286 ANNUAL REPOET 



injurious insect pests aud have observed them enough so that I can 

 distinguish some of them when [ see them. 



My observations have been mostly confined to Southeastern Minne- 

 sota. I am very glad to be able to report that vvrithin the limits of my 

 observation but very little injury was done our fruit by the larvae of 

 the codling moth. Our apples were fair and very free from worms. 

 I think this a hopeful sign that some parasite has appeared to prey 

 upon the insect, or that some new bird may have adopted the pupa 

 chrysalides or the perfect insect as an article of food. This condition 

 of things was very unexpected, as usually in years of short crop they 

 generally utilize the whole of it for the purpose of propagating their 

 species. 



I have also noticed that upon my place the curculio or apple gouger 

 were not nearly as great as in the three or four years preceding. That 

 might be owing to the presence of greater numbers of birds than usual 

 early in the season, or to the fact that ray wife has for two or three 

 years indulged in the expensive luxury of raising turkeys. 



Neither have I observed the tent caterpillar to be as numerous as 

 during the preceding year, when almost every variety of tree and shrub 

 was badly infested with it, aud young forest trees seriously damaged 

 from being defoliated by it. 



The grapevine flea beetle was not nearly as injurious as common. 

 Early in May, or about the time our apple trees were in blossom, I 

 noticed what I suppose to be the leaf-roller or leaf crumpler in great 

 abundance, both upon the bearing and upon the small trees. These 

 caterpillars were of a pale greenish color and at first appeared to curl 

 up and fasten together the small leaves as soon as formed and feed 

 within them; and in this way they appeared to do considerable dam- 

 age to the smaller trees and root grafts. They did not appear to last 

 more than three or four weeks, but in that time they kept the trees 

 nearly defoliated aud in a bad condition to make a strong growth dur- 

 ing the dry season that followed. 1 could not discover that birds mo- 

 lested them, as they were just as numerous upon trees where they had 

 built their nests. At the time, I had not leisure for studying them up 

 or trying any experiments as remedies. At about the same time, or a 

 few days later, the canker worm made its appearance in much greater 

 numbers than we have ever before known them These could be 

 easily distinguished from the others, as at first they eat small, round 

 holfis through the leaves, and towards the last eat nearly all the pulpy 

 portions of the leaves away. They were what we usually term a span 

 worm or loper, and, when full grown, where about an inch long, of a 



