256 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



The requests made of each of these correspondents were : To select a 

 spot where the Cicada has not been seen the present year ; to take an 

 isolated tree (preferably in an orchard), which is not likely to be dis- 

 turbed during the next seventeen (or thirteen) years, and to mark 

 it plainly with a zinc label. The twigs were to be placed around the 

 l)ase of the tree, and watched at intervals until the eggs Lad hatched. 

 We advised that a few twigs be retained in some vessel, so that hatch- 

 ing could be absolutely proved, and that a record be made of the facts 

 in the case and published in the local paper or elsewhere. We also 

 strongly urged the importance of exactness in this record, as the suc- 

 cess of the experiment would largely depend upon such exactness. 



The eggs sent to Prof. J. H. Comstock, at Ithaca, N. Y., Latched well, 

 and the twigs were placed July 10, 1S85, " under the large hickory tree 

 which stands midway in the row of elms on the north side of the avenue 

 leading from Morrill Hall to the residence of President White. * * ♦ 

 It is the only hickory tree in the row. It is the ninth tree east of the 

 University avenue and the ninth tree west of the President's avenue." 

 Specimens were placed in the permanent collection of Cornell Univer- 

 sity at Ithaca under the number 181, sub. 2, with conspicuous label, 

 " Kead in 1898," and a folded label with details. 



Those sent to Dr. J. A. Lintner, at Albany, N. T., were placed in the 

 orchard of Mr. Erastus Corning, at Kenwood. " The tree beneath 

 which the eggs were planted (they were hatching when the twigs were 

 placed about the base of the tree and tied to its branches) was marked 

 with a zinc label, bearing this inscription: 'Thirteen-year brood of 

 Cicada (Eiley's brood Ko. VII) ; eggs from Oxford, Miss,, planted July 

 4, 1885.' Additional eggs from a second sending were placed under the 

 same tree on July 21, and also some in a wood adjoining, a few rods 

 to the south, to serve as a food supply in the event of the death or de- 

 struction of the orchard." In the planting Dr. Lintner was assisted by 

 Mr. William Grey, gardener of Mr. Erastus Corning, who was requested 

 to communicate to others on the farm the exact location of the tree. 



TLe twigs sent to Prof. Herbert Osborn, at Ames, Iowa, were depos- 

 ited by him under two trees on the college farm, which may be de- 

 scribed as follows : First, an apple tree standing directly east from the 

 house occupied by Dr. B. 1). Halstead and north of the house occupied 

 by Professor Osborn, the farthest to the south of the group of apple 

 trees standing in that part of the grounds 5 second, an elm tree stand- 

 ing 25 yards directly south from the house in which Professor Osborn 

 is living. This house stands a little south of midway between the 

 " Farm House" and " South Hall," on the east road between those two 

 buildings, or the farthest from the main college building in an E.SE. 

 direction. The apple tree is S.SW. from the farm-house and E.SE. 

 from the main college building. On each of the trees is hung a zinc 

 label with the inscription : " Twigs from Cadet, Mo., containing eggs of 

 tbirteen-year Cicada, were placed under this tree July 21, 1885." 



TLe eggs sent to Mr. Samuel Henshaw, at Boston, Mass., were placed 

 about two apple trees in an orchard owned by Prof. Alpheus Hyatt, at 

 Annisquam (part of Gloucester), Essex County, Massachusetts. TLe 

 trees in question are the two opposite the southwest corner of the barn. 



The three lots of eggs sent to Mr. George Noble, of Savannah, Ga., 

 were received by him in good condition, and hatched perfectly. They 

 were placed under certain cherry trees, each marked with a zinc label, 

 on the farm known as " Reiser's," 1^ miles southeast from the City Ex- 

 change. 



The twigs sent to Prof. J. E. Willet, at Macon, Ga., were deposited in 



