1912.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 75 



ami their work, willi (lircctious for treatiiuMit to control these 

 pests, have been prepared and exhil)ited at a nnmher of fairs 

 and exhibitions during the past year, the department co-operat- 

 ing with the extension department of the college whenever it 

 has been requested to do so. Samph^s of pests and their work 

 have also been ])ut up and sent to libraries, schools and indi- 

 viduals in some cases where the material could be obtained and 

 the time necessary to prepare these exhibits could be spared 

 from more pressing duties. 



Calls for the fumigation of houses to destroy various house- 

 hold pests have been frequent. As there is no one near Amherst 

 who makes a business of work of this kind, and as experience in 

 handling hydro-cyanic acid gas is necessary, if danger to human 

 life is to be avoided, it has seemed wise to do more or less of 

 this, partly as an educational measure. During the past year 

 perhaps 15 or 20 places have, therefore, been fumigated by 

 members of this department at the request of persons concerned, 

 who were willing to meet the cost of the work. 



Under the Adams fund the two projects previously accepted 

 have been continued. Studies of the causes of the burning of 

 foliage by arsenicals, postponed by failure to obtain materials 

 of known composition and purity, have now ])een taken up, and 

 120 different spraying tests were made during the season, fol- 

 lowed in each case by examination of the results, at least every 

 second day for about a month. The results are interesting, 

 but the work thus far represents only a small fraction of that 

 which will be necessary before this subject has been developed 

 to the point desired, and the results of such a fragmentary part 

 of the work, it is, of course, not desirable to publish. 



Study of the real value of wasps as parasitic friends of man 

 have been continued, and one small paper incorporating a few 

 of the more technical preliminary observations has been com- 

 pleted. Both of the Adams fund projects will be prosecuted 

 farther the coming year. 



Aside from wdiat has thus far been mentioned, a study of the 

 distribution of insect pests in the State has been continued. It 

 is increasingly evident that some portions of Massachusetts are 

 outside of territory liable to serious injury by certain insects. 

 The determination of the limits of these areas and the reasons 



