GARDEN INSECTS AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM. 

 By Prof. E. Dwight Saxdersox, Durham, N. H. 



Read before the Society, Januarj^ 16, 1909. 



Myriads of individual insects and hundreds of different species, 

 ■uath the most diverse structure and habits, infest our gardens 

 annually. INIany appear but sporadically while others are with us 

 always. Some are more injurious in particular localities, and 

 others only under peculiar climatic conditions. To discover those 

 particular garden pests which are of most general interest to an 

 audience of this character is no slight task. I shall endeavor to 

 discuss a few of the pests which are more or less commonly found 

 in all gardens and to point out some general principles in the control 

 of insects of the garden. Quite probably the questions you may see 

 fit to ask and the incident discussion will bring out more clearly the 

 methods of handling those particular pests which you have found 

 it most difficult to combat. 



In our warfare with insect pests we are coming more and more to 

 seek methods of prevention rather than of remedy. As the pro- 

 gressive physician is placing larger emphasis upon hygiene and less 

 upon drugs so the entomologist is gi^'ing more and more study to the 

 relation of insect pests to their surroundings so that he may better 

 advise methods of culture which will prevent as far as possible the 

 losses from them. Such cultural methods for controlling insect 

 pests are more largely applicable to what we may term field or 

 staple crops, but nevertheless have an application to the crops of 

 the garden and orchard. Thus it is well known that many insect 

 pests hibernate over winter in the old ^'ines, stubble, or other refuse 

 from a crop which is left on the soil. If this refuse be removed 

 there will be less chance of the pests of the garden remaining there 

 over winter, and though there will be an immigration from outside 

 the next season, there will be fewer individuals and less injury than 



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