STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 139 



I am afraid the " bug hunter " is yet looked upon by most of our 

 people as a sort of human curiosity, " not quite right in the upper 

 story," who wastes his time hunting for worms and sticking but- 

 terflies in boxes, and is a fit subject for ridicule. 



In this respact I am happy to state that our horticultural society 

 is far in advance of local, popular opinion, and has always recog- 

 nized the importance of and encouraged the systematic study of 

 the insects affecting the food products of the State. But though 

 we may be able to do but little to advance this study, it has made 

 wonderful progress in other parts of the country during the last 

 twenty years. Such a thing as economic entomology had then 

 scarcely been heard of, and there were probably not fifty known 

 students of the science in the country a quarter of a century back. 

 Now we have hundreds of enthusiastic amateur and professional 

 entomologists and a vast array of creditable publications. And 

 here I beg leave to mention two works that have appeared within 

 the year that are more than ordinarily instructive. One of these is 

 a little volume on the "Insects Injurious to the Farm and Garden," 

 compiled maialy from Prof. Riley's Missouri Reports, by Mrs. 

 Mary Treat, and published by the Orange Judd Co., of New York. 

 It is much condensed, but is a most convenient reference book on 

 the subject of which it treats. The second work to which I allude 

 is Mr. William Saunders' ''Insects Injurious to Fruits," published 

 by J. B. Lippencott, Philadelphia. Mr. Saunders is the editor of 

 the Canadian Entomologist and also well known as a horticulturist 

 of London, Ontario. His work should be in the hands of every 

 fruit-grower and nurseryman. It is, as our appreciative secretary 

 phrases it, one of rare excellence, with numerous clear and beau- 

 tiful illustrations and plain and careful descriptions, by whose aid 

 the mere novice can readily recognize the species of insects that 

 are most destructive to his crops. The insects affecting each kind 

 of fruit are conveniently grouped together and with each are given 

 such remedies and preventive measures as have been thoroughly 

 tested and found valuable. 



With this rather long and rambling introduction I proceed to 

 the consideration of the species of insects that were brought to my 

 notice during the past season, either by observation or correspon- 

 dence. The most important of these were the chinch bug, the 

 boll or corn worm, the cabbage butterfly, the codling moth, the 

 apple curculio, the grapevine flea beetle, the grape berry moth, 

 the strawberry leaf roller and the strawberry sawfly. All of 

 these insects have often been described and are familiar pests in many 



