8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



injury locally here and there, due probably to a decreased vitality 

 of the trees and a speedy destruction of the abnormally small 

 leafage. It is undoubtedly true that the more thorough spraying by 

 certain communities during the last few years has been most bene- 

 ficial. The apparent check of the past season is presumably tem- 

 porary and any extended reliance thereupon is inadvisable. 



The false maple scale (Phenacoccus acericola) has 

 been the cause of a number of complaints, though it has been dis- 

 tinctly less numerous than in recent years. It was extremely 

 abundant during late summer in one locality at Mount Vernon. 



The tulip tree scale, Toumeyella liriodendri, a pest 

 occasionally numerous, was unusually injurious in the vicinity of 

 New York City. Several natural enemies were noted preying upon 

 this species. 



Forest pests. Work has been continued upon the hickory bark 

 beetle, Eccoptogaster quadrispinosa, and field ob- 

 servations by the Entomologist lead him to believe that the period 

 of severe injury for the vicinity of New York City has largely 

 passed. His investigations of previous years and the studies of 

 this season indicate the practicability of protecting the more valued 

 trees by applications made shortly after the beetles have entered 

 the bark. The probable efficacy of this treatment by no means 

 lessens the advisability of cutting and burning badly infested wood 

 before the borers can mature and escape. 



The extensive plantings of white pine in recent years have given 

 the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) almost ideal 

 opportunities for multiplication and, as a consequence, there have 

 been numerous complaints regarding the work of this insect. The 

 Entomologist, in cooperation with Mr Waldo C. Johnston of Coop- 

 erstown, conducted a practical test of the value of collecting the 

 weevils by hand. It was found that four collections could be made 

 for about $1.25 an acre where the trees were three feet high or less 

 and, as a result, no weevils were to be seen later. There are reasons 

 for believing this to be a practical and possibly a profitable method 

 of controlling the pest in such plantings. It is planned to continue 

 the investigations of this important pest. 



Original studies were also made of the spotted hemlock borer, 

 Melanophila fulvoguttata, an insect which destroyed 

 several hundred valuable hemlocks in the New York Botanical 

 Gardens, and one which has killed many trees in the Appalachian 

 region. A detailed account of this borer is given in the body of 

 the report. 



