768 connecticut experiment station report, i907-1908. 



Chief Lines of Work. 



The general work of suppressing the gypsy moth, inspecting 

 the nurseries, identif)dng insects and correspondence has con- 

 sumed the usual amount of time and effort. Each of these is 

 mentioned on another page of this report. 



A study has been made of the insects attacking truck crops, 

 and in this work tests have been made at Mount Carmel of various 

 substances to prevent injury from the cabbage maggot. The 

 squash borer has also been the object of similar tests. 



Tests of various substances for fumigating to destroy San Jose 

 scale on nursery stock have been continued, and some attention 

 has been given to the question of preparing "soluble oils" for 

 killing the San Jose scale. Further observations regarding the 

 Hfe history of the peach sawfly have been made by Mr. Walden, 

 and several localities have been examined for mosquito-breeding 

 areas. 



Much time has been devoted to the insect collection and to the 

 preparation of the papers on the Orthoptera and Hymenoptera 

 of Connecticut which are to be published by the State Geological 

 and Natural History Survey. The manuscript of the Orthoptera 

 has been completed and is now awaiting publication. 



Entomological Features of 1908. 



From year to year the careful observer notes changes as regards 

 the prevalence or scarcity of various kinds of insects, especially 

 those which are pests attacking cultivated crops. The fluctuation 

 is great with some species, such as the spiny elm caterpillar, 

 Euvanessa antiopa Linn., and the apple leaf miner, Tischeria 

 malifoliella Clem., which were exceedingly abundant in 1906, but 

 have hardly been noticed since then. They are present each year, 

 but they attract attention only when they become abundant. On 

 the other hand, certain insects like the potato beetle, Leptinotarsa 

 decemlineata Say, the cabbage butterfly, Pontia rapce Linn., and 

 the important currant worm, Pteronus ribesii Scop., are so con- 

 stant in their appearance and numbers that the grower expects 

 to combat them year after year, and thus makes control operations 

 a part of his regular work and plans for it accordingly. 



The winter of 1907-1908 was rather severe, and as the preced- 

 ing winter was also a severe one, the San Jose scale in many 



