VIU PREFACE. 



attention was drawn to it as conveying information 

 in one of the branches of agricultural instruction 

 brought forward under the arrangements of the new 

 County Councils, and the little book sold off so rapidly 

 as to necessitate the preparation of a Second Edition^ 

 which, under the circumstances, is now issued under 

 a slightly altered and more appropriate title. 



Since 1884 (the date of the first edition), knowledge 

 of the habits of our farm insects, and also knowledge 

 of how to cope with them, has made great advance, 

 and some of the most important of these points h ave 

 been alluded to. Amongst these, orchard fruit- 

 growing, as a distinct agricultural industry, is almost 

 a new branch ; and in its train has come, from across 

 the Atlantic, much useful knowledge as to insecticides, 

 and implements for their application. Great advance 

 has also been made in information regarding habits 

 of some of our commonest cattle insects, and notes are 

 given in the following pages on these subjects, as well 

 as on injurious representatives of various other families, 

 as the Sheep Liver Fluke, Eelworms, Slugs, &c. 



The reader is, however, begged to observe that this 

 little l)Ook is in no way offered as a " Manual," but. 



