REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST IQ1I2 Fk 
exterminate such outlying infestations, as this policy is much cheaper 
and decidedly more advantageous to the general welfare than the 
adoption of repressive measures with the inevitable slow spread 
of the insect and shortly the greatly increased cost of controlling 
the pest incident to its being distributed over an extended area. 
Such measures are also advisable, since checking the normal spread 
is most advantageous for the development of introduced parasites, 
a number of which have already been established in this country. 
The recent enactment of a national plant quarantine act, recom- 
mended by the Entomologist and his associates in other states, is 
an important step in advance and should prove of great service in 
restricting the spread of this and other injurious insects as well as 
preventing the introduction of dangerous pests. 
Brown-tail moth. This species has attracted comparatively little 
attention the past season, though it has become established in the 
northwestern corner of Massachusetts and it is only a question 
of time before it will make its way into this State. The danger 
of this pest being introduced on nursery stock grown in infested 
sections still exists and should not be overlooked simply because 
a portion of the State is contiguous to infested territory. The 
winter nests are so characteristic that there should be little difficulty 
in identifying the insect and at the outset prevent its becoming 
excessively abundant. 
Grass and grain pests. White grubs have been extremely 
numerous in portions of Albany, Columbia and Rensselaer counties, 
at least. They were so abundant in many places as practically to 
kill the grass over areas half. an acre. or more in extent. The 
roots were almost entirely destroyed and in many fields much of 
the sod was, as a consequence, torn loose where a horse take was 
used. The outbreak was taken advantage of to study in repre- 
sentative spots, the work of the grubs, their habits and natural 
enemies, with special reference to methods of control. A detailed 
account of our investigations is given in this report. 
The Hessian fly caused serious losses in the wheat-growing sec- 
tion of western New York, destroying entire fields and, in many 
cases, reducing the yield by 50 per cent. A personal investigation 
was made of the injury for the purpose of ascertaining any 
peculiarities in its inception and determining the probabilities of 
serious damage another year. A number of parasites were reared 
“from infested wheat stems collected in representative areas. An 
extended discussion of this insect is given on a subsequent page. 
