6Q AfjriciUtiircU Gazette of X.SJV. [Jr/;?. 2, 1908. 



Progress Report from Mr. W. W. Froggatt. 



[Mr. F'ro(;(;.\tt is travellinti' (ni hclinlf of tlic ( Idvcninients of Queensland,. 

 Xew Soutli Wales, Victoria, and Soiilli Auslrajia. in quest ef means of eom- 

 liatin<r the fruit-lly and eudliny moth pests, and utlier fruit and plant. 

 diseases.] 



Washin.uton. D.C, U.S.A., 



Sir, i:; (),-iol.er, 1907. 



T have the lienor to forward yon a prof^ress rejwrt of my movements and 

 work sinee 1 left California on the 17th of Septemher last. 1 found that it 

 would be quicker and cheaper to come straig'ht across to Washington than to 

 come via Texas, as I had Wv>\ iirojioscd, ])iirt icnlarly ;is I roidd easily see the- 

 cotton weevil work on my road to Alexico. 



I arrived here on Siuiday morning, 22nd September, I'.XiT, and on Monday 

 went up to the Agricultural Department, where I presented my credentials 

 to Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the Staff, and had a long talk witli him about 

 the most advantageous way of spending my time and seeing the inner work- 

 ing of all these divisions and branches into which the Department of Agri- 

 culture is divided at Washington. Through his kindness. I have been 

 enabled to go about and interview all the officers and sec the methods they 

 adopt in breeding specimens, looking after tlieir specimens, books, and 

 materials. 



There are over 10,000 persons in tlie Dei)artment of Agriculture at 

 Washington and scattered through the Federal offices in the ITnited States; 

 there are 300 in the Entomological Division, and in the Plant Pathology and 

 other groups of this division under Dr. Galloway there are seventy botanists 

 at work alone. Each of the leading entomologists under Dr. Howard is a 

 specialist on a certain group of insects; thus — Dr. Hopkins deals only with 

 forest insects; Professor Webster, with insects infesting field crops; ^larlatt, 

 scale insects and the best methods of dealing with them; Quantance, witli 

 those on fruit-trees and truck crops; and Hanks, with ticks and animal 

 parasites, and so on; therefore, they can get through a great deal of original 

 work, besides answering corresi)ondence. Besides this, there is a large statf 

 of workers at the Natiomil Museum, each in charge of a different group of 

 insects, who are also niuler Dr. Howard. With all these officers I have 

 spent some time, and they have lieen very kind in i)la<'ing all llieii- iutorma- 

 tion at my disposal. One of the greatest time-saving methods is the card 

 catalogue system in all branches of work, even extending it to the collections. 



1 have specially inquired into the habits of all cosmoixilitan pests and the 

 methods adopted here and in other i)arts of the Slates, and the range of the 

 insects, but will not enlarge upon it in this report, as it woidd take u]) too 

 much of your time, but have recorded all my observations in my journal. 

 The two species of fruit-Hies found in the New Kngland States are not 

 known in the west or so\itliern States. I'rfiprhi pmnuni'lhi is vi'ry coinnion 

 in the State of New York, and damages as many apples as the codling moth 

 does in some years; but the ci^nnnercial orchards are of very small extent,, 

 and very little is done to keep it in check. The same might be said of the- 



