45 



In all of the other orchards in which the scale was found, only a few 

 infested trees occurred, and on some of these most of the scales were 

 dead. 



From what I have observed, I am confident that in the few localities 

 in the State in which the climatic and other conditions are favorable 

 for it to multiply rapidly, the pest can be quite easily controlled. 



The Forbes scale {Aspidiotus forbesi) appears to be widely dis- 

 tributed over the eastern portion of the State, since I have frequently 

 met with it there on apple and cherry, but only in one apple tree did I 

 find it in sufficient numbers to cause perceptible injury. I found that 

 one of the characteristic evidences of the presence of this scale is the 

 pitted condition of the infested bark and an absence of a purple con- 

 dition of the inner bark, beneath the scale. 



The asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi) was collected near 

 Martin sburg, in Berkeley County, in June of the present year, where I 

 found it quite common in two market gardens, but so far as I learned 

 it had not been recognized by the gardeners as a pest. This is the first 

 record I have of the occurrence of the insect in West Virginia. 



The timothy bill-bug (Sphenophorus sculptilis). — This root and 

 stem borer has caused considerable damage in my timothy variety 

 plats during the past three or four years. The larvae occurred in June 

 to September and the pupae and adults in August to October. From 

 what I have observed of the work of this species, I am confident that 

 it is one of the prime causes of the early failure of meadows so com- 

 monly complained of. It would also appear that the permanent injury 

 caused by this and other enemies of the roots of timothy can be largely 

 prevented by liberal applications of stable manure, tobacco dust, lime, 

 or other suitable fertilizer to the sod immediately after hay harvest. 



A timothy leaf- miner also did considerable damage to the grow- 

 ing plant this season. An adult reared from one of the infested leaves 

 has been kindly determined for me by Mr. Coquillett as Odontocera 

 dor salis. 



The clover-seed chalcidid (Brucophagus funebris). — Additional 

 evidence obtained from the study of all stages of this insect, together 

 with some observations on its habits, seems to leave no doubt that this 

 interesting little Chalcidid is a destructive enemy of the seed of crim- 

 son and common red clover. I also determined that it passes the win- 

 ter in the seed left in the open field, evidently in the larval stage. The 

 injury to clover seed mentioned by Dr. Lintner in his Eleventh Eeport, 

 page 152, as that of Grapholitha inter sinctana was evidently caused by 

 this Chalcidid, which at the time his report was prepared had not been 

 recognized as a clover-seed pest. The parties sending the damaged 

 seed to him refer to it as being "hulled out like beans eaten by bugs," 

 which is the characteristic appearance of seed from which the insect 

 has emerged. 



