Insects and other Enemies of Fruits and Flowers. 



Considered by the Society, February 14th, A. D. 1878. 



The subject was introduced by Mr. F. J. Kinney, whose remarks, with 

 the discussion that followed, are thus abridged : 



Mr. Kinney considered that the doors to success or failure in growing 

 fruits or flowers hung on this very text. He first treated of other enemies 

 than insects, considering man as standing foremost on the list, by hav- 

 ing for his main objecthow much money he can get out of a tree, forcing it 

 into a premature existence and into an appearance of age by being over 

 manured, and in any and all ways to make it tall in the shortest possible 

 time. The fault he considered was with the purchaser, not the grower, 

 as the latter produces what the former demands. He expressed the belief 

 that the treatment a tree receives in the nursery to make it saleable 

 weakens its vitality and prepares it for an easy prey to its insect enemies. 

 Considering the insect enemies of apple trees, he first spoke of a species 

 of si^hinges as perhaps the most dangerous, because they deposit their 

 eggs near the ground, under a piece of loose bark and out of sight of the 

 casual observer. The young caterpillars or borers begin operations as 

 soon as hatched, and, although one in a tree may be discovered before it 

 has done much damage, by the chips of his trade, if there are several 

 eggs deposited around the tree and all hatch, the damage may be con- 

 siderable in a short time. Probably more trees are spoiled by them than 

 by all other insects combined. They seem to live three years, one in the 

 bark, one in the wood on their work of destruction, and the last in boring 



