69 



of Massachusetts, basing his deductions on the value of farm products 

 and the estimated value of forest and shade trees (Mr. Lintner inter- 

 jecting in tlie latter connection that the Saratoga elms were insured 

 at 8500 each). Taking the i^robable injury from this moth as a basis, 

 he pointed out that a comparatively trifling tax only would be neces- 

 sary to raise a sum sufficient to (;ontrol the pest, and was very strongly 

 of the opinion that the work of the commission should be upheld and 

 continued. 



Mr. Howard said he was familiar with tlie work of the commission 

 and had gone over the territory and examined the methods of procedure 

 in detail somewhat recently, and was convinced that anyone, seeing the 

 operations and the results already reached, would be impressed with 

 the fact that the work is now being done in the best possible way and 

 according to methods Avhich are most likely to accomplish the ultimate 

 extermination aimed at. He offered a resolution regarding the work of 

 the commission, which was subsequently acted upon by the association. 

 (See infra.) 



Mr. Lintner said he had been one of the first called to insi)ect the 

 work and the conditions of the work, and had been deeply impressed 

 with the amount of exertion necessary and the difficulties of successfully 

 prosecuting it. He also had been most favorably impressed with the 

 value of the methods at present employed. Whether ultimate extermi- 

 nation would be accomplished or not was at present, of course, merely 

 a matter of opinion, but he Avas convinced of the necessity of continuing 

 the work on the basis of extermination rather than mere control. 



Mr. Lintner presented the following pai)er: 



THE STRIPED COTTONWOOD BEETLE. 



By J. A. Lintxi-:r, Albany, X. Y. 



The wonderful multiplication of species of insects not usually inju- 

 rious, or, indeed, even rare, as the result of the cultivation of a crop on 

 a large scale and in extended areas, is often brought to the notice of 

 the economic entomologist in appeals made to him to suggest remedies 

 available against the ravages of some (to the culturist) new insect pest. 



A recent occurrence of this character is the threatened destruction 

 of the basket-willow industry of Onondaga and some others of the 

 western Xew York counties from the ravages of the insect which has 

 been known for the last score of years as the striped cotton wood beetle. 

 Scientifically it is Mclasoma {Una) scrq)ta Fabr. 



In May of 1894 there was sent to me by Internal Kevenue Collector 

 Von Landberg, from Syracuse, X. Y., a bottle of beetles, with the infor- 

 mation that the willow raisers of Liverpool, X. Y., and Salina and neigh- 

 boring localities were experiencing great trouble and serious loss from 

 the ravages of a beetle which was destroying acre after acre of the 

 basket willow. 



