1908.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 199 



tated, and damage is caused to the amount of many hundred million 

 marks. 



The progress which during the last decade has been made in Germany 

 in fighting injurious insects has at present shown that in very many 

 cases man can accomplish with technical expedients relatively little 

 against the insects. The most effective means of fighting them is found 

 in nature itself, for all great disasters which, for instance, have been 

 caused by caterpillars in Germany in the course of the last generation 

 have found their natural end through parasites, which have destroyed 

 the injurious insects. 



In New England now you are concerned chiefly with the fight against 

 two European pests which have been accidentally introduced, namel}', 

 the gypsy and brown-tail moths. Both insects are in Europe relatively 

 harmless, while in America they do dreadful damage. The reason that 

 these insects are of so great economic importance in America is prin- 

 cipally that in America the parasites of the gypsy and brown-tail moths 

 are still lacking, while in Europe these parasites prevent the great 

 damage of these pests. 



I consider it a special service of Dr. L. 0. Howard, that he has 

 realized the importance of the parasites in the destruction of the gypsy 

 and brown-tail moths, and that he has tried to find a means to render 

 possible the importing of European parasites into America by efficient 

 methods. 



The method which is practised in the Massachusetts parasite station 

 I have examined in Saugus. I am of the opinion that these methods 

 are wholly efficient, and that they will give the best results in the 

 future. I am of the opinion, after being in Saugus, that the cultivation 

 of parasitic bacteria in large numbers is of doubtful value, and that 

 instead of this the main efforts should be devoted to the breeding and 

 propagating of parasitic insects, namely, of Hymenopterous and Tachi- 

 nid parasites. The arrangements and apparatus for this work which 

 have been perfected and put in practice at Saugus I consider best and 

 most suitable, and worth imitating in every respect. I intend to recom- 

 mend similar arrangements in Germany. 



My opinion is that for the economic interests of agriculture parasite 

 stations are of great importance, and the troublesome and lengthy work 

 of breeding and naturalizing European parasites gives the best help 

 and advancement. As to scientific entomology, I wish to say, in con- 

 clusion, that from the experiments which are being made in the parasite 

 station for the destruction of the gypsy and brown-tail moths a real 

 enrichment of our knowledge of the life history and biology of para- 

 sitic insects is to be expected. 



In addition to the practical economic work, which is without' doubt of 

 paramount interest to the American people, a good piece of scientific 

 work is being carried on under the management of Dr. L. 0. Howard 

 and his assistants, the conclusion of which all civilized nations will 

 await with thankfulness. 



