G5G ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



against (he rico water-weevil will be continued, and tlie work 

 against the cotton red spider in South Carolina will be largely of a 

 demonstrational charactei*. 



Hie work on the possible influence of insects in the carriage of 

 pellagra will be continued in cooperation with the Public Ilealth 

 and Marine-Hospital Service and with tho recently established 

 nellnirr:^ commission of the New York Postgraduate School of 

 Medicine. 



With forest insects, especial attention will be "paid to the subject 

 of insects affecting chestnut and the chinquapin, and a detailed study 

 of the relation of insects to the blight and other diseases a fleeting 

 these trees. The damage by insects to the seeds of forest trees will 

 be studied, and investigations of the reductions in value of living, 

 fire-killed, insect-killed, and storm-felled timber caused by wood- 

 boring insects will be carried on. Special studies of the more im- 

 portant groups of forest-tree insects will be made, and experiments 

 will be carried on with dilferent chemical wood preservatives as to 

 their effect in preventing attack of wood-destroying insects, espe- 

 cially white ants or termites. The investigation of insect damage 

 to telephone and telegrajjh poles, mine props, and posts and timbers 

 used in railroads or other constructions will be continued, as well as 

 the practical demonstration work on methods of locating and treat- 

 ing timber infested with Dendroctonus and other tree-killing insects. 

 So much of the latter work has been done that it is believed that less 

 of the educational work will be needed the coming year. 



With insects affecting deciduous fruit trees, most of the investiga- 

 tions of the past year will be continued, especially those relating to 

 the grape Phylloxera, the a^^ple-tree borers, the pear thrips, the peach 

 Lecanium, and the codling moth. It is hoped to conclude the work 

 with grape insects in the Lake Erie Valley and to utilize the force 

 there in other investigations. The completion of the codling-moth 

 studies in Michigan and California renders it possible to attempt 

 some other investigat'ions in those States, and in California, specifi- 

 cally, inquiry with regard to currant and gooseberry insects will be 

 started. 



With regard to cereal and forage insects, the same problems will 

 continue under investigation, and with the added funds appropriated 

 it will be possible to concentrate with greater force upon the im- 

 portant problem of the alfalfa weevil. 



Added funds for the investigation of insects affecting vegetable 

 crops have been specifically designated for the purpose of increasing 

 the facilities in the study of insects affecting sugar beets, and also for 

 added Avork upon the onion thrips. The stations already established 

 will be continued, and the general outline of the work given in 

 earlier paragraphs in this report will be followed out. 



In the case of citrus fruits and subtropical fruits in general the 

 work at Lindsay, Cal., relating to the orange thrips and various leaf- 

 feeding insects should be completed with this year's work, the thrips 

 project having already reached the demonstrational stage. The 

 white-fly work in Florida has also reached a substantial conclusion. 

 It seems wise, however, to carry out a series of demonstrations in 

 different sections of the State to show the effectiveness of a proper 

 system of spraying kept up for a period of two years. This demon- 

 stration work has already been begun, and will be just the kind of an 



