328 BOARB OF AGRICULTURE. 



As this insect appears only once in seventeen years it naturally creates 

 considerable excitement, especially among the younger people, as the time 

 for its appearance draws nigh. Many stories have been told and many 

 warnings have been issued by the knowing ones concerning the havoc 

 which it is likely to create. In order to ascertain the facts in the case, 

 concerning the amount of damage done. I prepared a list of questions 

 and sent them out about the first of last May, to about 200 of the prom- 

 inent farmers, sending them to every county in the State. Among the 

 questions asked were these: "Date of first appearance?" "Date of last 

 appearance?" "What species of trees were most injured?" "Did they 

 do much injury to fruit trees, especially to newly set orchards?" As a 

 result ninety-two counties were heard from. Eighty-three counties re- 

 ported the presence of the insect in more or less abundance, and nine re- 

 ported none. These were Lake. Porter, Newton, Jaspei-, Starke, Pulaski. 

 Adams, Tipton and Randolph— all northern counties. The date of appear- 

 ance ranged from May 10th in the southern counties to June 1st in the 

 northern, and the time of disappearance ranged from June 10th in the 

 south to June 30th in the north. Twenty counties reported more or less 

 damage to fruit trees, but in almost all cases where serious injury was 

 reported the orchard stood in close proximity to the forest or near where 

 a forest had recently stood. Sixty-two reported no damage to orchards. 

 In newly set orchards, that is, in orchards set out last spring or a year 

 ago this fall, ten reported some damage and sixty-seven reported no 

 injury whatever. It is a well known fact that this insect prefers forest 

 trees in which to oviposit; but occasionally this rule seems to have been 

 violated, as, for example, in a few instances which came under my obser- 

 vation young nurseries, of one and two-year-old trees, were almost sur- 

 rounded by a dense forest, and the fruit trees were quite badly damaged. 

 But the insects in these particular localities were exceedingly omnivorous, 

 and the young and tender branches of the nursery stock afforded a handy 

 place for depositing their eggs. Such circumstances, however, were com- 

 paratively rare. Of the more than 150 nurseries inspected, it is safe to 

 say that not one-fourth of one per cent, of the trees were permanently 

 injured by this insect. 



The accompanying map will show in which counties the Cicada made 

 its appearance. ^ 



A tabular statement concerning this insect also follows: 



