most good and
that he has done something for the advancement of the science that he
loves.

We have done a good deal of this kind of work at Fort Collins, and
with very satisfactory results. Quite a number of species are lost to us
in the hands of specialists until we can find duplicates, but that is where
they belong. We have the records and our boxes are relieved of a great

97

mass of undetermined material that would be of no use to us or anybody
else, and our determined collection, which is the only really valuable
one, is greatly improved thereby.

At the Colorado Agricultural College we shall be glad to receive, on
the above terms, from any person, material in Cynipide, Jasside, and
Typhlocybide, and especially in the last-named family. Specimens may
be sent in quantity unmounted and we will mount and return deter-
mined sets of duplicates.

How to collect rapidly.—As this is an important matter to consider in
the making of a collection, let me tell how we proceed at Fort Collins.
It may be a help to someone.

We use a net 15 inches in diameter, made of strong cheese cloth, or,
better, thin muslin, which is stronger. Any material with coarser
meshes than cheese cloth will not do, as the smaller insects will go
through. With this net we sweep or beat low herbage for a few minutes,
and then with a few sudden jerks of the net all the insects are sent into
the corners, and these are quickly gathered up and put into a large
cyanide bottle until the insects are quiet. Then the net is removed and
the contents emptied into another bottle, a few of the more delicate
insects being removed with forceps and put into a bottle by themselves.
The operation is then repeated until the bottles are filled or we have
no more time to devote to the work. On reaching the laboratory the
bottles are emptied on a sheet of paper, and with a pair of forceps the
insects are separated from the rubbish, the different orders being put
in little piles by themselves. These are then mounted at once, or are
stored for mounting at some future time. We store them, in perfect
condition, in small wooden or pasteboard boxes, as follows: A thin layer
of the insects is spread evenly over the bottom of the box and covered
with a sheet of paper cut to fit. On this paper is written any notes we
wish preserved upon the insects beneath it. The box may then be filled
with cotton, so that when the cover is on the cotton will press gently on
the insects below and keep them from tumbling about; ora very little
cotton may be added and then a sheet of paper and another layer of in-
sects, and then another sheet of paper, and the cotton on topof this. No
matter how many layers of insects are put in a box, there should always
be a sheet of paper on both sides of them to prevent their legs and
antenne from getting tangled in the cotton.

This method of collecting is specially to be preferred on long collect-
ing trips and when one desires to collect rapidly without stopping to
mount his specimens as he goes along. It is always best, when possible
to do so, to collect from only one kind of plant at a time, and then keep
these sweepings in different bottles and in separate layers in the boxes,
properly labeled. Such a collection is worth fully twice what it would
be if the food plants of the various species were not known.

If the specimens were separated into their proper groups when they
were put into the boxes, these boxes may be sent directly to specialists
for determination, if they will consent to receive them.

6042—No. 2 7

98

CARBON BISULPHIDE FOR CRAYFISH.
By Howarp Evarts WEED, Agricultural College, Miss.

Crayfish sometimes do much injury to corn and other crops in land
that contains considerable moisture through lack of proper drainage.
I have seen fields where the crayfish holes were so numerous that they
would average in number nearly nine to the square foot, and upon such
land it would, of course, be impossible to raise any cultivated crop.
Such fields are generally abandoned, and only broom sedge and a few
of the coarser grasses will grow on land of this description. Crayfish
are also numerous along the bottom and sides of open ditches. By
their work along the levees of the Mississippi River they cause weak
places in the embankment, through which the water gets a little start.
Once let the water get started in this way and the hole is gradually
washed larger and soon the embankment gives way and an overflow is
the result.

Such being the damage caused by these pests, the question of how
to destroy them becomes of no small importance, and perhaps some
experiments of mine in this direction may be of interest. In the spring
of 1893 I noticed that the bottom of a wide, open ditch near the Exper-
iment Station building was lined with crayfish holes. Having doubts
as to whether or not carbon bisulphide would kill the crayfish, I poured
about an ounce of the liquid into each hole, closing the hole by press-
ing the dirt together with the foot as soon as the bisulphide was putin. —
A stick was placed by the side of the place where each hole had been,
so as to enable me to tell if the same holes were reopened or if-new ones
were made. The ditch was examined every day for some time, but
none of the holes were reopened, showing that the bisulphide had been —
effective. No new holes were made along the ditch for three weeks,
and then only two, which were probably made by some newcomers.

Lhave on two occasions dug the crayfish out the day following a
bisulphide treatment and found that they had been killed. Their holes
may be anywhere from 1 to 15 or more feet deep. They dig deep
enough to get water, and in wet weather or on low places the holes are
not so deep as in dry weather or on high places. For two years past
it has been a common practice with me to treat crayfish holes with ear-
bon bisulphide, and in every case, with but one exception, the treatment
has been successful.

The particulars of this exception areas folows: In September, 1893,
a place on rather high but poorly drained land was graded and put in
shape for a tennis court. The ground being somewhat sloping, about ~
3 feet of earth was taken from one end and added to-the other end, in
order to make it level. A few days after the court was fixed many
crayfish holes were noticed, bothupon the part where the dirt had been
added and where it had been taken away. These holes were treated

Jo

in the usual manner with carbon bisulphide, fully expecting that this
treatment would rid the tennis court of the crayfish. The next day,
however, it was found that the holes had been reopened during the
night and a second treatment was made, using fully double the amount
of bisulphide. The result of the second treatment being the same as
the first, daily treatments were made for over two weeks, in some cases
nearly a pound of bisulphide being used to a hole. It was fully three
months before the tennis court was free from crayfish holes, but whether
the craytish left the ground for a more favorable situation or were killed
I am not prepared to say. Bisulphide from the same can was effective
in other places, so that the failure was not due to the quality of the
bisulphide used.

Were it not for this one case of the failure of carbon bisulphide to
do effective work I would be prepared to recommend it*for crayfish in
allcases. The failure mentioned, however, was under somewhat unnat-
ural conditions, and as I have used the bisulphide successfully over
fifty times, with but this one case of failure, it may be said that carbon
bisulphide is a nearly if not quite complete remedy for crayfish. On
land where they are very numerous it will not always pay to treat them
in the manner described, as the treatment would cost as much as the
land, but in the garden and along the levees of the Mississippi River
there is no question that the treatment would pay.

The paper entitled “Notes on Smerinthus cerysii Kirby,” by F. L.
Harvey, was withdrawn for publication elsewhere.

The following resolution relative to the gypsy moth commission,
introduced by Mr. Howard, was brought up and received the unani-
mous indorsement of the association:

Resolved, That it is the sense of this association that the present gypsy moth com-
mission is prosecuting its work in the most intelligent and praiseworthy manner,
and that its hands should be upheld by the State authorities.

Mr. Lintner presented the following resolution, which also received
the unanimous indorsement of the meeting:

Resolved, That this association has learned with deep regret of the intended dis-

continuance of Insect Life with the present number. In consideration of the unusual
value of this publication, the eminent ability with which it has been conducted,
the high appreciation in which it has been held by all of our entomologists and
those in other countries, and the importance of the published investigations into
the life history of insects, largely on their economic aspect, this association earnestly
requests of the Department of Agriculture that the resumption of the publication
of this invaluable publication may be directed at no distant day.
- The matter of the publication of the proceedings was brought up by
the president, and on motion of Mr. Weed the Department of Agricul-
ture was requested to publish the proceedings the present year in a
special bulletin. This motion prevailed.

100

Mr. Riley moved that in the event of tne failure of the Department
to take such action the matter of publication be left in the hands of
a committee consisting of the officers of the society. This also was.
adopted.

On motion of Mr. Howard, it was ordered that the customary pro-
cedure be followed for the next annual meeting of the association, viz,
calling it for the two days immediately preceding the meeting of the
A.A. A.S. and at the place decided on for the meeting of the latter
association. ‘

The committee on nominations, consisting of Messrs. Lintner, Davis,
and Rolfs, proposed—

For president, C. H. Fernald, of Amherst, Mass.

For first vice-president, F. M. Webster, of Wooster, Ohio.

For second vice-president, Herbert Osborn, of Ames, Iowa.

For secretary, C. L. Marlatt, of Washington, D.C.

On motion, the chair was instructed to cast the ballot of the associa-
tion for the gentlemen named; and they were declared duly elected.

On motion of Mr. Southwick, the reading of the minutes of the entire
meeting was dispensed with, and on motion of the same gentleman a
vote of thanks was tendered the president and secretary of the asso-
ciation in recognition of their services.

On motion of Mr. Howard, the local committee in charge of the
meeting at Springfield was given a vote of thanks.

President-elect Fernald took the chair and briefly expressed his.
thanks for the honor conferred upon him.

The association then adjourned subject to call.

C. L. MARLATT, Secretary.

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