302 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OfC. Doc. 



ouglily known and the part which the barberry plaj's in it, it would 

 seem that there could be no room for doubt, and that barberry 

 bushes should not be allowed. But we find, in our locality at least, 

 that the barberry is but seldom infected, and true wheat rust is not 

 a serious disease. Moreover, recent studies of rust have shown 

 that it is capable of continuous development, independent of the 

 stag-e sometimes found upon the barberry. Hence the presence of 

 barberry bushes appears of at least much less significance than was 

 formerly sui>posed. None the less, considering how easily a fungus 

 outbreak may appear under conditions favorable to the species, it 

 would be well not to use the common barberries so abundantly as 

 hedges would require. As to Barberis thunbergii, the low growing 

 Japanese species, now so popular for ornamental planting, the 

 writer believes the danger to be so slight that it may be ignored, 

 since the rust has never yet been found upon it. 



REPORT OF ENTOMOLOGIST NO. 1. 



By Pkof. H. a. Surface, Harrisburg, Pa. 



To me falls the duty of rendering to you a report of the ento- 

 mological conditions in Pennsylvania during the year 1907. I have 

 no way of knowing how much of my correspondence and service 

 regarding insects is due to my position with this respected Board, 

 but I know that in the capacity of Economic Zoologist of this Com 

 monwealth our chief correspondence, publications and practical 

 work has been along this line. We have, therefore, been in posi- 

 tion to watch closely the outbreaks of injurious insects, the reme- 

 dies that have been used successfully or otherwise in their repres- 

 sion, the enemies of insects and the appearance of literature upon 

 this subject as well as the undoubtedly increased attention given 

 it by the public. 



We rejoice to say that with our other insect troubles, we have 

 not been invaded with such destructive pests as the West Indian 

 Peach Scale, the Brown Scale, the Gj^psy Moth and the Brown Tail 

 Moth. While we recognize the serious effects of the San Jos^ 

 Scale and the great havoc it has played in this State we are cer- 

 tain that the conditions would be much worse were any one or 

 miore of the above named pests to be established within this Com- 

 monwealth. Therefore, it is important that we watch for them 

 and guard carefully against their introduction, and should they 

 become established it is necessary to take all possible means of 

 stamping them out at once. 



The worst pest, of course, attacking vegetation in this State is 

 the San Jos^ Scale, which has been responsible for the destruction 

 of millions of dollars^ worth of fruit trees, and which is causing 

 an annual loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of prop- 

 erty in the State and reducing our fruit and fruit prospects. In 



