284 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



monkeys with these caterpillars. Prof. Fernald suggested to the keeper, 

 as a joke be it understood, that it would be a good plan to send the mon- 

 keys into the trees to clear off the caterpillars. An American joke being 

 entirely beyond the comprehension of the keeper he went to a great deal of 

 trouble to state the argument against the possibility of any such a proceed- 

 ing; but after all Prof Fernald's suggestion was a great deal better than he 

 supposed at the time, and possibly instead of importing parasitic and pre- 

 daceous insects to assist us in destroying the injurious species it might be 

 desirable to import a troop of monkeys for that purpose. The matter is 

 repectfully suggested to the U. S. Department of Agriculture for preyful 

 consideration. 



Cranberry Insects. — In a recent issue from the Office of Experiment 

 Stations of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington, under 

 the head of "Farmer's Bulletin," we have a treatise on Cranberry Culture 

 in which cranberry insects are incidentally treated. Ordinarily, it is possi- 

 ble to praise, unreservedly, whatever publications come from the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture; but in this instance we have a Bulletin written 

 by a man who has not the sligiitest idea of the present status of cranberry 

 culture who describes methods of growing them in use twenty years ago, 

 when cranberry culture was in its infancy, and who gravely recommends 

 procedures and selections of soil which experience has proved to be abso- 

 lutely wrong. The whole paper is a compilation and professedly so; but it is 

 a compilation made up of antiquated sources in most instances, and with- 

 out any information at all as to what has been learnt in recent years by 

 hard-bought experience and by study, in Massachusetts and New Jersey. 

 So far as the entomological portion of the treatise is concerned, it is not 

 absolutely wrong ; yet it is not sufficient as a guide to any cranberry 

 grower. It is a pity that it is possible to receive from the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture a publication of the description of this Bulletin on 

 cranberry growing and cranberry insects. It throws discredit upon the 

 entire series of "Farmer's Bulletins," and the question at once arises in 

 the mind of a cranberry grower who receives this Bulletin : — is all the 

 work done on these Bulletins of the same character as this upon the cran- 

 berry and cranberry insects ; If so, what is the use of these compiled 

 " Farmer's BuUetms ?" 



The Codling Moth. — Nothing would seem to be more settled in the do- 

 main of economic entomology than that there are two broods, annually, 

 of this insect. Everybody \vho has written on the Codling moth, includ- 

 ing myself, has stated positively, either from actual observation or follow- 

 ing those who have actually observed, that there were two and some- 

 times three broods. To throw doubt upon the correctness of this state- 

 ment seems almost like heresy, and I do not mean to suggest that two 

 broods in the Middle States is not a rule. But that it is a rule without 

 many exceptions I am inclined to doubt from the result of some experi- 

 ments and observations that I have made in the course of the past three 



