(58 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



have appeared again in considerable force. So far as we can learn, the 

 principal damage has been in the northwestern counties of the Lower 

 Peninsula, particularly in Grand Traverse, Antrim, Kalkaska and Otsego 

 counties. The caterpillars work mainly on hardwood trees, and in some 

 places have stripped thousands of acres of forest trees of their entire 

 foliage. In one case they are reported to have massed on a railroad track 

 in such numbers, while moving from a devastated area to another, as to 

 stop trains on an up-grade and cause considerable delay at that point. In 

 this case they were wrongly called "army-worms," a not unnatural mis- 

 take, and one constantly made in the southern part of the State in the case 

 of the common canker-w^orm. The true army-worm (Leucania unipuncta) is 

 a cut-worm which commonly originates in wet grass lands and then 

 spreads or "marches" over the surrounding fields. No notices of this 

 latter species were received during the year. 



The Pear Psylla, Psi/lla pi/rieola, which appeared in one or two places 

 in the late summer of 1897, has not spread to any great extent, and has 

 not justified the fears so generally expressed. It may yet cause severe 

 trouble among the fruit growers of the State, but the fact that it has 

 been present for several years without doing so, and that our fruit men 

 have been warned and are on the lookout for it, will tend to lessen the 

 severity of the attack if it does come. 



The strawberry leaf-roller {PJioxopteris comptana) was reported as dan- 

 gerously common last summer in parts of Berrien and Cass counties, and 

 it is probable that it was present elsewhere in harmful numbers. There 

 is some hope that its native enemies may increase rapidly enough to 

 check its increase, but otherwise it will have to be fought year after year 

 at considerable expense. We have also had complaints of two species 

 oT strawberry saw-flies, whose presence is to be deprecated. 



The San Jose scale is now in the hands of another officer, whose report 

 will be found elsewhere; this office has merely given advice when ap- 

 pealed to, and identified all do.ubtful specimens submitted. It may not 

 he amiss to add, however, that the apparent failure of this dangerous scale 

 to multiply and spread as expected should not diminish our watchful- 

 ness in the least or lead to the neglect of all necessary precaution. A 

 large area in Michigan is certainly ada]»ted to the needs of this pest and 

 we may be sure that, once fairly introduced and established, that area 

 will never again be entirely free from it, no matter what the appearances 

 may be. 



Other scale insects have demanded attention from time to time, and we 

 have received samples of half a dozen species which have done more or 

 less damage. Eemedies have been prescribed according to the species 

 and the degree of infestation, but complete immunity from these trouble- 

 some insects will only be obtained at the price of "eternal vigilance." 



The sugar beet industry has brought to the front several species of 

 more or less common insects which live to some extent on this crop. 

 Most of them are well known and can be overcome or guarded against 

 with little trouble. Thus far we have seen most damage from a small 

 beetle known as the pale-striped flea-beetle, F^i/sfeua hhinda. but several 

 other beetles are often associated with this species, as well as one or more 

 bugs, a leaf-miner, several caterpillars, and some other enemies. Studies 

 of some of these are in progress now and the results will be published as 

 soon as ready. 



A new enemy to the peach has appeared in the form of an undescribed 



