198 Fiftieth Ebport on the State Museum 



them — oats, corn, and many vegetables, while they were so thick that 

 one could not take a step without crushing many of them. So abundant 

 were they that if a man stood still for a few minutes, they would crawl 

 upon him in so great numbers that he could not easily divest himself of 

 them. They were also very numerous just beyond the toll-gate on 

 Western avenue where they had stripped all the leaves from a number 

 of fields of fine looking oats, and leaving these, many had wandered on 

 to the plank road where large numbers were crushed by passing vehicles. 



The serious nature of the ravages of this insect was evidenced by the 

 many telegrams and letters received concerning it, — the replies to which 

 formed a considerable part of the correspondence of the Office for the 

 month of July. In addition, numerous inquiries relating to the new 

 depredator were sent to the Commissioner of Agriculture, to the Experi- 

 ment Stations at Ithaca and at Geneva, and to the branch Station at 

 Jamaica, Long Island. 



In response to a telegram, the State Entomologist visited Governor 

 Morton's farm at EUerslie, and found that hordes of hungry worms were 

 threatening the destruction of nearly 200 acres of his corn and oats. The 

 condition of affairs was found to be exceedingly alarming, and it was- 

 only by the work of fifty men continued long into the night that the crops 

 were in the main preserved. In a similar manner the army-worms were 

 destroying the corn of George Canaday of Kinderhook, N. Y., at the 

 rate of an acre a day. Mr. Canaday at once sent a special messenger 

 with examples of the caterpillars to the office of the State Entomologist, 

 to learn the proper methods of combating this enemy. The prompt 

 action of this gentleman in accordance with the directions given him, 

 enabled him to protect the greater portion of his fields. 



Its Work in Other States. 

 The ravages of the army-worm during the year have also been marked 

 ' in other States of the Union. Serious outbreaks occurred in Maine, and 

 in the central and southern portions of New Hampshire and Vermont. 

 In Massachusetts the cranberry crop in the three towns of Dennis, Har- 

 wich and Yarmouth on Cape Cod, was damaged to an estimated extent of 

 $100,000. The injury to the grass and grain crops in the State, was esti- 

 mated at fully $200,000, making a total loss by the army-worm of over 

 $300,000. Serious ravages by this insect were also reported from Con- 

 necticut. 



In New Jersey the insect was quite destructive in limited localities in 

 different portions of the State. The damage in Pennsylvania appears to 



