INSECT NOTTS' 267 



cies of oak insects, for instance, recorded by Packard * is over 

 400 for the United States, and he estimates that "it is not 

 improbable that ultimately the number of species of oak insects 

 for the United States will be between 600 and 800 or even 

 1000," when they are all determined. Yet oaks still grow ! 

 And even if there should prove to be 1000 species of insects 

 which occur upon the apple, apples could probably still be 

 grown and with care still be grown for profit as well as pleas- 

 ure. But as a matter of fact the insects which are doing real 

 damage to apple orchards in Maine -at present are very well 

 known so far as their life histories and remedial measures are 

 concerned and there is not one among them that is not practi- 

 cally combatable if fought consistently over a considerable area. 

 This could be done by each man taking care of his own trees, 

 or much simpler by some system of cooperation by which one 

 man could direct the care of trees on a given locality. It does 

 not come within the intention of this bulletin to recommend 

 the manner of such cooperation. It might be accomplished in 

 various ways — through the grange, by a neighborhood club, 

 or if the sentiment of the town supported such a movement, 

 local measures could be secured against any neglected apple 

 tree as a public nuisance and a danger to the orchards in the 

 vicinity. 



In view of the fact that the apple crop is one of the chief 

 interests of the State, the Maine Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion has constantly had the orchard in mind with reference to 

 insects of economic importance. The majority of inquiries 

 which are received accompany insects found upon apple trees. 

 In order that fuller information may be sent in reply to such 

 inquiries than could be possible through a personal letter, illus- 

 trated circulars upon about 30 orchard insects most common 

 in the State are kept in print for use in correspondence, and 

 are sent as replies to persons submitting these insects for iden- 

 tification. 



With this economic literature available for distribution to 

 anyone in the State at any time, it hardly seems necessary to 

 repeat annually extended bulletin notes upon such standard 

 orchard pests as the red humped caterpillar, the yellow-necked 

 caterpillar, the tiger caterpillars (HaUsidota carycc and H. macu- 



* Forest Insects, page 48. 



