The Bulletin. 9 



statement of the system to be followed if one aims to incur the minimum 

 amount of insect damage to his corn crop : 



The field should he on land well drained and of sufficient elevation not 

 to he suhject to overflow. It should he at least two years out of sod, and 

 the year previous to corn should have heen in some hoed or cultivated 

 crop. If there is much growth of weeds or grass on the land, it should 

 he plowed in the fall. The land should he deeply plowed, thoroughly pre- 

 pared. The time' of planting may he modified according to location and 

 severity of insect pests, as already discussed. The young corn should he 

 given frequent and thorough cultivation. At harvest the stalk should he 

 cut at the ground and shredded or made into ensilage; the remaining 

 stuhhle can he plowed out, raked together and hurned. 



The writer understands perfectly that such a system as this cannot 

 always be carried out in all details, but he does claim that such a system 

 will involve a minimum of insect risk, and the system is closely in accord 

 Avith the best farm practice. 



REGARDING INSECTS AND THEIR NAMES. 



In considering the corn insects in this Bulletin, we have confined the 

 main discussion to those which have actually been known to do serious 

 injury to corn in this State; the lesser pests are discussed briefly. 



In discussing each pest, we have given both the popular (common) 

 and scientific names of the species, and have indicated the order, and 

 under the order the family of insects to which each belongs. This makes 

 for accuracy and definiteness. It should be remembered that the Order 

 is the more comprehensive group, and that each order is divided into a 

 number of Families. 



The great majority of our insects fall into seven orders, and there are 

 some ten or twelve other smaller and less important orders. These seven 

 principal orders are : 



1. The Orthoptera (Or-thop'-te-ra), including the Grasshoppers, Katy- 

 dids, Crickets, Roaches, etc. 



2. Ilemiptera (He-mip'-te-ra), Bugs, such as Chinch Bug, Squash Bug 

 and Terrapin Bug, Plant-lice and Scale-insects. 



3. Neuroptera (JSTeu-rop'-te-ra), Lace-wings, Dobsons, etc. 



4. Lepidoptera (Lep-i-dop'-te-ra), Butterflies and Moths. 



5. Diptera (Dip'-te-ra), the true two-winged Flies, such as House- 

 flies, Mosquitoes, Blow-flies, Horse-flies, etc. 



6. Coleoptera (Co-le-op'-te-ra), Beetles, such as Potato-beetle, Bill- 

 beetle, Flea-beetle, June-beetle, Tumble-beetle, Tiger-beetle, etc. 



7. Eymenoptera (Hy-men-op'-te-ra), Bees, Ants and Wasps. 



Qf these seven orders the Neuroptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera con- 

 tain no very serious pests of corn, but all the others will be found re- 

 ferred to in the following pages. 

 2— May 



