EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 259 



EUROPEAN CORN BORER 



Circular Bulletin No. 44. 



BY R. H. PETTIT, ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 



As near as one can judge at this time, the most serious pest that has ever 

 threatened the agriculture of America is the European corn borer. The 

 corn crop is a very important one with us and the establishment of this new 

 enemy in the great corn belt will undoubtedly cause great losses and greatly 

 increase the cost of producing a bushel of corn and therefore affect all of our 

 agricultural operations. Michigan stands in the path over which this in- 

 sect is advancing from Canada to the great corn belt. 



If we can retard or prevent the progress of this insect, we shall perform 

 a patriotic duty of vast importance to the country at large, Michigan in- 

 cluded. The European corn borer bores into the stalks, roots, ears, and cobs 

 of corn and in celery, beets, fleshy and woody weeds like smart-weed, rag- 

 weed and others of that sort. 



It is now established at St. Thomas, Canada, the nearest point reached 

 in its western progress. It is also present in parts of New York, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 



The finding of a larva boring in corn does not necessarily mean that it is 

 the dreaded pest, but any such case is open to suspicion. 



Report any case of insects boring in any part of the corn plant to the 

 Entomologist of the Experiment Station, East Lansing, Michigan, and do 

 not try to send specimens unless so directed by that office. This is in order 

 to avoid the risk of the package being broken in transit with the consequent 

 liberation of the pest we are aiming to restrict. Furthermore a short de- 

 scription of the work will help materially in dealing with the case. 



Address: R. H. Pettit, 



Section of Entomology, 

 East Lansing, Mich. 



