534 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



been very destructive, specially in the latter place. A striking instance 

 of the influence of the press was seen in the great interest manifested last 

 summer in the so-called kissing bug, Opsicoetus personatus 

 Linn, a species which had hitherto attracted very little attention. 



Elm leaf beetle. The serious injuries inflicted the last few years by 

 this imported insect, Galerucella luteola Miill. indicated the de- 

 sirability of educating the public more fully concerning the pest. A lec- 

 ture, describing local conditions and giving the methods of fighting shade 

 tree pests, with special reference to this insect, was delivered before the 

 Troy scientific association March 6. Substantially the same matter was 

 presented before the Albany institute April 4. In addition, a number of 

 short articles giving timely notice of methods of procedure against shade 

 tree pests were published in local papers. Though the city authori- 

 ties of Troy made no provision for the general spraying of trees along 

 the streets and in the parks, much was accomplished at private expense. 

 W. H. Gordinier, who the preceding season had operated a power spray- 

 ing outfit, prepared a second and found more calls for his services than he 

 could meet. Wherever spraying was timely and thorough, most excel- 

 lent results were obtained. It will be found that in infested localities 

 where no provision has been made for general spraying along the streets 

 and in parks, many valuable trees will be sacrificed. In all. work against 

 the elm leaf beetle, it has been found necessary to emphasize again and 

 again the supreme importance of timely and thorough work. This is 

 specially true since the public frequently judges of the value of spraying 

 from that which was done by careless or ignorant persons. 



Office work. The routine office work has been much heavier than 

 last year. An unusually large number of insects have been received 

 with requests for information concerning them. The inspection of nurs- 

 eries conducted under the supervision of the commissioner of agriculture 

 has led to frequent calls on this office for the identification of scale and 

 other insects. The entomologist has also been requested to cooperate 

 with that department in some experimental work and has been called on 

 to give advice and to revise a folder giving the formulas for insecticides. 

 The demand for popular information through the agricultural press has 

 been very gratifying and indicates a hearty appreciation of this work 

 among farmers. The number of letters and postal cards written has 

 been greater than in any previous year and amounts to 1559. 



The prosecution of certain lines of field work and investigation has 

 been seriously curtailed by the large amount of proof reading incident to 

 carrying through the press in the summer a large general index of 200 



