56 



As somewliat militating against this remedy, it lias been represented 

 as requiring frequent, almost daily, repetition. This is not necessary. 

 Intervals of five days will suffice. If all the larvae and pui^ai are killed 

 on any one day, there could be no pupal transformation into the winged 

 insect until the sixth or seventh day thereafter. The simplicity of this 

 method is therefore evident, and there seems to be no reason why 

 through its use 90 per cent of the insects that descend the trees from 

 the elms upon our walks may not be destroyed. In consideration of the 

 many contingencies that attend the hibernation of all insects and 

 the fatality known to exist in that of the elm leaf-beetle, we would 

 not have much to fear or to suffer from the small fraction of the remain- 

 ing 10 per cent of the brood that might successfully accomplish their 

 hibernation. 



Mr. Howard discussed the occurrence of a second brood of the elm 

 leaf-beetle and the habits of the larvje in pupating. The larvai bred by 

 him in Jul}^ in Connecticut were of the first brood. The second brood 

 occurred in very limited numbers in Bridgeport and other Connecticut 

 towns. In regard to the habits of the larvee in pupation, he said that 

 not above 60 per cent crawl down the trunk to the ground. The others 

 fall from the branches direct to the ground or undergo their trans- 

 formations in the rough bark. 



Mr. Smith corroborated Mr. Howard as to the habits of the larv?e in 

 the particulars i^ointed out. He described also their climbing fences 

 and transforming in the crevices thereof. 



Mr. Southwick gave a resume of his methods of spraying for the elm 

 leaf-beetle, including careful treatment of particular trees which are 

 especially subject to attack. His experience with the second brood 

 was similar to that reported for Washington. He referred particularly 

 to the larvie pupating in bunches of grass and weeds. He described 

 the insecticides which he employed against these larvai. 



Mr. Smith asked if estimates had been made of the cost of keeping 

 the New York parks in good condition. Mr. Southwick said no such 

 estimates had been made, and he described the conditions under which 

 he was attempting to keep the 4,000 acres of parking coming under his 

 supervision in a measure free from insect ravages. 



Mr. J. W. Clarke, city forester of Springfield, described the habits of 

 the larvse in pupating in Springfield, stating that the small trees were 

 much the worst affected. He discussed also, in the same connection, 

 the maple leaf louse, and said that the damage from this insect to 

 maples was much worse than the damage from the elm leaf-beetle 

 to the elms. He said that the maple-louse was first noticed in Spring- 

 field four years before. 



Mr. Southwick said he had found fhe slippery elms quite as badly 

 eaten as the European elms. 



