367 



in Ohio to 8 per cent, in Wi8consin ; the States west of the Mississippi 

 Eiver from 4 per cent, in Minnesota to It) per cent, in Kansas. On the 

 Pacific coast California is 5 per cent, short, and Oregon 1 per cent, in 

 advance of last year. 



INSEOT-INJUEIES. 



Our statistical correspondence, while indicating the usual variety of 

 injurious insects in diiierent parts of the country, gives welcome evi- 

 dence of the fact that the range of destructive influence, on the whole, 

 has been much narrower than in former years, the losses inflicted being 

 quite inconsiderable in the aggregate. The Colorado beetle has reached 

 New England, but its severest ravages were felt in the Middle States, 

 Maryland, and Virginia. In the West it was comparatively innocuous. 

 The dreaded grasshopper of the transmississippi region seems to be 

 perishing from the assaults of parasites; its demonstrations of destruc- 

 tive power were far less formidable than last year. The grass army- 

 worm, or something resembling it, was especially destructive of the oat- 

 crop in Ohio and a few counties of adjacent States. The dreaded chinch- 

 bug made its power felt in only a few localities. Cotton-insects were 

 heard of in but few places, and their ravages were too trifling to affect 

 the general yield of the crop in any degree worthy of mention. Fruit 

 and grain insects were very sporadic in their manifestations, doing but 

 little general damage. A few unknown insects are noted which, upon a 

 fuller description, will probably be identified with well-known species. 

 The following is a brief summary of the county reports : 



Colorado beetle, {Doryplwra decem-Uneata.) — A. single county in 

 New England (Cheshire, New Hampshire) reports the presence of this 

 insect with, however, but slight damage. In New York, a light visita- 

 tion is noted in Oneida, Queens, Schenectady, Washington, Saratoga, 

 Wyoming, Genesee, Jefferson, Rockland, Otsego. In some cases they 

 were far more numerous in village-gardens than on farms. In Rich- 

 mond they did considerable damage. In New Jersey, Atlantic reports 

 serious injury, until the bugs were driven off by hand-picking and Paris 

 green. In Sussex, after destroying the leaves, they attacked the tubers. 

 In Salem and Camden they were very destructive upon late potatoes. 

 In Burlington they were in the roads and all over the farms. In Mercer 

 the perfect insects were but lightly affected by Paris green, but were 

 easily shaken off into pans and destroyed ; the larvae, however, were 

 readily destroyed by the poison. In Gloucester and Warren they were 

 present in great numbers, being frequently no less destructive to egg- 

 plants and tomatoes than to potatoes. In Pennsylvania they were 

 troublesome in Lycoming, Beaver, Berks, Northampton, Wyoming, 

 Lebanon, and Northumberland. The infliction was, in many cases, very 

 severe, but the farmers stoutly resisted it with Paris green, hand-picking, 

 and other devices, and their efforts were crowned with a good degree of 

 success. 



The beetles were very numerous and voracious in Prince George's, 

 Washington, Caroline, Worcester, Baltimore, and Howard, Maryland. 

 They were manfully resisted and the crops measurably saved. The 

 heavy and frequent rains, however, washed the poison from the plants, 

 requiring its frequent renewal. In Prince George's many fields were 

 entirely ruined. An equally severe visitation is reported in several 

 counties of Virginia, viz : Westmoreland, Essex, King George, Prince 

 William, Fairfax, Madison, and Buchanan. Some farmers were chary 

 in the use of Paris green, fearing its poisonous effects upon the pota- 



