INSECTS. 213 



or otherwise, to prevent tliem, and the young worms also, 

 from ascending tlie trees, their ravages are stopped. But, a 

 few years, ago the same remedies were proposed, and quite 

 extensively tried, to protect fruit trees from the curculio, the 

 females of which a moment's observation would have shown to 

 be flying insects, not to be stopped by any application to the 

 trunks of the trees. 



In 1866 an agricultural paper in Maryland came out with 

 an editorial calling particular attention to a great discovery 

 for destroying the Hessian fly, the discoverer proposing to sell 

 the right of using his method of preventing the attacks of 

 this insect to each county for $100. The whole theory of the 

 remedy was based on the false supposition that the Hessian 

 fly deposits its eggs upon the grain in the ear of the wheat in 

 midsummer, a time when the Hessian fly never appears in the 

 winged state. The discoverer makes other statements, show- 

 ing plainly that he knows nothing of the structure or habits 

 of the Hessian fly. Mr. Walsh accounts for some of these 

 statements by supposing, with considerable reason, that the 

 discoverer of this wonderful remedy has mistaken one of the 

 parasites of the Hessian fly for that insect itself, thus confus- 

 ing his best friend with his worst enemy. 



Such examples might be recounted by the hundred, all of 

 them presupposing the densest ignorance of the best known 

 facts in regard to tlie structure and habits of common insects. 

 Not only would a rudimentary knowledge of insects save the 

 farmer money and labor wasted on useless remedies ; it would 

 frequently show him what the extent of the damage insects 

 were doing was likely to be, or how long their ravages were 

 likely to continue, and whether preventive measures would 

 pay if tried. It would show that when the enemies of the 

 plant lice, for instance, were getting the better of them, that 

 interference was unnecessary. 



I will occupy but a few moments with suggestions of what 

 seem to me the best way of directing the efforts of the Board, 

 and others interested, with reference to this whole sul»ject. 

 First the agricultural community must be brought to appre- 

 ciate tlie necessity of a knowledge of insects in general and 



