1 8 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



found near New Haven, in the fall, after spring importation of 

 plants from Japan. Another eg-g-mass was found in the same 

 locality last summer. This insect has also been introduced 

 accidentally into New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and has become 

 well established near Philadelphia. The Chinese Mantis is about 

 four inches long, and when young feeds voraciously upon plant 

 lice. Both of these insects rest upon the leaves and stems of 

 plants and trees, and devour caterpillars, and other insects that 

 happen to come along. A number of egg-masses of each have 

 been procured, and these will be distributed in Connecticut. 

 Some will be hatched in the greenhouse, where observations 

 can be made upon their habits and life stages. 



In bringing this report to an end, your Committee desires to 

 call attention to .the fact that certain criticisms have been made 

 of the Connecticut Insect Law. I refer particularly to the report 

 of the legislative committee of the American Association of 

 Nurserymen published in the National Niirserymaii for Octo- 

 ber, 1903. Some of you have read the article. The point 

 of the argument is that any law obliging nurseryman outside of 

 our State to fumigate their stock before sending it into this State, 

 which does not require the same treatment of Connecticut-grown 

 stock, would probably be ruled as unconstitutional by the courts 

 as an attempted regulation of interstate commerce. If our law is 

 liable to be attacked on these grounds, would it not be well to 

 instruct our Committee on Legislation, even at this meeting, to 

 plan for such changes and amendments in the law at the next 

 session of the Legislature as seems best to remedy the defect? 

 There is much to be said in favor of a law compelling all nur- 

 serymen to fumigate certain kinds of stock ; but other kinds 

 should be exempt. The Chairman of your Committee, who is 

 also State Entomologist and is in charge of the inspection 

 work, will be glad to confer with your Legislative Committee, 

 or with any nurseryman or fruit grower, regarding the pro- 

 posed changes, in order to put our law in the best possible shape 

 for the purpose for which it was enacted — the protection of our 

 pomological interests. 



Respectfully submitted, 



W. E. Britton, New Haven, Chainnan. 



E. R. Bennett, Storrs. 



J. AI. Whittlesey, Morris. 



Coimnittcc on Injurious Insects. 



