266 



Careful experiments made to test the susceptibility of timothy, blue 

 grass, red top, foxtail, and orchard grass to injury by the Hessian Fly, 

 gave only negative results. 



The breeding-cage methods were described as follows : 



Cages 2 by 3 by 3 feet were built of light wooden frames covered with Swiss. They 

 were left open at the bottom, and a door sufficiently large to admit of an insect net's 

 passing through it was made on one side. These cages were placed over growing 

 wheat and the lower edges of the frames sunk into the soil sufficiently to prevent 

 communication between the inside and outside. At first the cages were placed inside 

 the insectary, over wheat either sown or transplanted from the field. 



"Flaxseeds" to be placed among the wheat in these cages were at first removed 

 from the wheat in which they grew ; later they were left in the stalks, with seem- 

 ingly better results. The wheat was watered frequently by means of a hose with a 

 spray nozzle, and grew well, except in one cage, which was shaded by a wall and 

 suffered from fungus attack. 



Great care was taken to keep the broods separate. As soon as imagos ceased emerg- 

 ing for a few days all remaining unchanged puparia, etc., were removed, that there 

 might be no confusion. 



After the cages were removed out of doors they were stocked with puparia, and a 

 constant growth of wheat was kept in them by transplanting and by sowing wheat 

 in them, so that had the midsummer flies appeared at any time they would have 

 found a place in which to oviposit. As the season was dry, only sufficient water was 

 used to prevent the wheat's dying. Material in the cages was disturbed as little as 

 possible in noting its condition. 



Champaign, Illinois, November 12, 1890 

 The meeting was called to order by Chairman S. A. Forbes. i 



minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. 



On motion of Mr. J. B. Smith a subcommittee of three was appointed 

 by the chair to confer with the committee on cooperation of the Associ- 

 ation of Economic Entomologists for the purpose of recommending 

 means of getting more time and liberty allowed us in which to hold 

 our meetings and increase our membership, if possible, in the future. 

 Messrs. J. B. Smith, 0. M. Weed, and H. Garman were appointed upon 

 this subcommittee. 

 Mr. Woodworth read the following paper : 



THE LABORATORY METHOD OF EXPERIMENTATION.* 



By C. W. Woodworth. 



The work of Harris, Fitch, and Walsh and many of our own day is 

 chiefly along the line of simple observation, but there is opening a new 

 era for economic entomology, for we as Experiment Station officers are 

 or should be especially concerned with experimentation. This will 

 soon come to be recognized as the only means for laying a sure founda- 

 tion for the science of economic entomology. 



*This paper was illustrated by large diagrams, which can not be introduced here. 



