xiv Report of Entomologist. 



distributed freely in every locality where our attention was called 

 to their ravages, with the result that much interest was aroused 

 among the school children, as well as their parents, and in some 

 cases thousands of the caterpillars or their cocoons were collected 

 by the pupils and destroyed. In many places the warfare will 

 be continued by the children against the egg-rings in the fall. 

 This bulletin has, therefore, done much to stimulate Nature- 

 Study in many places, while it has also been one of the most prac- 

 tical and valuable publications for the farmer that the Entomo- 

 logical Division has ever issued. 



Some very important investigations which have been under 

 way for one or more years were completed during the past year. 

 For example, our observations on Canker-worms, which still 

 continue their extensive ravages in western New York, are now 

 complete and we hope to get our notes in shape for publication 

 in time to enable fruit-growers to use the information next year. 



And again, for four years past we have been making careful 

 and scientific tests of the different washes and other devices 

 which have been recommended and which we could devise 

 to circumvent that constant menace to peach culture — the peach 

 borer. Our experiments are now finished, the literature of the 

 insect has been thoroughly studied, and a bulletin embod3'ing 

 our observations and result.s w^ill be written at once. 



We also have other material aw^aiting an opportunity to be 

 written up for publication. The fact that we have so much val- 

 uable information in a crude state in our notes, has led us to 

 undertake no new lines of investigation during the past six 

 months. Whenever such work is undertaken it involves all of 

 the time we can spare from our routine duties. The examina- 

 tion, determination, and care of the large amount of material 

 which is sent in to the Entomological Division ; the making ?nd 

 arranging of notes, photographs, etc. ; the answering of corre- 

 spondence ; the attendance as lecturer at many Farmer's Insti- 

 tutes and Horticultural Meetings ; and the giving of a course of 

 lectures in the University in the winter — all these duties so 

 encroach upon our time that oftentimes little is left for original 

 investigation^ or for preparing our results for publication. 



The correspondence of the Division increases every j^ear. 



