No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 161 



specimens of our injurious and beneficial species of insects for com- 

 parison with the many we are receiving, which are generally' not in 

 the proper state for preservation. We also most seriously need a 

 regular stenographer and a scientific assistant.* 



(2.) CORRESPONDENCE: 



During the year we have written 1,957 copied letters, besides 

 hundreds of letters that were not copied, and thousands of circular 

 letters that were sent out calling for information. Many of these 

 letters are necessarily of unusual length on acv ount of required 

 details. 



Specimens have been sent to us for identification or preservation 

 to the number of over 2,000, or an average of about seven per day. 

 These have all demanded the most careful scrutiny, mostly under 

 the microscope, and it was essential that accurate reports must be 

 given to inquirers in order to enable them to save their crops or take 

 such practical measures as each individual case demands. 



Much correspondence has also taken place between ourselves and 

 observers in various portions of this State in order to obtain definite 

 knowledge of the various forms of animal life as it exists in the 

 different counties of this Commonwealth. This knowledge is neces- 

 sary in order to form a working basis for the Zoologist during the 

 coming years of his term. Based upon such correspondence, we 

 shall soon be ready to prepare reports showing the distribution 

 of certain insects, reptiles, birds and mammals in Pennsylvania. 

 We have already prepared such maps, showing the distribution of 

 the San Josd Scale and Hessian Fly, and have at hand the material 

 for similarly charting the extent of the Seventeen-year locust, or 

 Cicada, during the summer of 1902. 



Thousands of letters have been received, calling for publications 

 or for information that could be answered by sending marked copies 

 of published articles, and these and thousands of others have asked 

 for the bulletins which we issue. All such communications receive 

 the personal attention of your Economic Zoologist, and are kept on 

 file for future reference. 



(3.) INVESTIGiTIONS AND EXPERIMENTS: 



The investigations of this Division are of paramount importance 

 to our citizens. The annual loss by the destruction of insects in the 

 State of Pennsylvania is not less than |20,000,000, and the loss by 

 plant diseases is equal to this, making an annual loss to the cultiva- 

 tors of at least |40,000,000 per year through the effects of plant 

 pests. It thus becomes important that something be done to stay 

 the ravages of such pests and diseases, and save for the husbandman 



*We are pleased to add that since the above was written Governor Pennypacker and Secre- 

 tary Critchfleld have devised a means to supply these two additional needs. — H. A. S. 



11_6— 1903 



