288 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



South France in study of the present status of the American grape-vines 

 and of the Grape Phylloxera. The proposed Phylloxera congress that 

 I had hoped to attend at Turin on the 8th of August was postponed on 

 account of the cholera, and for the same reason I was ui'able to accept 

 an invitation from the minister of agriculture of Italy' to visit that 

 country. The use of the kerosene emulsion as a remedy against the 

 Phylloxera was demonstrated at Montpellier, where it was favorably 

 received, and will have full trial; and I desire here to express my sin- 

 cere thanks to the many persons connected with the ministry at Paris 

 and with the experimental schools of silk-culture, grape-culture, and 

 general agriculture at Montpellier, for the great courtesy shown to me 

 as a representative of the Department and for the appreciation shown 

 for some of the practical results of late years obtained in the work of 

 this Bureau. 



Considerable time has been occupied in the preparation of a full ex- 

 hibit of economic entomology to form part of the Department exhibit 

 at the World's Industrial and Cotton Exposition at New Orleans. With 

 the aid of material from my private collection, I have been able to pre- 

 pare 32 drawers (each 24 by 30) of specimens arranged according to 

 the different crops of the country, and giving in connection with each 

 insect the popular and scientific name, the remedies, references to the 

 chief articles in popular reports that treat of it, and finally its chief 

 natural enemies. The exhibit includes, further, collections of insecti- 

 cides, of insecticide machinery and appliances, and special collections 

 illustrative of silk-culture and bee-culture. Mr. Samuel Henshaw, of 

 Boston, who was engaged to assist in the preparation of this exhibit, 

 and Prof. A. J. Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural College, who aided 

 in the apicultural portion, deserve my sincere acknowledgments. A 

 catalogue of the exhibit has also been prepared and printed. 



The third report of the United States Entomological Commission — a 

 volume of some 450 pages, and illustrated with wood-cuts, maps, and 

 62 plates — was distributed early in the year, and the fourth report is 

 nearly all in type. A new edition of the Manual on Silk-culture has 

 been issued, and Bulletins 3 and 4, containing reports and observations 

 in the practical work of the Bureau, have been published. It is my 

 intention and desire to have all the special reports already ordered by 

 Congress, viz., the Bibliography of Economic Entomology, the Beport 

 on Forest Tree Insects, and that on Orange Insects published before the 

 end of the present fiscal year. 



A report on insecticides and several comprehensive monographs of 

 families of insects, of especial economic interest, are in preparation, 

 with no prospect of their being printed except by aid of Congress. 



In conclusion, I cannot forbear to mention that the work of the Bureau 

 has outgrown its present means of putting results before the public and 

 its present accommodations. In addition to the annual report and the 

 special bulletins, it would greatly augment its usefulness to have means 

 to issue a monthly or periodical bulletin and more elaborate quarto 

 monographs, while there is pressing need of more room for the library, 

 the collections, the laboratory, and the workers; and I would earnestly 

 commend these facts to your consideration. 



The illustrations to the report, where not otherwise credited, have 

 been drawn by Miss Lillie Sullivan, under my immediate supervision. 



Bespectf ully submitted, November 3, 1884. 



C. V. BILEY, 



Entomologist, 



Hon. Geo. B. Loring, 



Commissioner of Agriculture. 



