University of the State of New York Bulletin 
Entered as second-class matter August 2, 1913, at the Post Office at Albany, N. Y., 
under the act of August 24, 1912 
Published fortnightly 

No. 547 NICS AINIYS INE Ns Nimes rons 

New York State Museum 
Joun M. CLarKeE, Director 
EPHRAIM PorTER FELT, State Entomologist 
Museum Bulletin 165 
28th REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 
IQI2 
Dr John M. Clarke, Director of Science Division 
{ have the honor to present herewith my report on the injurious 
and other insects of the State of New York for the year ending 
September 30, 1912. 
The past season was remarkable because of the superabundance 
of the common apple tent caterpillar in the Hudson and Mohawk 
valleys and on the borders of the Adirondacks. The pests were 
so numerous that most of the wild cherries on the roadside were 
defoliated and many orchards severely injured. There were reports 
of local damage here and there by the allied forest tent cater- 
pillar; in several sections extended tracts were stripped of foliage. 
There is at least a fair probability of the insect being more abund- 
ant another season and possibly causing serious injury locally. 
The green maple worm, so numerous last year, attracted no atten- 
tion the past season. 
Petroleum compounds as insecticides. Dead and dying trees 
in several Greene county orchards which had been sprayed the pre- 
ceding fall with a commercial preparation of petroleum, led to a 
careful study of the cases and the behavior of the trees through 
the season. A comparison was also made between the condition 
of these trees and injury of earlier years following applications 
of petroleum. We were unable to note any material difference 
between the two and, furthermore, observed a marked restriction 
of the damage to trees or even portions of trees which had re- 
ceived the application. A detailed discussion of our findings is 
given below, and after a careful study of the various phases of 
the matter we were forced to conclude that a certain measure ct 
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