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has eaten characteristic patches at the edges of the leaves. The insects made their ap- 

 pearance as soon as the squashes were well up, but did not begin mating or ovipositing 

 until the middle of July. Larvae were not found until August. This gives quite a long 

 period for the mature insect. It is easily kept in check by the use of the arsenites. 



The Corn Bill-bug, Sphenophorus sculptilis, appeared in large numbers in Burlington, 

 Salem, and Gloucester Counties, and perhaps in other surrounding regions. The beetle 

 drilled the characteristic holes in the young plants at or near the surface and thus destroyed 

 many acres of corn. I advised replanting after a short delay, and the second crop of 

 plants was undisturbed. The insect was a new one to growers, and its appearance in 

 such numbers caused consternation. They were most numerous on old sod, but by no 

 means confined to such land. 



Diplosis pyrivora has been complained of as an injurious species for the first time. 

 It has reached Newark, Montclair, Elizabeth, and Paterson, so far as my information 

 extends, and has probably been in some orchards for at least three years. Where it first 

 made its start in this State I have been unable to ascertain. The Lawrence pear is the 

 one most generally attacked, in one orchai-d over 90 per cent, of the fruit being infested. 

 From an examination of the infested fruit I believe the egg is laid in the ovary, or if not 

 that, the young larva does not pierce the fruit, but follows the pistil into the ovary or 

 seed chamber, the opening in this variety of pear being quite wide. In many cases also 

 this same passage is used by the larva to leave the fruit where it remains sound and does 

 not crack. This promises to be one of the most dangerous of the fruit pests. 



Spraying fruit trees with London purple has been very generally practised in New 

 Jersey, and always with most gratifying results. An unexpected result has been the 

 destruction of the fungus on the pear which so generally disfigures varieties like the 

 Bartlett. Fruit on sprayed trees is fine and clean, that on the others is spotted and 

 clouded and of an inferior grade. 



The Plum curciilio has made a plum crop almost impossible in New Jersey. I made 

 only one experiment myself during the season, spraying one tree with the kerosene emul- 

 sion, 1 to 12, once a week for six weeks. At the end of that pariod nearly every plum 

 on the tree had from one to six larvae, and I called the experiment a failure. Several 

 growers who had a few trees only report a favourable result in spraying with the arsenites, 

 and there seems little doubt but that a certain percentage of fruit can be saved in this 

 way. For small trees of choice varieties I suggested cutting out the egg. This was done 

 in a few cases with absolute success. It leaves only a trifling scar, no more than that of 

 the original puncture, and is certain in effect. Of course this would not answer on a 

 commercial scale, but for choice fruit in the garden it is not impractical, and might be 

 used to supplement spraying with arsenites. 



I have followed out my inquiries into the action of certain fertilizers as insecticides, 

 and am more than ever convinced that in kainit we have a powerful agent for the destruc- 

 tion of forms infesting sod-land. Where this material is used before planting corn even 

 on old sod, cutworms and wireworms will do no injury. In addition, I always advise 

 fall plowing to give the winter a chance. Direct experiments in the laboratory show 

 that Elater larvae will die in soil that contains kainit, though it acts slowly and two 

 weeks are required to produce a complete result. The experiments will be given in detail 

 elsewhere. 



Mr. Alwood, in discussing, said that ne had recommended London purple against 

 Fuscicladium for some years. 



