8 Feb., 1908.] Insect Pests in fertigu Lauds. 79 



by our Slock Branch. The Biographical Survey deals with investigations 

 as to the spread and range of useful and injurious birds and animals. In 

 the absence of Dr, Merriman, Dr.. Fisher took me through the offices and 

 -explaimed the trouble that they had in the north-west with the ground- 

 -squirreils, which destroy grass and crops, just like our rabbits. Poisoning 

 with phosphorus or other mixtures is the chief method of extermination ; 

 but a± has been stated that a few years ago a contagious disease sprang 

 ijp aimongst them, aTid in some places they all died out. Dr. Piper ha.s 

 l)eem investigating this matter. The Bureau of Forestry was also visited, 

 and the officers in that branch gave me much interesting information about 

 their methods of dealing with the forest areas. Most of the United States 

 forests are in the west and north-west, and consist chiefly of conifers. 

 Replanting is not practised on a large scale, but the forests belonging to 

 the Government are waste lands, much of them in the free-range districts. 

 The free-range s^'^tem has grown up into one of the greatest evils to settle- 

 ment in the States. There are millions of acres for which the State gets 

 no rent in the occupation of sheep and cattle men, who are eating out the 

 grass and fighting among themselves to hold the land of which none of 

 tliem have anv right or title. 



The Weather Bureau is also closely connected with the Department of 

 Agriculture, as they issue warnings as to rain or frost indications that are 

 -carefully watched by fruit-growers, farmers, and others interested in agricul- 

 ture. They issue two weather-charts everv- day. The observations are 

 taken all over the States, from Edmonton in the far north of Canada to 

 Porto Rico in the West Indies, and at 10.30 the same morning all thesp 

 reports are tabulated and readv for publication. 



Last week, 7th October, I went to Ithaca and visited Cornell Universitv 

 as one of the most typical agricultural colleges in the United States, where 

 Professor Comstock showed me all their work, and the arrangement ol 

 specimens for their teaching work. Professor Slingerland show^ed me his 

 methods of making lantern-slides and other work. Dr. Xeedham took me 

 <lown to his marsh lands experiments, where all water insects, mosquitoes, 

 and fish can be continuously obser\'ed under natural conditions, and the 

 reclamation of marsh lands studied. 



From there I went to Boston to study the work of the Gipsy Moth and 

 Brown Tail Moth Commission. The State Commissioners have a force of 

 1,000 men engaged burning off underbrush, burning egg clusters, bandaging 

 the trunks, and spraying the foliage of the infested forests. The State of 

 Massachusetts votes part of the money, and each town in the infested 

 districts has to tax itself so much per valuation of property, and at the 

 same time the Federal Department has voted a sum to deal with the intro- 

 duction of parasitic enemies of these moths in their native home (Europe), 

 and thousands of such parasites are being liberated in these infested areas. 

 The result of these parasites will be watched by the economic entomologists 

 all over the w'orld. I went over about ^00 miles of the infested area with 

 the State Commissioner. I have now arranged to leave on the i^th (next 

 Tuesday) for Texas, where the Cotton Boll Weevil Commission is working, 

 and after a few days' stay in the district of Dallas will proceed to the 

 City of Mexico, via San Antonio, to investigate the Mexican Fruit-flv 

 {Tryfeta hidens) and its parasites, and. if feasible, shall forward consign- 

 ments of infested pupae direct to our Entomological Branch. 



