190 LETTERS TO DR. HOWARD [CHAP. xvm. 



have an impression that a part of the commotion here is 

 from a desire to exclude foreign fruit imports. I am 

 working now on what I hope may make a " Handbook of 

 Insect Attacks, injurious to Orchard and Bush fruits, with 

 means of Prevention and Remedy." Fruit growing is 

 extending very much with us, and so many little-known 

 attacks have been reported to me in the last few years, that 

 I thought a volume including these, with our old standing 

 attacks brought up to date and very fully illustrated, would 

 meet a need here. Also I was somewhat afraid that if I did 

 not do it myself some one or other might be " good enough " 

 to save me the trouble. 



Our chief crop trouble during the spring and winter has 

 been the presence of Tylenchus devastatrix (eel-worm), in 

 clover. This still continues, but I hope that with good 

 growing weather and sulphate of potash (as a manure dress- 

 ing to encourage growth) we may fight it down. 



March 24, 1899. 



I am afraid that you will have been thinking me very 

 negligent in not replying sooner to your kind letter, but I 

 felt sure you would understand that if I could have sent 

 any information in reply to your inquiry about the 

 " Cigarette beetle " I should have hastened to submit it. 



My Annual Report is late this year, for work on my Hand- 

 book, &c., &c., threw me late. 



I have been following the urgent advice of our good and 

 much regretted friend, Dr. Lintner, by having a " General 

 Index" prepared to the series of twenty-two Annual Reports 

 (chap. IX.). It is not a magnificently exhaustive compilation 

 giving everything that can be desired, like that to your 

 invaluable " Insect Life," but I think that both entomologi- 

 cally and practically it will be of service. When printed, I 

 purpose to forward copies for your own acceptance, likewise 

 to Professor Webster, to the State Entomologist, Albany, 

 and a few other positions where I think they very likely 

 have a set of my twenty-two annual issues, and therefore 

 might care to have the Index. But if I were not intruding 

 too much on your kind good nature, would you allow me to 

 send a few, say a packet of ten or twenty, to yourself, which 

 perhaps you would so greatly oblige me as to present to 

 mutual friends whom you might see. I should think this a 

 kind favour, for I might go rather astray in my sendings. 



With my next number (all being well) I propose to com- 

 mence a " Second Series " altering my plan a little, so as to 

 have a special section in which I could place any good 



