X INTRODUCTORY PREFACE. 



sickness in Clover ; and the attacks of the Frit Fly {Oscinis 

 frit) — a pest little known here before — to Oats in 1888, and 

 the yearly recurring damage from Wheat-bulb Fly {Hijlemyia 

 coarctata) to young Wheat plants, have also been brought 

 forward. 



Notes of a few kinds of crop attacks mentioned in the First 

 Edition which have proved to be of little practical importance 

 are now omitted, and, instead, observations have been added 

 of the above-named infestations, and about eighteen other 

 kinds of attack injurious to a serious extent to farm or fruit 

 crops, or in a few instances to timber plantations. 



It will be seen that the special subjects of Wireworm, 

 Turnip Flea Beetle, Mustard Beetle, and Hop Aphis are 

 entered on at length, from the observations with which 1 was 

 favoured for publication in my special reports on these 

 subjects ; and throughout the book I have endeavoured, as far 

 as possible, to complete the life-histories of the insects from 

 British observations placed in my hands, and also to replace 

 notes of preventive treatment which have become out of date, 

 or not found to answer w-ith certainty, by observations of 

 measures which have more recently been brought under 

 notice and found repeatedly to be of service. 



In this matter the chemical manures now available, which 

 are highly beneficial as plant-stimulants (but by no means so 

 to vegetable-feeding grubs and maggots), and the many kinds 

 of agricultural implements by wdiich the soil can be more 

 completely broken up on the surface, or the surface more 

 thoroughly buried down than was formerly the case, are of 

 great assistance to us. 



The different kinds of attack are, for the most part, arranged 

 alphabetically under the headings of Food Crops, Forest 

 Trees, and Fruit, beginning respectively with Asparagus, 

 Ash, and Apple ; and the insects attacking each crop or tree 

 are also, so far as could be managed, similarly arranged alpha- 

 betically under such crop, by the name by which they are com- 

 monly known, as Turnip " Fly" or Flea Beetle, Wireworm, &c. 



A work of this kind, involving measures of treatment of the 

 most varied nature, must necessarily be a compilation from 

 many sources, and the special contributions of information I 



