215 



small sum from his tailor a number of pasteboard boxes in which they 

 deliver suits, and his wife carefully folds aud packs away all clothing, 

 gumming a strip of wrapping paper around the edge of the cover so as 

 to leave no crack. These boxes will last for a life-time with careful use. 

 Others use for the same purpose ordinary paper flour sacks or linen 

 pillow-cases, which answer well. The success of these means depends 

 entirely on the thoroughness of the preliminary work. Camphor, to- 

 bacco, napthaline, and other strong odorants are only partial repellants 

 and without the precaution urged are of little avail. 



Cloth-covered furniture which is in constant use will not be harmed, 

 and the same may be said of cloth-lined carriages. Where such furni- 

 ture is stored away or kept unused in a dark room or where the car- 

 riages are left in a dark coach-house through the summer, at least two 

 sprayings with benzine, say once in June and once about August 1, will 

 be advisable. Another plan which will act as a protection in such cases 

 is to sponge the cloth linings and covers both sides where possible, 

 with a dilute solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol made just strong 

 enough not to leave a white mark on a black feather. 



IRRIGATION AND INJURIOUS INSECTS.* 



The question of the proposed reclamation of the arid lands of the 

 West by irrigation is of great importance from the entomological stand- 

 point, mainly in view of its influence upon the destructive appearances 

 of the Eocky Mountain Locust or Western Grasshopper, which at irregu- 

 lar intervals has greatly damaged the agriculture of certain of our 

 Western States and Territories. The last important invasion of this 

 pest occurred during the years 1875 and 1876, and the devastation 

 which it occasioned at that time is so fresh in the minds of all as to re- 

 quire no elaboration of the importance of the subject. The reports of 

 the U. S. Entomological Commission, an organization founded in March, 

 1877, and composed of Professors C. V. Riley, A. S. Packard, and 

 Cyrus Thomas, consider the question of the influence of irrigation of a 

 large extent of the arid territory upon the increase of this pest, and 

 from the first report of this Commission, published during the year 1878, 

 and the second report, published in 1880, can be drawn a complete sum- 

 mary of the writings on this subject and the views in full of the Com- 



* Reply written by Mr. Howard during Prof. Riley's absence in Europe, in answer 

 to a circular letter from the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture to the heads of certain 

 of the scientific divisions of the Department, asking for the bearings of the proposed 

 Government irrigation of western lands upon the problems comprehended by the work 

 of their respective divisions, for the use of the Senate Committee on Irrigation, of 

 which Senator Stewart is chairman. 



