98 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



uted by some, to remedies used and also to early and thorough 

 culture, and to compactness of the head of the varieties of cabbage 

 raised, but is doubtless mainly due to the rapid development of 

 the natural enemies of the worm. The phyloxera are reported 

 as very prevalent in different parts of the state, and as rapidly 

 increasing in numbers and in destructiveness. Those who were 

 early settlers here cannot but be impressed with the increase in 

 number, variety, extent and destructiveness of our insect foes. 

 The flea beetle, cabbage worm, leaf roller, the curculio, cater- 

 pillers, canker worm and codling moth were then very rarely seen 

 and almost unknown. Now they are everywhere, and seem to be 

 increasing rapidly from year to year, and it has come to be a seri- 

 ous question how to stay their ravages. The evil has become so 

 great, so wide spread, that it seems to be beyond the reach, the 

 ability of the individual citizen to control. Unless there is gen- 

 eral, united action it is useless to try to cheek the evil, and to 

 compel such unity of action legislation alone will serve. It must 

 come to this sooner or later or the evil will become so great as to 

 seriously burden all the productive interests of the country. The 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences, at their annual meeting in De- 

 cember last, decided to make an effort to secure from the legisla- 

 ture the appointment of a state entomologist, with the means nec- 

 essary to make the department efficient and thorough in its work, 

 and they ask our aid, which surely will be given. 



As stated at our meeting held during fair week, Governor 

 Smith has authorized the state carpenter to make a case for an 

 entomological collection, at the expense of the state. The plan 

 presented was on a much more extensive scale, and involved 

 more labor and material than he at first anticipated, but he con- 

 sented to its being made, stipulating that it should be done at 

 times when the regular state work was not pressing. The form 

 selected is that of a double bureau, with three rows of drawers on 

 each side, eleven drawers in each row, ten of them shallow, and 

 covered with glass, and one, the bottom one, of the usual depth 

 and form. 



Blight has been quite prevalent in mauy places the past season. 

 A number of peculiar forms of it have been noticed, which, when 



