STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 77 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FRUITS. 

 By Prof. Carl Braun. 



When Louis Agassiz came to this country in the year 1846 from 

 Switzerland he was asked shortly after his arrival to lecture before 

 the Society of Natural History in Boston. He was perplexed, know- 

 ing that he had not full command of the English' language. When 

 he stated this fact to the President of that body the latter gentleman 

 smiled and said, "You can speak to us in any language you like ; we 

 will understand you anyway." I use this illustration as an intro- 

 ductory in regard to myself, not that 1 wish to place myself on the 

 same level with that illustrious man nor to make you believe that I 

 have deeply drank from the wells of wisdom in Natural History, but 

 merely in regard to mj' nationality which expresses ideas in another 

 language. I, like Louis Agassiz, then have to say, "It is not the 

 thought which perplexes me," but to turn these thoughts into good 

 English is the difficult}^ under which I labor. Nevertheless the truths 

 of science, and particularly the descriptions of natural objects need 

 no oratory. When the latter is applied to science it loses its value 

 and becomes unintelligible. Therefore, trusting in your forbearance 

 of overlooking all my blunders in speech, I have accepted the invi- 

 tation of your honorable Secretary to speak to you to-night on the 

 "Insects Injurious to Fruits." 



The profit which we derive of all the insects in the world by no 

 means small, sinks into insignificance when we on the other hand 

 consider the depredations and ravages which the greatest number of 

 them cause to vegetation in general. As cultivation of the soil, 

 raising of fruit and plants is keeping step with the spirit of time, it 

 seems that the ravages of obnoxious insects are likewise becoming 

 more and more obvious Therefore the live farmer and fruit raiser 

 of to-day is constantly alarmed and fretted by the sturdy growing 

 insect pests and looks about himself how to check and exterminate 

 these unwelcome intruders. But before he is able to accomplish this 

 task thoroughly, he is forced to stud}' the nature and development 

 of these intruders in order to find the best and quickest means of 

 putting a stop to their ravages, in short, a progressive husbandman 

 ought to be a naturalist in the very sense of the word. He has to 

 deal not only with entomology but with almost every branch of the 

 natural sciences. 



