PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 19 



show a decided interest in that line that I have never seen in the state of 

 Michigan before. Nor is the anxiety unwarranted, for there are many 

 insects that are at least a menace, and others that will injure and in time 

 destroy many trees if not interfered with in some way. The scale insects 

 are one of the kind that are slow but sure. Frequently they are kept 

 in subjection by the numerous parasites that prey upon them, but, if not, 

 they soon become so numerous that they will crowd each other for space 

 to fasten themselves on the bark of the tree. When a tree has to support 

 so many little moths that suck the life sap from its tissues, it can not sur- 

 vive lonj? under the strain. Fortunately, the scale lice do not sap the tree 

 for the entire year. In the fall the female dies, leaving hundreds of 

 minute white eggs to fill the shell which she had occupied through the 

 summer. The eggs do not hatch until the latter part of the next May or 

 early June. Then the little yellow lice, too small to be recognized by the 

 unaided eye, run hither and yon with perfect freedom, for a few days, 

 after which they settle down, secrete a scale over themselves, and never 

 leave the spot, as they shed their legs and lose all power of locomotion. 



Kcale lice are difficult insects to treat unless taken at the opportune 

 time. If treated with a spray of kerosene emulsion, in early June, while 

 the young are running, and before they secrete the waxy scale over them, 

 they are very easily killed, though two sprayings, a week or two apart, 

 are necessary, as the young lice do not all hatch at once. If the spraying 

 is postponed until the scale becomes thick and well formed, kerosene and 

 other substances have little effect upon it, and rarely injure the occupant. 



These are a few of the more important insects brought to my notice 

 thus far in the season. It is still early for the insects that usually make 

 their appearance in July and August. As it has been so dry, grasshop- 

 pers will be abundant in many places, though fortunately we need not 

 worry over swarms of them invading our domains as they do the west, 

 and in fact are doing in many localities of Nebraska and Minnesota. 

 People in the southwestern part of the state and along the lake shore 

 must be on the alert for stray colonies of chinch bugs, for they are already 

 appearing in destnctive numbers in southern Illinois and in Iowa; but 

 here, again, we are so little affected by this pest that we should feel grate- 

 ful for our immunity. Taking our insect pests as a whole, and comparing 

 them with those of neighboring states, we should be quite content to 

 cheerfully fight the few that do molest us, even though we are not always 

 entirely successful in the contest. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Lyon: I wish to give you an illustration of the ease with which 

 we can attack this scale insect just at the right time. Some time in the 

 fifties I had an orchard in the eastern part of the state, and the trees were 

 so thoroughly infested that I began to think I should have to burn the 

 trees in order to get rid of the insects. We had a very cold storm just at 

 the time the insects were traveling about to find a new place for their 

 residence. After that storm I was unable to find an insect, all due, evi- 

 dently, to the fact that a cold, driving rain storm came on just as they 

 were going to their new lodging. I inferred that if they can be attacked 

 just at the time that they are leaving, they can be easily killed, but are 

 very hard to destroy at any other time. 



