LETTER OE TRANSMITTAL 



United States Department of A(;ricultiire, 



Division of Entomology, 

 Washington^ D. C. , September ^5, 190S. 

 Sir: I havo, the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript of a 

 paper entitled "Some insects attacking- the stems of gTowing wheat, 

 rye, barley, and oats,'' prepared under my direction by Prof. Francis 

 M, Webster, temporary field agent of the Division of Entomolog3% 

 and now stationed at Urbana, 111. Professor Webster has acted as 

 field agent of this Division, having- received temporary appointment 

 since 1884, with headquarters at the experiment stations of Indiana, 

 Ohio, and Illinois, and is ably qualified for the prosecution of the 

 present work through years of study in the States mentioned of the 

 insects which will be treated. As remarked in the introduction, this 

 paper deals with the injuries committed to small grains b}- different 

 forms of minute flies, eight species in all, which are generally confused 

 by the average farmer with the Hessian fly. The differences between 

 these various species and their method of attack in comparison with 

 that of the Hessian fly are duly pointed out, and many valuable sug- 

 gestions based upon an intimate knowledge of the habits of these 

 insects are made for the mitigation of their ravages. In most instances 

 losses by these insects could be prevented by the simplest of farming 

 practices, as set forth in their proper place. 1 recommend the pu])li- 

 cation of this report as Bulletin No. 42 of this Division. The fifteen 

 text figures are necessary for the purposes of illustration, those illus- 

 trating plants having been kindly loaned by the office of Agrostologist. 

 Respectfulh% 



L. O. Howard, 

 Hon. James Wieson, Entotnohxjist and Chief. 



Secr'etart/ of Agriculture. 

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