INTRODUCTION. 



Contents of the Book. The number of insect pests 

 attacking fruit trees is large so large that only a com- 

 paratively small proportion of them can be dealt with 

 individually in this collection of leaflets. On* the other 

 hand the control measures which it is possible to take are 

 few, and as the majority are illustrated by one or other 

 leaflet, hints may be obtained not only as to how to deal 

 with the particular pests described in this volume but with 

 many others which do similar damage. 



Contents of the Leaflets. Most leaflets are divided into 

 certain sub-sections: ''Plants Attacked and Nature of 

 Damage," 'Description and Life-History," and "Measures 

 of Control." It is sometimes complained that these sub- 

 sections contain too much *' technical matter " and that 

 all that is required is " how to recognise the pest " and 

 " how to control it." Now recognition and control are 

 exactly the objects at which each leaflet aims, but the 

 necessary information cannot be given without the introduc- 

 tion of some so-called " technical matter," particularly in 

 relation to the habits and life of the pest. The following 

 consideration will make this clear. Insects, though very 

 small, are creatures with their own habits and ways, living 

 in a perfectly wild state just like birds, fish, or any wild 

 animal. In order to fish successfully, whether for minnows 

 or sharks, the first essential is to understand the habits of 

 the fish. This applies also to shooting, no matter whether 

 the game is a tiger or a rabbit. A man, for instance, who 

 realised that his crops were being eaten by rabbits but knew 

 nothing whatever about them even whether they ran or 

 burrowed underground would not make much of a bag, or 

 protect his crops successfully ! 



The same considerations apply to insect pests to hunt or 

 control them successfully it is essential to know as much as 

 possible of their habits, and in dealing with insects it is as 

 unreasonable to object to the use of certain special so- 

 called " technical " terms as it would be to object to the 

 use of such terms as warren in the case of rabbits, leveret 

 in the case of a young hare, or brush in the case of a fox's 

 tail! 



A useful leaflet, therefore, must contain some technical 1 

 matter, but it is hoped that in spite of this the whole will be 

 read, for only material is put in which may have a definite 

 bearing on the control of pests, while the technical terms 

 are reduced to a very few which may easily be learnt. 



(39204) P.1149/R.206. 3,000 11/21. M. & S. Gp. 95. 



