220 Aqrioultukal Expekiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



injured but little for that season. But the check given to the new 

 growth must materially affect the future bearing capacity of the whole 

 bush and especially of these newer portions. 



The present season, 1893, the pest again appeared in the horticultural 

 garden but was less numerous and did less damage than in 1892. 

 However, judging from the number of eggs laid this year, the pest 

 will be as numerous as ever next summer. Mr. Chapman, at Peruville, 

 N. Y., also had his bushes badly damaged by the insect this year. 



Thus in its attacks upon currants and gooseberries during the last 

 two years, the pest has shown itself a destructive and formidable foe. 

 And the study of its past history which follows, shows that it has 

 many other food-plants and more fully emphasizes the importance of 

 the pest and the necessity for all the knowledge possible regarding its 

 habits and life history that it may be combatted intelligently and 

 effectually. 



The Past History, Destkuctiveness and Distribution of this 



Pest. 



Unlike many of our worst pests, this insect is not an importation 

 from Europe. It is a native to North America. In 1*798 the species 

 was described hy Fabricius, an European, who discovered it in a collec- 

 tion of insects from North America. It thus received its name in 

 Europe nearly a century ago. Thirty-four years later. Say, an 

 American entomologist, redescribed the insect under the name Capsus 

 4:-vittattis, but suspected that it might be Lygaeus lineatxcs of Fabricius. 

 The further histoiy of the insect in this country may be conveniently 

 grouped under two headings. 



In New York State. — The first record of the occurrence of the pest 

 in our State is in 1854. Emmons then figured (as a new species without 

 any description or note) the insect as a New York species. 



We next hear of the pest in our State as seriously injuring 

 Dahlias. Dr. Fitch says that in 1858 he learned from Mr. Chatfield, 

 an Albany florist, that upon all his dahlia plants that year, the first 

 flower bud which appeared was attacked by these bugs and punctured 

 so that it withered. The two or three flower stalks that then came 

 forth from the base of this one were destroyed in the same manner. 

 Other flower stalks put forth from the bases of these shared the same 

 fate. The result was an enormously broad mass of leaves and stalks 

 grew from one root, without a single flower resulting from the multi- 

 tude of buds which had been developed. In 1864 Mr. Heffron, of 

 Utica, told Dr. Fitch that these bugs had so infested his dahlias that 

 only three or four little imperfect flowers were produced. And that 



