46 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Entomology has come to be recognized as one of the leading 

 sciences in the field of research in modern, economic agriculture. 



We will now consider the following factors in the control of 

 insect pests — 



1. Practice clean culture. 



2. Secure a vigorous plant growth. 



3. Encourage bird and other friends. 



4. Know our beneficial insects. 



5. Learn the life histories of our insect pests. 



6. Destroy all refuse material where insects hibernate. 



7. Look out for wild food plants. 



8. LTse up-to-date methods to destroy the several stages of 

 insect life. 



The subject under consideration is "insect pests of the garden 

 and orchard." Before specializing on the above named pests, I 

 think it will be well to briefly define an insect and give its life 

 history as far as a simple type is concerned. An insect is a true 

 hexapod, a six-legged animal, having three divisions of the body, 

 viz: head, thorax, and abdomen; it breathes through openings 

 along the sides of the body. 



The life history of a perfect insect is represented by the four 

 stages viz: egg, larva, pupa, and imago. These four stages are 

 entirely different, very distinct, and should be thoroughly under- 

 stood in order to wage a successful warfare against any particular 

 foe. 



The following general conditions should be recognized: 1st, the 

 eggs in all cases are inactive, or dormant; so, in themselves, can- 

 not be harmful or injurious; 2nd, the third stage — the pupa — 

 being the stage of transition from the full grown larva to the 

 adult, must of necessity be one of no external activity, therefore 

 of itself can do no harm; 3rd, the fourth stage — that of the 

 perfect insect — in the majority of cases, though it be one of great 

 activity, is not one of a direct injurious nature, as its real mis- 

 sion is the perpetuation of the species. Of course, there are excep- 

 tions to this among some of the orders as in the case of many of 

 our beetles, which, in the adult stage, feed upon the foliage of 

 plants; 4th, this leaves the second stage — that of the larva — 

 as the leading, injurious period in the life history of the insect. 



