6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



as beneficial in checking certain other insect pests and fungous 

 diseases. We have steadfastly insisted that it was wiser to use 

 some such material than to employ the more easily applied mineral 

 oils or preparations of the same, known as miscible or " soluble " 

 oils, because the latter, under certain conditions at least, may 

 seriously injure the trees. This has been done in the face of a 

 determined effort by certain parties to boom oils and oil prepara- 

 tions as the most available remedies for San Jose scale. Despite 

 the fact that these last named materials are valuable under certain 

 conditions, it remains true that we must still rely in large measure 

 upon the lime-sulfur wash for the control of this pest. Our con- 

 servative recommendations, we believe, have deterred many from 

 seriously injuring valuable orchards by making injudicious use of 

 the more dangerous oil preparations. 



The operations of the grape root worm in the Chautauqua region 

 have been observed during the season and, in our judgment, there 

 is a marked improvement oyer the conditions of earlier years. 

 This change is partly due to the higher price of grapes and the 

 consequent better care and fertilization given the vineyards, though 

 it is possible that natural conditions have been of material service 

 in reducing the numbers of this pest. It is still true that this enemy 

 is abundant in certain limited areas, and danger of serious injury 

 to vineyards here and there is by no means past. 



Shade tree protection. Continued devastations by several shade 

 tree pests have necessitated the giving of considerable attention 

 to this phase of economic entomology. A bulletin on the white 

 marked tussock moth and the elm leaf beetle, our two most in- 

 jurious species, was issued in May and a number of warning 

 articles sent to the press throughout the State. The general result 

 has been exceedingly beneficial and much interest has been aroused. 

 The agitation of earlier years secured the appointment of a forester 

 by the city of Albany. This official was placed in charge of the 

 trees, and the spraying with poison resulted in marked benefit, 

 despite the hindrances incident to work of that character. The city 

 of Troy, through municipal agencies, accomplished considerable 

 along this line. It is only a question of a few years before a 

 number of other cities will be compelled, by the severity of insect 

 epredations, to adopt some protective measures or lose many 

 valuable trees. The experience of the last decade has demonstrated 

 beyond all question the possibility of protecting our trees from 

 injuries by such leaf feeders as the elm leaf beetle and the white 



