SUMMER MEETING. 115 



Q. Mr. Mnrray — I would like to ask one more question, whether 

 or not, from your information and best experience, can we reasonably 

 hope that some parasite may check it by next year, or whether the 

 chances are in favor of an increase of the canker worm next year? 



A. Yes, sir ; we have about five parasites we can rely upon, and 

 in certain localities those parasites will probably exterminate it, so far 

 as we are concerned. It may do it next year, or it may not — it depends 

 upon conditions; but it is a very common occurence to have it do so. 



Mr. Stedman — Here I hold up a twig with something on it; it is 

 called the praying mantis or devil's horse. That is one of your most 

 beneficial insects; it prays upon other insects. If we had enough of 

 those insects it would exterminate the canker worm; one of them will 

 kill dozens in a day. Observe those eggs, and do not pull them off 

 your trees and burn them ; they are your friends. There is one thing 

 I wish I could impress upon all : we have insects that are beneficial as 

 well as ones that are injurious ; that insect derives nourishment by 

 sucking the juice from other insects. 



Q. I noticed in my orchard small patches of eggs about like a 

 thumbnail; do you know what those eggs are? They are deposited 

 something like the back of a tortoise shell. They are of yellow color 

 covered over with a kind of slime; they come early in spring and late 

 in winter, and in the summer you will find the shells. 



A. No, sir; that is not an injurious insect; we have no injurious 

 insects that do that that lay their eggs in the winter, but I do not know 

 from your description what they are. 



Q. Tell us how to fight the ten catarpillar. 



A. One way is to go around to the trees and take a stick and put 

 in and turn it and put it on the ground and step on it; if you wait un- 

 til later you can go over the orchard with a torch and burn them ; that 

 is not injurious to the tree at all; or you can spray it if you spray 

 while they are very young. 



Mr. Murray — I would like to inquire about the green aphis; there 

 was so much excitement about it in the spring; I would like to know 

 what success has been made m destroying it. 



A. Those aphis, it does not matter what color they are ; they are 

 the same insect. Those insects at certain seasons, if the conditions 

 are just right, they multiply enormously without laying eggs. They do 

 that so rapidly that as soon as the trees unfold their leaves they are 

 covered with the aphis ; those insects do not ordinarily do much dam- 

 age ; the only damage they do is certain years upon cherry trees and 

 plum trees ; they rarely damage apple trees. 



