STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 65 



time, and then and there applies his remedy. This is the main object of the econ- 

 omic entomologist, and the result of his investigations is. at the service of the 

 farmer whenever he cares to avail himself of it. 



During the past j^ear several new destructive insects have been reported at en- 

 tomological headquarters, but with most of them we are not directly concerned, 

 as they are southern species and affect semi-tropical products only. 



Some grass and clover pests, hitherto unknown in destructive numbers, made 

 their appearance in New York -State, and did considerable damage in certain lo- 

 calities. With these we may eventually have to deal. One of them is a species 

 of grass worm (crambus vulgivagellus) of slender form and glossy green color, about 

 an inch long, which eats the grass-blades off at the roots, and when full grown, 

 spins up in a loose web on the surface of the earth. It has a habit of congregat- 

 ing in great numbers about the bases of trees before changing to pupae, so that, 

 as Mr. Lintner, State entomologist of New York, describes, he was able to gather 

 it up by handfuls. The moth expands about one and one-eight inches. The fore 

 •wings are narrow, of a dingy cream color, with numerous dusk}^ and metallic 

 streaks. The pup?e form a snout-like projection in front of the head. 



Several small moths have also been found breeding in the heads of clover and 

 destroying the seed. 



A small curculio of an imported species proved very destructive to clover in the 

 :5ame way, and also destroyed the leaves. The only remedy that has been pro- 

 posed, is heavy rolling as soon as there is evidence of the presence of these pests. 



At the close of the paper, Mr. Mendenhall exhibited a Wealthy 

 apple, fair in outside appearance, but decayed in the center, from the 

 ■^ork of the vform of the codling moth. 



Mr. Underwood gave his experience with this pest, and considered 

 it a very serious matter. 



In answer to Mr. Jordan's question, how to combat the codling 

 moth, Mr. Mendenhall said that the best plan was to place bands of 

 hay around the trees in July, and examine and destroy the moths 

 weekly. 



Mr. Harris explained that two broods appeared annually. He said 

 the hay bands should be placed about the trunk of the tree, about six 

 weeks after the bloom of the tree, and examined every week until 

 Aug. 1st, when they may remain until October, and then removed and 

 burned. He referred to the cabbage worm as having been very de* 

 structive the past season. Said he had hope only by the assistance of 

 parasites, that would destroy the larvae. Said he had not noticed 

 anything of the kind early in the season, but lately he had found a 

 small, black, ichneuman fly, evidently destroying the eggs of the 

 cabbage butterfly. Referring again to the coddling moth, he said 

 that the most economical bands to use,- were heavy paper, folded once 

 and tacked around the tree, about eighteen inches from the ground. 



