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Minnesota STATE HorvicvuLtTvuRAL SOcIETY. \ GE 
- At the conclusion of the reading of this paper, Mr. Pearce called 
attention to the apparatus for the destruction of nocturnal insects, 
in the report of the Department of Agriculture. 
MR. HARRIS’ REPORT ON INJURIOUS INSECTS. 
The report of Mr. Harrison Injurious Insects was then called for 
and read by the writer, after which a vote of thanks was tendered 
and a copy requested for publication. 
Mr. President and Gentlemen: 
One of the greatest aids that could be given to the farmers and horticultur- 
ists of this State by the present legislature would be a practical entomologist, 
whose duty it should be to inquire into the minutest details “of the lives and 
habits of insects both beneficial and destructive, and cause to be published frequent 
reports of his investigations, that the people may be able to recognize their 
friends and and exactly when, where and how they may combat their enemies to 
the best advantage. It is evident that insects destroy or seriously injure one- 
fourth of the products of this State, and that they are alarmingly on the increase. 
(One thousand dollars expended in furnishing the necessary information would 
return a hundred fold to the people.) It is of the utmost importance that the 
tillers of the soil should be informed of the best means for heading them off, 
Books and papers treating upon the subject of entomology are scarce and difficult 
to obtain, and what little is written and published in our agricultural papers is so 
over-shadowed by other subjects that it is not half as beneficial as practical reports 
devoted exclusively to the subject, consequently the most of our people are igno- 
rant of the habits, instincts and various transformations of insects, and are 
unwittingly giving aid and encouragement to their enemies by furnishing them 
the best facility for their increase. 
It they knew that the weeds and wild plants that luxuriate in the angles of 
rail fences were a particularly favorable place for protection during their trans- 
formations, that decaying logs and stumps are the very best nurseries for them, 
and that danger lurked in everything that marred the beauty of their places, self- 
interest would prompt them to clear out the fence angles, grub and burn the 
stumps and clear up and destroy everything that is useless but to present hiding 
places or inducemento for insects to take up their winter quarters in or to deposit 
their eggs for the coming season, and the farms and gardens of our State would 
present an appearance of neatness and thrift. 
The insects that were most injurious to the horticulturist in the year 1877 
are the chinch bug, the May beetle and its larva, the white grub, cut-worm, cab- 
bage worms of two species, canker worm and steel blue grape bud borer (and 
bed bugs.) : 
Chinch Bug. 
Karly in the sexson the chinch bug ( Micropus leucop terus) made its appear- 
ance in Houston county. They were massed about the base of strawberry plants, 
young beets, cabbage, etc., and for two or three days I observed them very 
numerous on the green fruit of the raspberry. At the beginning of the straw- 
