Eighth Repori of the State Enotmologist. 221 



Some Injurious Insects of 1890. 



The following notes from a paper read by Hon, Daniel K. Young, of 

 Oyster Bay, Queens Co., N. Y., before the Queens County Farmers* 

 Club, were submitted to me for an^^ comments that it might be thought 

 desirable to make upon them, 



1. In the summer of 1890, there was noticed in growing wheat a 

 partial blight. The leaves lost their normal green, turned brown, and 

 withered. Rye was similarly effected, but less seriously; there was 

 also noticed in r^^e scant filled heads and much shriveled grain. This 

 was attributed to insect depredation. The causes were not investigated 

 nor the extent of damage noted. 



2. Oats was ruinously blighted in an early stage of growth, similar 

 to, but more seriously than wheat. There is also an insect enemy of 

 many years standing, which has rendered the kernel almost valueless. 

 No satisfactory exposition of this has been made public. 



3. The marketable value of potatoes is seriously impaired by what 

 is popularly known as " Scab." This is undoubtedly caused by insect 

 perforation, but when or at what stage of growth of the tuber is not 

 positively known. 



4. The elm-leaf beetle, or rather the larva, has disfigured and seriously 

 injured elm trees several seasons past. The frequent drenching rains 

 in August and later in the season of 1889, destroyed quantities of the 

 pests while in the pupa state, before transformation to the perfect 

 beetle was completed. This gave false hope of its destruction. The 

 few that appeared in the spring of 1890 increased without molestation, 

 and the approaching season will probably show a material increase. 



5. In view of the fact that the Colorado and the Asparagus beetles 

 have been kept in subjection by remedies which timely investigation 

 proved efficient, the Committee suggest that the managers institute 

 inquiries into these matters, and if necessary, at the proper season 

 invite the State Entomologist to personally investigate, and report upon 

 what they are, their different stages and habits, so that the lay mind 

 may comprehend sufficiently to institute inquiry, observation, and 

 remedies, 



A few remarks may be made upon the above: 



1, Examination of wheat and rye from several localities, affected in 

 the manner above described, showed the discolored portions to contain 

 multitudes of a minute nematode worm — one of the AnguillulidcPy 

 which were undoubtedly the cause of the discoloration and the partial 

 blight. The particular species was not determined. 



During the past two or three years, nematode attacks have been 

 found to be very common in a large number of plants. Careful study 

 has been given to them both in this country and in Europe. Dr. J. 

 Ritzema Bos, of Wageningen, Netherlands, has published the results 

 of his elaborate studies of Tylenehus devastatrix — one of the most 

 common species. Miss E. A. Ormerod has detected them as causing 

 much of the so-called "clover sickness;" and in this country, the life- 



