6 



insects can be checkmated by a proper crop rotation ; that the 

 natural enemies of others can be used to destroy them ; and 

 that others are easily killed by improved insecticides. But the 

 most important advance has been the introduction of the spray- 

 ing machine, an apparatus by means of which insect killing sub- 

 stances may be easily and rapidly distributed over the surfaces 

 of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants. As I have else- 

 where said, its introduction into American horticulture marks 

 an advance almost as important as was marked by the advent 

 of the improved cultivators into our agriculture. Before the 

 latter were introduced the weeds that infest the soil were fought 

 by the hand hoe, but now a single team does the work of many 

 men. In the same way until recently various laborious and 

 partially effective methods were used in fighting noxious insects 

 and destructive fungi ; but now many foes of both these classes 

 are fought on a large scale by the force-pump and spray nozzle, 

 and every season adds others to the list of those against which 

 this method may be successfully used. With a large class of 

 farmers and fruit growers, spraying has become a recognized 

 part of the season's operations, and therein lies the chief promise 

 of the method. When the belief becomes general that it is as 

 important to save a crop from destruction by its foes as it is to 

 produce it ; that fighting noxious worms must take its place as 

 a farm process by the side of that of fighting noxious weeds: 

 that the parasitic plants which absorb the vitality of leaf and 

 fruit are as dangerous to the crop as the plants which dispute 

 with it the possession of the soil — and when along with this 

 recognition there is placed before the farming community a 

 cheap and wholesale method of preventing the injuries of these 

 organisms, then the vast annual loss now suffered because of 

 insects and fungi will be very greatly lessened. 



The introduction of destructive insects still continues and is 

 likely to continue for many years to come. At present there 

 are two recently introduced insects that have not yet appeared 

 in New Hampshire so far as known, but which are liable to 

 reach us at any time and to become very destructive. I refer 

 to the Gypsy Moth and the San Jose Scale. There are three 

 other insects — the Pear Midge, Pear Tree Psylla, and Bud 



