124 FOREST PLANTING. 



In tills way game can do mncli harm to young planta- 

 tions. The forester must know how many heads of game 

 a forest can support without imperilling the tree-growth ; 

 he should kill off the excess or cause it to be killed off. 

 This is one of the many reasons why the learned for- 

 ester should have the exclusive care of game in his 

 territory. To entrust the duty of caring for the game to 

 so-called *'game keepers" as is done in our State, is pre- 

 posterous, and serves only to cause collisions between 

 officers who should be subjected to the directions of one 

 and the same superior, and act harmoniously in the in- 

 terest of the preservation of both game and woods. 



The most careful attention should be given by the 

 forester to the habits and life history of insects noxious 

 to forest-trees, because, without a correct knowledge of 

 those circumstances, he will not be able to stop or mini- 

 mize the often enormous ravages accomjilished by these 

 small animals. Their habits are very manifold. Some 

 make their appearance in February and March, others 

 in summer, and still others in the fall. Some go duiing 

 one year through all four stations of their development 

 (egg, larva or caterpillar, chrysalis or pupa, butterfly 

 beetle), others require several years for their comjjlete 

 evolution, the young of others are hatched several times in 

 one season. It is also of interest to know in which 

 state of development the insects attack the trees. Com- 

 monly the larvse do all the harm by feeding upon leaves 

 aid twigs ; sometimes the fullfledged insect, especially 

 many beetles, perform this operation. To observe what 

 kind of trees arc particularly sought after by one or the 

 other species of insects is also important. Some species 

 confine themselves to one kind of trees, others attack 

 several kinds ; the most obnoxious are those which feed 

 upon both coniferous and foliagcd trees. Some insects 

 consume only leaves, others feed upon the buds; some 

 live inside the tree, others between tree and bark ; some 



