334 



culture wliich liave been introduced. The plum cnrculio, it is true, is 

 a native, and so is the apple maggot, or railroad worm. But the Cod- 

 ling moth is European, the principal currant worm is European, the 

 grape-berry moth originally inhabited the Mediterranean regions, and 

 a number of others have been introduced from different parts of the 

 world. Our danger is by no means past; fresh introductions are 

 coming all the time. Many of these are for a time limited in their 

 distribntion, but all are capable of si)readiug throughout a large por- 

 tion of the country. The European gypsy moth, one of the most 

 ravenous defoliators of fruit and shade trees known to entomologists, 

 has for the last ten years made itself so conspicuous in parts of Massa- 

 chusetts that the State government has expended over $300,000 in 

 attempting to stamp it out. The European leopard moth, now confined 

 to the immediate vicinity of New York City, is an insect which, in the 

 larval state, bores into the twigs of many trees, including fruit trees, 

 and threatens to spread and do great damage. A new pear borer, 

 imported in nursery stock from Europe, has begun to spread in the 

 State of New Jersey, and this is one of the most serious enemies to an 

 important crop which is known to us. It is capable of killing a vigorous 

 pear tree outright in two seasons. 



The injurious insects of Euroi)e are well known, and we are familiar 

 with the species which are liable to be imported. Of the injurious 

 insects of other foreign countries with which the United States is in 

 active commercial relations, we are, however, in comparative ignorance. 

 In many of them scientific research is comparatively at a standstill, 

 and the ascertaining of tlie proper information is difficult. My prede- 

 cessor, Professor Kiley, made an effort to learn something of the 

 injurious insects of Jajjan through the temporary appointment of a 

 special agent in that country, and I have recently made a similar effort 

 to learn something of the injurious insects of Mexico, anticipating that 

 the new activity in railroad building from the United States into this 

 country can not but result in the eventual carrying of new injurious 

 insects across our borders. The latter investigation was started none 

 too soon, since already a most serious enemy to the cotton crop has 

 crossed from Mexico to Texas and threatens great damage. 



But it is not alone against foreign countries that we must be on our 

 guard ; interstate commerce is distributing injurious insects as well. 

 The sudden appearance of the San Jose scale in the East, just men- 

 tioned, is a case in j)oint. The harlequin cabbage-bug is steadily 

 advancing from the South. The potato-tuber moth bids fair to continue 

 its eastward progress from Colorado, into wliich State it has been 

 brought from California. The sweet-potato root-borer is working up 

 through our southern states from Florida and Texas. The clover root- 

 borer and the clover-leaf weevil are working westward through Indi- 

 ana and Michigan. The hop plant-louse and the pear blister-mite, well 

 known eastern insects, have recently made their first appearance on 



