PUBLISHEES' PREFACE. 



The assertion that cultivation of all plants, whether on the 

 farm, in the orchard or garden, is largely a struggle with 

 insects, has been strikingly illustrated within the past few 

 years. The standard works upon Entomology include the 

 harmless as well as the injurious insects, and are written with 

 reference to the identification of the species rather than to show 

 how they may be destroyed. In view of the need of a work 

 giving an account of the most destructive insects and the pres- 

 ent knowledge of the methods of preventing their ravages, the 

 Publishers invited Mrs. Treat to prepare the present volume. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO NEW EDITION. 



For this new, enlarged edition, I have prepared a chapter on 

 the more common beneficial insects, which I have observed 

 from time to time, hoping thereby to call attention to their 

 wonderful agency in destroying the injurious vegetable feeding 

 ones. I also wish to add my testimony in a few words, by way 

 of preface, in favor of the various birds that visit our gardens 

 and orchards in the capacity of helpers, as they feed upon some 

 of the most noxious insects which we have to contend with. 



First and foremost among these helpers is the purple martin. 

 It is the general impression that this bird takes insects only on 

 the wing, but it does more than this. I saw numbers of them 

 this past summer, taking the rose bugs from the grapevines. 

 They swooped down and picked them off without alighting. 

 They circled around in companies, back again to the same vine, 



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