1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 103 



insects, has been l)rought into the State and distributed 

 among our fruit growers on nursery stock ; and, unless 

 present in large numbers, they are liable to be entirely 

 overlooked, both by the nurseryman and the purchaser, but 

 when they are discovered, not only does the purchaser suffer 

 from the loss of his trees, but the nurseryman is sure to lose 

 his trade. As a result, some of our more progressive dealers 

 in nursery stock, by my advice, have built fumigating houses, 

 and treat all stock received and sent out, with hydro-cyanic 

 acid gas. 



Many of the other States have enacted laws for the regular 

 examination of their nurseries, and also prohibiting the intro- 

 duction of nursery stock that has not 1)een examined by an 

 expert entomologist, appointed for that purpose l)y the State 

 from which the stock was shipped, and accompanied by his 

 certificate of examination. This has shut out the trade of 

 our nurserymen more or less from all those States where 

 such laws exist, and, at the same time, leaves Massachusetts 

 as a dumping ground for the infested nursery stock of other 

 States. It is evident, therefore, that we need some law to 

 protect us against the introduction of the San Jos6 scale and 

 other injurious insects. 



The Grass Thrips. 

 The amount of damage to grass done by this insect has 

 been estimated at more than that of all others com])ined. 

 This may be an overestimate, but there is no doubt that it 

 is one of the most destructive grass insects in this Common- 

 wealth. Very little has been known of it, beyond the foct 

 that it is very injurious ; but no method of dealing with it 

 has been suggested that promised any great degree of suc- 

 cess. One of my assistants has worked out its life history 

 and bred it through all of its stages, and will prepare a 

 bulletin on it soon. 



The Small Clover-leaf Beetle. 

 This insect (P/it/foiiomus niyrirostris) is ver}'" connnon on 

 the college farm, and is quite destructive to the clover on 

 which it feeds. Its habits and life history will l)e published 



