262 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



matter for such stock, shipped from an mfested district, to be 

 infested with this most pernicious scale. It is as much for the 

 growers' interest as it is for the purchasers' that only perfectly 

 healthy stock is brought into the state. We cannot place too 

 much stress upon the necessity for all growers of such stock to 

 send in their addresses to the department, and not only these but 

 all strawberry growers as well. The strawberry weevil has done 

 considerable damage during the year; we desire to obtain all 

 the information in regard to the different locations in the state 

 where this beetle is found. Will parties who have been troubled 

 with them kindly report to the Department, so that some action 

 may be taken to prevent the further spread of this strawberry 

 pest. 



There is hardly an insect pest that may not be controlled by 

 united, intelligent effort on the part of our farmers and horti- 

 culturists. 



Here is where co-operative measures will work to the best 

 advantage. If each one of the 64,000 farmers in the State 

 should unite to get rid of some common orchard pest, such as 

 the railroad worm for instance, we should hear but little about 

 our fall fruit being ruined by this insect. In fact the only way 

 to get rid of it is by just such effort. 



We cannot spray to destroy it and there are no parasites or 

 fungous diseases to aid us. One helpful characteristic of this 

 insect is that it spreads very slowly from one section to another. 

 If the apples are picked up, or eaten by sheep or hogs soon after 

 they drop of course the larvse will be destroyed, but if they 

 remain on the ground the larvae on reaching maturity will crawl 

 from the apple and enter the ground, there to pupate and remain 

 through the winter and spring. When the adult flies emerge in 

 early summer they will generally lay their eggs on the apples in 

 the same tree under which they passed the winter. If all fruit 

 growers would combine to fight this pest in a systematic manner 

 the profits in fruit raising would be increased at least 10 per 



cent. 



BOTANICAL INVESTIGATION. 



On August tenth one of the field force sent in some leaves 

 and twigs of the white pine from York county which had begun 

 to turn brown. He reported the trouble to be quite common 

 in that section. Later on we visited the place and examined 



