ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES FOE THE SEASON OF 1890. 



By Mary E. Murtfeldt. 



letter of submittal. 



Kirkwood, St. Louis County, Mo., 



October 31, 1890. 

 Sir: Inclosed please find summary of my notes on injurious insects for the present 

 year, as observed throughout the season in St. Louis County, and as compiled from cor- 

 respondence with and occasional visits to other sections of the State. As in preced- 

 ing years, many thanks are due you for various determinations and helpful sugges- 

 tions. 



Respectfully, yours, 



Mary E. Murtfeldt. 

 Prof. C. V. Riley, 



TJ. S. Entomologist. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



The season of 1890 throughout the Mississippi Valley has been iu 

 many respects unusual. The winter months were characterized by a 

 temperature much above the normal, by occasional very heavy rains, 

 and, after the middle of January, by a prevalence of clouds and exces- 

 sive moisture. Many shrubs, for example Forsythia, Cydouia, and 

 Lilac bloomed in the open air about the holidays, while the buds of all 

 fruit trees were much swollen, and peaches and apricots opened their 

 blossoms in sheltered situations in February. Duriug early March the 

 mercury for the first time iu the year dropped to the neighborhood of 

 zero, and on the last day of the month occurred a phenomenal fall of 

 snow. April also was cold and damp, and similar weather prevailed 

 until the middle of May, the soil, except where drainage was excep- 

 tionally good, being in poor condition for planting. With the first of 

 June excessive heat set in, and for seven consecutive weeks the mercury 

 was seldom below 90° F. at midday, aud usually approached or ex- 

 ceeded 100°. This extreme heat was accompanied by an equally severe 

 drought for the same length of time, scarcely mitigated by two or three 

 very slight and very local showers. 



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