34 



from next spring, providing the winter is favorable to their preserva- 

 tion. We do not, however, look for any extraordinary increase in these 

 insects over an extended scope of country next year. 



In southwestern Nebraska and portions of northern Kansas the 

 Chinch Bug (M. leucopterus) became very numerous during June and 

 early July, and did a considerable amount of injury to crops — especially 

 to small grain. This undue increase was mainly due to the excessive 

 drought in that particular region. A reference to the accompanying 

 telegraphic crop reports will be sufficient proof of the magnitude of the 

 injury done and the area overrun. Soon after harvest heavy rains in 

 this region diminished the numbers of the insect. 



The Striped Cottonwood Beetle (Plagiodera scripta) has also been 

 quite numerous in several portions of the West during the year, and 

 did much injury to both Cottonwoods and Willows upon high land. 

 Especially was this true with respect to the young trees upon tree claims 

 in newly settled areas. There has been considerable vexation at the 

 United States land offices on account of the injuries of this insect and 

 of a species of Saw-fly, the larvse of which attack the foliage of our va- 

 rious species of Ash trees, causing them to die. When the time comes 

 for "proving up "there are too few trees growing upon the tract of 

 land, and the result is its probable loss to the enterer. 



The Colorado Potato Beetle ( Doryphora 10-lineata) and Cabbage But- 

 terfly (Pier is rapae) have both been rather more abundant than usual 

 during the year and have done much injury to their respective food- 

 plants. 



In addition to these, the Ash-gray Blister Beetle (Lytta cinerea) has 

 been observed in several localities in northern Nebraska to entirely de- 

 foliate young hedges of Honey Locust. Until the present summer I 

 have not observed this insect attacking the Honey Locust since the sum- 

 mer of 187G or 1877. At that time a nursery of small trees of this kind 

 were entirely stripped of leaves by them, as were also several larger 

 ones standing alone. 



The Corn Worm (Heliothis armlgera) was very numerous and caused 

 considerable injury by eating the ends of the ears of corn. It has also 

 been found quite abundant in tomato patches, where it bored into the 

 fruit j causing the tomatoes to rot. 



We append a series of short extracts from western newspapers bear- 

 ing on some of these topics. 



:i GRASSHOPPERS." 



A cloud of grasshoppers stopped for a meal at Sanborn [Dakota] recently and 

 chewed up a field of wheat in ten minutes. — Omaha Daily Bee, July 23, 1866. 



Grasshoppers are reported in numerous quantities in Winneshiek County, Iowa, 

 Howard County, Iudiana, and in Athens County, Ohio. — Omaha Daily Bee, May 31, 

 1886. 



Grasshoppers are reported at Fargo and Huron, Dak. Lawrence Bruner, who is 

 authority on the subject, informs us that there is no doubt they are increasing yearly ? 



