238 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



therefore follows that repressive measures, which appear practicable 

 to the fanner must be devised or serious losses may follow. The 

 most promising of these were outlined at the somewhat recent Sandusky 

 — St. Thomas conference and need not be discussed in this connection. 



The com ear worm situation and the relatively slight injury from 

 European Com Borer has resulted in comparatively little attention 

 being given to the latter in New York State, in spite of its potential 

 importance. It has seemed to the writer that conditions entirely justi- 

 fied the pointing out of the possibility, if not probability, of serious 

 injirry following a continuation of the corn borer conditions outlined 

 above and the calling attention to the fact, that in the event of such 

 developments, there would probably be a restoration and enforcement 

 of the quarantine as originally promulgated. An effort is being made 

 to interest the com growers along these lines and in view of the fact 

 that our badly infested corn, mostly the early planted com, occupies 

 a comparatively small proportion of the acreage, it seems entirely 

 practicable and under present conditions desirable to emphasize the 

 need of giving special attention to that part of the crop, though it would 

 naturally follow that all corn fodder in infested areas would be worked 

 up a little more carefully than has previously been the case. 



A redeeming feature of the situation is found in the fact that infes- 

 tation by the European Corn Borer is rarely uniform throughout the 

 territory. There are marked variations. Many of these presum- 

 ably can be explained by the difference between early and late planting 

 and to some extent by variations in nearby sources of infestation. 

 There is still great need of ascertaining the limitations of this insect 

 under field conditions so that they may be used to advantage in ordinary 

 farm practice. 



Mr. T. J. Headlee: I would like to ask concerning control m.easures? 



If the individual farmer should practice the best combination of 

 cultural methods that we have heard this afternoon, would he obtain 

 freedom, or approximate freedom the following year, though his neigh- 

 bors did nothing to control the insect? 



Mr. G. J. Spencer: I would say no. An investigation was conducted 

 on a badly infested field last year. The field was gone over with a 

 potato digger. It was also gone over with forks, and was handpicked, 

 and yet the infestation this year was about the same as the previous year. 



Mr. E. p. Felt: Was this in the badly infested area? 



Mr. G. J. Spencer: Right in the middle of the badly infested area — 

 right alongside of it. 



