No. 4.] INSECTS AND BIRDS. 165 



position of a permanent pest. Moving freely to and fro, by 

 reason of its excellent Hying powers and the strong winds 

 UHunlly prevailing at its time of fliglit, it seems impossible 

 that anything can be done to hold it permanently in check. 

 Nevertheless, being in plain sight for six months of the year, 

 it can be combated by private individuals without too great 

 expense. As a leaf -eating pest it is surpassed by many of 

 our native insects, and, being (}uite susceptible to insect and 

 fungous parasites, we should doubtless have long ago resigned 

 ourselves to its presence with comparative calmness if it 

 were not for the nettling which it causes to the skin with 

 so many of us, which when it occurs makes calm resignation 

 the last virtue we are likely to exercise. Still we may look 

 for it to become less and less a pest from year to year. 



The San Jose scale, mentioned by your committee for the 

 first time in its report of last year, deserves the careful study 

 and attention of every one interested in even the slightest 

 degree in orcharding. It is so small as to be almost micro- 

 scopic, and for that reason is extremely difficult to detect 

 when it first appears, but from a few scattered scales in the 

 orchard, so prolific is it, we soon have a general infestation, 

 with dead and dying trees and general damage resulting. 

 It therefore behooves every orchardist to be sure that he 

 receives into his orchard only such trees as have been fumi- 

 gated with hydrocyanic acid gas, or bear the stamp of in- 

 spection of a competent official, and also, as the insect may 

 be carried from orchard to orchard on the feet of birds, to 

 make a careful yearly inspection of his trees, to make sure 

 that it has not effected a lodgment. 



The elm-leaf beetle seems to have been unusually prevalent 

 during the summer of 1908, and to have done a great deal 

 of damage to the shade trees of many cities and towns. 

 Spraying in the early summer seems to be the only course 

 by which this insect can be held in check, but it is also an 

 extremely effective one, and wherever adopted and conscien- 

 tiously attended to the results have been entirely satisfactory. 

 This Board has issued an excellent nature leaflet on this 

 insect, by A. H. Kirkland, ^f.S., which is for free distribu- 

 tion to whoever may be interested in it. 



Last year your committee, together with the secretary of 



