No. 1 DEf^ARTMENT OP A(>RICULTtTRE. 139 



I 



Messrs. A. F. Satterthwait, W. S. Fisher, D. K. McMillan, W. R. 

 Walton, r. H. Hertzog, W. R. McConnell, H. O. Marsh, and Paul R. 

 Myers, besides a few other persons who have come into more or less 

 occasional contact with them. Of course, it must not be understood 

 that all the persons here named have w^orked exclusively, or even 

 during a great portion of their time, at making or preserving col- 

 lections, but they worked for what brief time they could give to 

 this, as for example, when it was stormy and they must be indoors, 

 with such care that experts who have seen even our most delicate 

 specimens have pronounced them the best prepared and preserved 

 of any that have come into their hands. Of course, such work and 

 results are essential if our collection is to be a permanent basis 

 for the study of Natural History in this State. I only regret that 

 arrangements have not been made for us to come into more direct 

 touch with the State Museum in order to help develop that Institu- 

 tion and to use its facilities for storage and exhibition purposes. 



One of the great uses of this collection is now making itself 

 manifest in the extensive calls from Granges and other permanent 

 organizations, which have regular meeting rooms, asking us to fur- 

 nish them collections of beneficial and obnoxious insects for exhibi- 

 tion and study in their rooms. Teachers, by the hundreds, have 

 also applied to us for collections, as well as for naming and classify- 

 ing specimens in their own collections in order to use these correctly 

 named specimens for comparison in naming others. I hope it will 

 be possible to furnish at least one carefully prepared and labeled 

 collection of insects, and in fact of all animal organisms found in 

 this State, for one of the prominent public schools in each county, 

 or, perhaps, to arrange a systematic or travelling collection, some- 

 what upon the plan of the traveling libraries, to be used by teachers 

 who desire them as aids in Nature Study work. Another employee, 

 acting in the capacity of Curator, would make this possible, and 

 we deem it sufficiently important to urge it for both educational 

 and practical purposes. 



' 2. INVESTIGATIONS. 



As previously reported the investigations of this office have been 

 chiefly along the line of Economic Zoology with most reference to 

 destructive insects, but with due regard to beneficial insects, and at 

 least some attention to the enemies of our common insect pests. 

 We have continued the investigations upon the subject of San Jos6 

 scale and its enemies and remedies, and have proven conclusively 

 the truth of our former statement to the etfect that "the lime-sulphur 

 wash, boiled for one hour, and applied while the leaves are off 

 the trees, or when the trees are dormant is the best means of killing 

 the San Jos6 scale, the safest or least injurious to the infested 

 trees, and the least expensive material that can be effectively applied 

 for this pest.'' (See Report for 1905, page 130.) 



The various Experiment Station Bulletins confirm this in every 

 point, and quite recent bulletins coming into our hands show^ the 

 most careful experimentors are in accord with this. 



Tests have been made with various commercial materials for kill- 

 ing the San Jos($ scale, and as a general result we have found that 

 most of them are not very good, but the so-called miscible oils or 

 soluble oils, sold under various trade names are good insecticides 



