No. 4.] U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 201 



cipal deciduous orchard districts of this country, and promises 

 good results. 



Probably the most important work of the Division of 

 Entomology in the past year has been the practical experi- 

 mentation with the Mexican cotton boll weevil in Texas. 

 Two large cotton plantations have been under the control 

 of the department, to demonstrate that by proper methods 

 the boll weevil can be controlled. The results have sus- 

 tained the confidence of the entomologist in the possibility 

 of controlling this pest, which promises to be perhaps the 

 most important insect that has ever threatened our southern 

 cotton interests. 



A great deal of practical investigation has been made of 

 insects injurious to shade trees ; also stored products, such 

 as grain in elevators and mills and all milling products ; 

 insects affecting ornamental plants and various fruit trees ; 

 insects, in their direct relation to the health of man, as the 

 mosquito, house fly and other similar pests ; experimental 

 work with insecticides and other means of controllin<r nox- 

 ious insects. 



A special line of work begun by this division in July 

 last is the work on insects injurious to forests and forest 

 products, for which a section has been established in the 

 Division of Entomology, to work in co-operation with the 

 Bureau of Forestry. The work with forestry insects has 

 been especially in the Black Hills forest reserves, where 

 more than (500,000,000 feet board measure of pine timber 

 have been destroyed by insect attack. It has been found 

 possible to detail methods, the adoption of which will 

 largely decrease future losses. 



The Division of Entomology is also charged with the 

 investigation of apiculture, and considerable work has been 

 done in this field. It is also conducting silk-worm investiga- 

 tions, and already plans are under way for the experimental 

 work necessary to demonstrate a possible future for this 

 industry, especially in the south, where it is hoped that the 

 poorer classes of the people, especiallj^ the colored class, 

 may be induced to take up silk rearing, and thus add 

 somewhat to their means of livelihood. 



