1918.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 51a 



DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



A. I. BOURNE. 



The u'ork of the entomology department has followed in gen- 

 eral lines similar to former years. 



The correspondence has called for a much larger amount of 

 time and effort than usual. Inquiries relative to over 250 differ- 

 ent insects, as well as many questions on the proper use of 

 various insecticides, and on pests other than insects, were re- 

 ceived and answered. This increase was to be expected, in 

 view of the fact that an unusually large number of persons 

 throughout the State were taking up the cultivation of small 

 gardens, many for the first time, in response to the National 

 Campaign for Food Production. As a consequence, many com- 

 plaints were received and information requested for the control 

 of the most common of our insect pests, with which most of the 

 experienced growers were already familiar, and concerning 

 which in former years we received few, if any, complaints. It 

 is safe to state that during the months of June, July and August 

 the bulk of the daily correspondence was doubled, with a large 

 increase during the rest of the season over former years. 



Aside from the more common insects there were unusually 

 severe outbreaks of several species which normally are of little 

 or no economic importance. 



The rose chafer, which usually causes more or less injury to 

 grapes and ornamental stock, such as roses, etc., was this last 

 season present in very large numbers, and proved a serious pest 

 to almost all garden crops as well as to young fruit trees. 



The chrysanthemum gall midge, a pest to be dreaded by 

 growers of greenhouse chrysanthemums, owing to the enormous 

 expense necessary to eradicate it once it has become firmly 

 established, was reported from several points in the State, and 

 caused much uneasiness on the part of florists. 



