MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON ECONOMIC WORK; 

 ORCHARD AND SHADE TREE INSECTS, SPRAY- 

 ING, TRUCK AND FIELD CROPS. 



A. G. RUGGLES 



A number of lectures to Farmers' Clubs, Nature Studv Clubs, 

 and other organizations were given at Glenwood, Sauk Centre, 

 Excelsior, Faribault, Lake Elmo, West St. Paul ( Men's Garden 

 Club), St. Paul, Osseo (Minnesota Garden Flower Society), Min- 

 neapolis. 



Spra)'ing demonstrations outside of the University h^arm were 

 given at Hugo and Preston. 



From time to time letters and calls over the telei)hone reach us 

 of some serious damage being done to trees, held or farm crops and 

 truck crops. If we cannot give the information from the descrip- 

 tion, whenever possible, we personally investigate the injury and 

 gi\-e practical methods of control. Al)out ninety of these trips 

 haA'e been made during the last biennium, and in some cases the 

 tr<)ul)le has been so serious that we have had to repeat our trips 

 later and see that certain recommendations w ere carried DUt. 



At Sauk Centre and Glenwood the trouble witli the trees was 

 an outbreak of Cottony Maple Scale. This meant a citA' ])roblem of 

 spraying. These cities bought spraying machines and effectually 

 stopped the work of the insect. Potatoes at Princeton were badly 

 attacked last year with leaf hopper and plant bugs. These insects 

 were not killed by our ordinary methods of protection, hence we are 

 now working on a project which we hope will ultimately give us 

 methods of control of these forms. At New Richland the corn is 

 being killed by wire \\orms under rather peculiar circumstances. 

 ^^'e have a definite problem here to work out on the control of 

 this insect. Many reports of this character come to the office, and 

 b\- these personal investigations we are able to give considerable 

 help, often leading to more detailed study of the insect by the mem- 

 bers of the department. 



Our specific problems for investigation at present have the 

 following titles : 



1. Insect Collection. 



2. Spraying. 



3. Orchard and Shade Tree Insects. 



4. Field Crop Insects. 



5. Truck Crop Insects. 



6. ^\'eed Insects. 



