23 



crops affects the finances of tliose cultivating^ them, and it is quite 

 natural and proper that those insects which destroy the common 

 and more important farm crops should have especial attention ; but 

 it is not right that our attention should be confined to these. Our 

 shade trees have not only beauty, but active value, so that the most 

 thoroughly utilitarian and practical man must yet be interested in 

 their preservation, and there are many who would be very greatlv 

 troubled if the familiar shade trees about their homes, or on their 

 farms, were to perish. Very fortunately many of our trees, while 

 not exempt from the plague of insects, are not as liable to destruc- 

 tive attacks as are herbaceous plants. Yet the attacks of insects 

 are sufficiently numerous and ruinous to call for our diligent study. 

 There are, as will be seen in what follows, insects often found on 

 tile elms which, if sufficiently numerous, would easily destrov 

 these trees, root and branch, and if we consider what a melancholy 

 change would take place in many of our towns and villages if all 

 the elms were destroyed, we may well feel some anxiety respect- 

 ing the welfare of these trees, that add so much to the beauty and 

 attractiveness of our State. I have chosen the elm rather than the 

 maple, or any other tree, at this time, paitly because the elm seems 

 to mc most in danger, and partly because I have been asked to do 

 so by various j)ersons whose opinion and wishes I verv hi<>hlv 

 respect. It may seem an over enthusiastic outburst of admiration 

 to say that the American elm is the finest shade tree known, and 

 opinions may well differ in regard to this, but for myself I believe 

 it to be true that, taking gracefulness, ease of cultivation, variety 

 of form, adaptation to our climate and the physical features of the 

 country, this tree is superior to all others. There are those that 

 arc more delicate in leaf, more elegant in flower, more wonderful 

 in this or that respect, but making up a general average, 1 think 

 we shall find our elm coming out ahead of all the rest. It is rather 

 strange that this tree, like most others, has as its worst enemies, for 

 the most part, very small insects. There are a few large species 

 that more or less commonly attack some part of the tree, but by 

 far the larger part of those insects which injure it are small. This 

 fact makes it all the more difficult to deal with the foes of the elm, 

 since the large size of the tree and the small size of the insect ren- 

 ders the concealment of the latter easy, and the great extent of siu'- 

 face to be reached by an\ insecticide makes it difficult to apph it 

 with sufficient thoroughness to be of use. 

 14 



