Io8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM • 



fair control. It is a rather eommon occurrence to find the 

 lower limbs fairly well sprayed, while the upper branches are 

 almost untouched by the poison and, as a consequence, the 

 latter are severely injured by the beetle. Good poison and 

 efficient apparatus can be easily secured and in most instances 

 has been obtained. The weak link in the chain of practice at 

 present is the time and method of application, particularly the 

 latter. Spraying trees is a disagreeable, hazardous occupation 

 and in order to secure the best results, it is necessary to make 

 the compensation such as to result in a keen competition for 

 the position of nozzle man. The application of business prin- 

 ciples would justify the placing of this work in the hands of a 

 party who at least understood the rudiments involved (a 

 skilled forester would be even better) and giving him author- 

 ity to insist upon any reasonable standards in methods and 

 operation. Let this man be held rigidly accountable for un- 

 satisfactory results following spraying operations and we shall 

 see a marked change in the elm leaf beetle situation. 



The elm leaf beetle is not such a serious pest in Europe, and 

 it would seem, in view of the probable continuance of the 

 severe injury of the last few years, as though a serious effort 

 might well be made to secure natural enemies, since they ap- 

 pear to be very effective checks upon this beetle in European 

 countries. 



Bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius Gory). Dying 

 or dead white birch trees, especially the ornamental weeping 

 birches on lawns, have been a rather common sight during 

 recent years in cities in the western part of the State. It is 

 now stated that all the birches in Geneva have been killed or 

 practically so, while many of those in Elmira and Ithaca have 

 been destroyed. The writer has noted dying birches in 

 Rochester and several villages in that general section. The 

 past season our attention was called to a group of dying 

 birches at Lansingburg, showing that this insect has com- 

 menced its nefarious work in the eastern part of the State. 

 Similar injury or something closely resembling it was observed 

 on the grounds of the Hotel Sagamore, Lake George. 



The signs of injury are very characteristic, it requiring but 

 little experience to recognize the work of this pest. Usually 

 the thin foliage and dying condition of the upper branches are 

 the first evidences of trouble. A more careful examination may 

 show well-marked, annular ridges around some of the smaller 



