REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 1 904 407 



able attention in different sections of the State on account of the 

 injuries inflicted on tomatoes and com in particular. The light 

 brownish, white striped caterpillar works in the center of thick 

 stalked plants and usually causes wilting followed by death of the 

 portion above its burrow. It is a difficult species to control 

 because the larva lives within the stems of plants and consequently 

 can not be reached by arsenical poisons. About the only thing 

 that can be done is to destroy the infested stalks with the contained 

 larvae before they escape, wherever this is practical. Clean cul- 

 ture, particularly that resulting in the destruction of thick stalked 

 plants growing in the vicinity of crops attacked by this insect, 

 should result in reducing its numbers considerably. 



Dark-sided cutworm (Agrotis messoria Harr.). This 

 dingy colored, stout caterpillar about i finches in length, was the 

 occasion of several complaints during the summer. It is a com- 

 mon frequenter of gardens and injures cabbages, potatoes, com 

 and various other plants. One of the simplest methods of con- 

 trolling this pest is to examine the ground close to plants which 

 have suffered from its attack; usually a little digging will dis- 

 close the depredator, and then it is only a moment's work to 

 destroy the pest. Digging out by hand is somewhat laborious, 

 and yet, if carefully done, is one of the most satisfactory methods 

 of fighting cutworms. They may also be controlled to a consider- 

 able extent by the use of a poisoned bait, taking fresh clover or 

 lettuce, dipping it in strong paris green water and then placing 

 the same between or in the vicinity of infested plants. The cut- 

 worms are said to prefer this bait to growing plants. Sometimes 

 it is possible to sow between rows, a little turnip or other seeds, 

 so that the few cutworms will find abundant food in the secondary 

 crop without destroying the one you wish to grow. They can 

 also be killed by using a poisoned bran mash composed of paris 

 green and bran or middlings, either mixed dry or enough water 

 may be employed to make a soft mash. This material is very 

 dangerous to have in gardens, particularly if chickens are kept. 



Buffalo tree hopper (Ceresa bubalus Fabr.). This little 

 species frequently causes more or less injury to small twigs of 

 young trees and shrubs, but it is only occasioially that its injuries 

 to herbaceous plants attract notice. Our attention was called by 

 Dr O. C. Alexander of Albany, to the work of the nymphs of this 

 insect. The young hoppers established themselves on the stems 

 of the common balsam (Impatiens) and sucked the juices there- 

 from to such an extent that the plant was unable to support itself. 



