73 



PREFACE. 



The year 1892 was remarkable for most of the insect infesta- 

 tions commonly injurious to field crops and fruit, being present 

 to such an extent as to cause enquiry as to their nature and 

 methods of prevention, but, for the most part, as not affecting 

 large districts to a serious extent. 



Amongst such crop attacks as were more especially prevalent 

 and injurious, were those of the leaf-eating Pea Weevils, of 

 which the detailed reports show amount of damage up to the 

 sweeping off of successive sowings ; and, over areas of various 

 extent, up to serious mischief over a district of 1000 acres. The 

 caterpillars of the very common Silver-Y Moth caused unusual 

 damage in various places to Clover ; and the Hop Strig Maggot 

 was again mischievous. Mangold crops in many places had (as 

 has been repeatedly the case of late years) again to bear the 

 brunt of sharp attack of Leaf Maggot. Corn Aphis (so far as 

 information sent in showed) was the most injurious corn insect 

 attack of the season. Diamond-back Moth presence was widely 

 noticed, and in some localities (perhaps most of all on the north- 

 easterly parts of Norfolk, and near St. Andrew's, in Scotland) as 

 being observable in great numbers ; but compared to the outbreak 

 of 1891 little caterpillar attack followed, so that serious damage 

 only occurred locally, not as a widespread scourge. Various 

 kinds of root attacks to Turnips and Cabbage (duly entered on) 

 also caused trouble. 



Some kinds of crop infestation were brought under notice 

 which have hitherto been little, if at all, observed as injurious in 

 this country. Amongst these is a species of moth caterpillar, * 

 which, where present at all, entirely destroys the infested stems 

 of Potato by tunnelling up the centre. Also the maggots of a 

 weevil beetle, hitherto not reported as a crop pest in this country, 

 which was found in large numbers within Cabbage stems in one 

 district in Ireland. The Yellow-legged or Dutch Clover Weevil 



=''■ The pcientilic names of the insects are given with the notices of their 

 attacks. 



