REPORT. 



Office of the State Entomologist, 

 Albany, Jamiary 7, 1886. 



To the Honoralle Board of Regents of the University of the State 

 of New York : 



Gentlemen — I beg leave to present the following report in 

 relation to mj Department, and of some of the work during the 

 past year: 



The progress made in Economic Entomology within the last 

 decade has been without a parallel in its previous history, and not 

 surpassed, we believe, in any other department of Natural History. 

 This has been attained through the careful and successful studies 

 prosecuted, of the habits and life-histories of our various insects, 

 and of insecticides available in the destruction of the injurious 

 species, together with methods and appliances by which they can be 

 most conveniently and economically employed. 



A large proportion of the noxious species which for so long a 

 time have imposed their onerous annual tax upon the products of 

 the field, the orchard, and the garden, are now controllable, through 

 means which the economic entomologist is prepared to recommend, 

 and it only remains that such recommendations be faithfully carried 

 out. With other species, not yet entirely within our control, much 

 may be done toward a material mitigation of their hitherto un- 

 checked depredations. 



So marked have been the results attending the use of the remedial 

 and preventive measures above referred to, that nothing more is 

 needed to commend them than a knowledge of what they may 

 accomplish. Thus, to illustrate : An orchard protected by Paris 

 green spraying from the attack of the codling-moth, and as the con- 

 sequence, yielding its thousand bushels of uninjured fruit — con- 

 trasted with a similar but uncared-for orchard adjoining, and prov- 

 ing an entire failure — furnishes as strong an argument as could be 

 possibly presented in favor of the study of applied entomology. 



The aj)preciation in which the work of this department is being 

 held by the agricultural community of our State and of other States, 

 is unmistakably shown in the calls made upon it for information 

 and aid. During the past year such calls have been largely in excess 

 of previous years, although no special insect attack of unusual 

 severity has prevailed over a large extent of territory. 

 [Assem. Doc. No. 104.] 11 



