o FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OP 



There is scarcely an apple-orchard in Northern Illinois, in Iowa 

 or in Wisconsin, that has not suffered more or less from its attacks, 

 jrig. 20 an( j mail y an one } ias ]3 een s i ow i y } m ^ sure ly bled to death 

 by this tiny sap-sucker. It was introduced into the Eastern 

 States more' than seventy years ago from Europe, and had 

 already reached as far west as Wisconsin in 1840, from 

 whence it spread at a most alarming rate, throughout 

 the districts bordering on Lake Michigan. It occurs at the 

 present time in Minnesota and Iowa, but whether or not it 

 extends westward beyond the Missouri river, there are no 

 data to show. Its extension southward is undoubtedly lim- 

 H ited, for though so abundant in the northern half of Illinois, 

 jlfyffi'^ observation has clearly proved that it cannot exist in the 

 $» southern half of the same State. I have also experimen- 

 WiraH ta ^ y P rove( * that it cannot exist in the latitude of St. 

 ^Iiil|f$§ Louis, the experiment being made in the following man- 

 """"^ner: On the 12th of May last, I received some scales 

 from Jesse Hodgson, of Panola, in Woodford county, Illinois, the 

 eggs under which were at that • time hatching. Upon fastening the 

 bark containing these scales to the twigs of a living apple-tree, that 

 being in a position where I could easily watch them, the young bark- 

 lice crawled actively over these living twigs, and soon fastened them- 

 selves, as is their wont, around the buds. They soon began to secrete 

 the waxy fibres, shown at Figure 3, 3, and in time assumed the white 

 appearance of the first scale, which has been very aptly termed the 

 larval scale by Mr. Walsh. But the growth at this point was arrested 

 and they all soon afterwards died. As there were three twigs thickly 

 covered, and as I could discover no parasites or cannibals of any kind, 

 it is to my mind conclusive that this bark-louse cannot exist further 

 south in Missouri than ST. louis. The experience of others is to the 

 same effect, for Dr. Morse informs me that certain apple trees which 

 he procured from the North, and which he planted at Kirkwood, St. 

 Louis county, some years ago, though covered at that time with these 

 bark-lice, are now entirely free of them ; and Mr. Win. Muir, of Fox 

 Creek, in the same county, has had a similar experience with trees 

 which he imported several years ago from Burrell & Co., of Lockport, 

 N. Y., and which at the time of their receipt were very badly infested. 

 The fruit-growers of Southern Missouri, have therefore little to 

 fear from this Oyster-shell Bark-louse, and it is not unlikely that it 

 would die out in the country considerably north of St. Louis, if im- 

 ported there ; but, as it exists and flourishes near the southern border 

 of Iowa, and extends, in Illinois, below our northern boundary, there 

 is every reason to believe that it will flourish in the extreme northern 

 counties of our State if once introduced there. Now, up to the present 

 time, it has not made its appearance, as far as I can learn, in any of 

 the orchards in that part of Missouri, and it seems that, as a State, 

 we are entirely exempt from this most grievous orchard pest. In or- 



