1^'T1{0DUCT0RY PREFACE. 



The object of the present volume, of which theFh-st Edition 

 was piibhshecl in 1881, is to give, in short and plain form, 

 some account of the insects that are commonly injurious to 

 our food crops, forest trees, and fruit, together with methods 

 of treatment that have l)een found serviceable in preventing 

 attacks, or in averting serious damage. 



Since the above date much has been learnt in this country 

 regarding available measures, both for preventing increase of 

 insect pests, and also for lessening the amount of loss caused 

 by their ravages when present. Also (and mainly from the 

 oljservations of our own agriculturists.^ the appearances have 

 been recorded of various kinds of crop pests which had pre- 

 viously not been observed as present in this country, or as 

 not being present to an injurious extent ; and many points 

 have been brought to light, in the history of those previously 

 known, on which information was needed in order to enable 

 us to counteract their ravages. 



In the present volume I have endeavoured to add the main 

 points of the above observations to those originally given, 

 find with them the results of much technical consultation 

 and co-operation, both as to identification and habits of 

 insects, with which I have been favoured by Entomologists 

 of our own and other countries. 



Amongst attacks of crop pests which have been recorded 

 as first observed here during the past few years, is notably 

 that of the Hessian Fly {Cccidomtjia destructor), first recorded 

 here in 1886; the Stem Eelworm {Tylenchus devastatrix) 

 has still more recently been proved to be the cause of the 

 diseased growths known as Tulip-root in Oats and as Stem- 



