28 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



of proper means for the control of injurious insects, is greater now 

 tlian ever before. We find, on the other hand, that the number of 

 persons educated in this direction is so small, that it is extremely 

 difficult to secure the services of men competent for the work. The 

 future development of the fruit industry in this State is seriously 

 threatened by the presence of insects, whose destructive power has 

 been fully demonstrated. 



The Curculio, the Apple and Peach Tree Borer, the Black Wooley 

 Aphis, the Tent Caterpillar, the Grain Moth, the Hessian Fly, the 

 Army Worm, the Gypsy Moth, the Chinch Bug, the San Jos^ Scale 

 and a multitude of other insects, the control of which is not yet com- 

 plete, furnish a field for investigation that is of incalculable moment 

 to the grower of crops. 



Prof. E. Dwight Sanderson, of Delaware, in a recent publication, 

 states that the loss in the United States from injurious insects 

 amounts to at least three hundred millions of dollars annually. In 

 other words, that one-tenth of the entire agricultural product of the 

 country is lost, each year, through the depredations of insects. For 

 Ihe discovery of instruments of warfare sufficient to overcome these 

 myriads of devastators, agriculture mu^t look to science. 



The country is annually expending millions upon millions of its 

 income in efforts to discover and perfect more deadly weapons for the 

 destruction of men, who threaten our institutions and welfare. A 

 like liberal appropriation would not be out of place, for the discovery 

 of appliances for the protection of the country against insect enemies, 

 equally injurious and equally to be feared. 



The Department made an effort last winter to have added to its 

 appropriation a small sum for the work of this Division, but failed to 

 convince the Legislature of its necessity, and the measure failed. 



Some work has, however, been undertaken for the discovery of the 

 period of activity of the Hessian Fly in the various sections of this 

 State, and the services of a skilled entomologist have been secured for 

 this work. Many thousands of samples of growing grain have al- 

 read}'^ been received from all sections of the State, and examined for 

 the presence of the larva of this insect. The investigations will 

 occupy at least a year, and perhaps three or four years, before suffi- 

 cient data can be secured to justify the offering of advice which can 

 be relied upon as being safe to follow. 



The Department, also, pr&pared a bill which was presented before 

 the last Legislature, and passed, which provides for the inspection 

 of nurseries throughout the State for the presence of San Jos6 Scale 

 and other injurious insect pest or pests. An inspector was ap- 

 pointed, who has been all over the State dui-ing the past autumn, hav- 

 ing visited one hundred and thirty-one niirseries, embracing an area 

 of two thousand three hundred and fifty-seven acres. The details of 



