REPORT ON ENTOMOLOGY. 469 



The tent caterpillar has done little damage the past season. One 

 ■of the best ways to combat this pest is to gather the rings of eggs 

 that encircle the small twigs of the plum — and sometimes the ap- 

 ple trees — from early tall to early summer. We also had some trou- 

 ble with what we call the apple tree caterpillar. They came in early 

 summer. They do not have any tent.and when not feeding are usually 

 in masses near the ground on the body and on the larger limbs of 

 the trees. They work rapidl}' and sometimes defoliate a tree en- 

 tirely before they are noticed. There are evidently two broods of 

 these in a season, as they sometimes duplicate their early summer 

 work in September. I resort to hand picking to check their increase. 

 A sharp knock upon the tree, and they all come to the ground, spin- 

 ning a single thread. They can be quickly killed with a stick or 

 by stepping upon them. They are nearly black and are larger than 

 the tent caterpillar. 



We also had a variety of caterpillar not noticed until the past 

 season. Its color was black, and it was larger than those mentioned 

 above, with habits the same as those mentioned last but working 

 more upon the wild willows, but some upon the plum and apple 

 trees. Their season was about mid-summer. I noticed in October 

 something upon my plum trees that might have been plum scale, 

 but, perhaps, they might be the remnants of a late brood of plum 

 lice. 



While the late storm of sleet has been very destructive to fruit 

 trees by breaking many of them down, it is believed that we will 

 receive a partial recompense by the wholesale destruction of many 

 of our orchard pests. 



FORESTRY AS AN EMPLOYMENT. 



A. E. STENE, MINN. AGRl. COLLEGE. 



It has been suggested to me, being a student in the Agricultural 

 College, that I should treat this subject from the standpoint of a 

 young man casting about among the different vocations of life for 

 some line of work into which to direct his principal efforts. To such 

 a young man there arises three questions which he can apply as 

 criterions on the various occupations which come up for his 

 consideration: First and most important, is hephysically and men- 

 tally adapted to the work required by the vocation, and is the work 

 of such a nature as to appeal to and tax his powers to their full ex- 

 tent; second, is there sufficient demand for the work in the field 

 considered to insure to him reasonable pecuniary returns for the time 

 and effort expended; and, third, are there opportunities for public 

 service through which he can pay some of the debt which by virtue 

 of his education he owes to his fellow men? 



I shall not attempt to make any statement as to the physical and 

 mental qualities required for the pursuit of forestry; first, because 

 it does not lie within the scope of this short essay and, second, be- 

 cause it is a question which must be largely settled by each person 

 for himself after he has become acquainted with the demands which 

 such a pursuit is likely to make upon him. 



