Feb., 1925] PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS 7 



REPORT BY PROJECTS. 



The report on the work for the past year will be considered by projects under 

 the headings of the main tj^pes of funds: Adams, Hatch, State and Miscellane- 

 ous Income, Adams Fund projects are required by federal legislation to deal 

 with the underlying causes of agricultural phenomena. The work under 

 Hatch and State Funds is considered together, as much the same type of 

 activity has been under way in each. Projects canied on under the Miscel- 

 laneous Fund are ones which through fees are either in whole or in part self- 

 supporting, 



ADAMS FUND. 

 European Com Borer. 



The study of the life history, habits and means of control of the European 

 corn borer, which was begun in the spring of 1922 as a new Adams Fund pro- 

 ject by W. C. O'Kane and P. R. Lowry (Entomology), was continued through 

 the past year along the lines laid out at the beginning. Extensive records and 

 notes were secured which add materially to the knowledge of this insect under 

 New Hampshire conditions. 



As in the first year, the details of the work were planned after consultation 

 with the experts who are conducting a study of this insect at Arlington, Mass., 

 on behalf of the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of 

 Entomology. In Massachusetts the species has been under investigation for 

 four years and a large amount of data has been accumulated. The purpose of 

 the work in New Hampshire is to extend the inquiry to New Hampshire con- 

 ditions. 



The records for the present year again show the European corn borer to pass 

 through two complete generations in New Hampshire. This has a significant 

 bearing on possible control measures. The over-wintering larvae, which are 

 identical with the larvae of the second generation of last year, began to enter the 

 pupal stage this year on April 28, six days in advance of the corresponding date 

 for last year. The last larva to enter the pupal stage this year made the trans- 

 formation July 14. The first adult secured from this generation emerged June 

 11. The last adult emerged July 30. In 192-3 the first adult emerged June 2. 

 Thus, the corresponding generation of this year lagged behind that of last year 

 by nine days. The relation of this to temperature and moisture is being 

 studied. Full records are kept, both of air temperature and of that of the soil. 



The length of life of the male moths derived from the over-wintering larvae 

 ranged from 6 to 34 days, that of the female moths from 5 to 26 days. The 

 length of the period from emergence of the female moth to first egg-laying 

 varied from two to seven days. The peYiod during which a female moth con- 

 tinued to lay eggs ranged from 2 to 24 days. The number of eggs laid by a 

 single moth of this generation ranged from a minimum of 23 to a maximum of 

 1131. This maximum is considerably in excess of the corresponding record 

 secured last year. 



The progeny of the moths of this over-wintering generation constitute 

 technically the first generation of the current year. The first eggs were laid by 

 these moths June 19 and the last eggs August 14. The first date is 12 days 



