No. 145.] 
695 
It is not uncommon for the crops in some of cur wheat fields to 
be entirely cut off. We have no accounts of such sweeping de¬ 
struction as this ever taking place in Europe; indeed, such a 
calamity there would reduce whole districts to beggary. Nor 
have they any insect which strips the foliage from their trees to 
an extent at all to compare with the Palmer worm of this country. 
In view of the fact, that to complete the Natural History of 
this State, as was originally designed, this branch was remainipg 
to'be examined, and that these objects were so imperfectly known, 
and were annually doing such a vast amount of damage, the Le¬ 
gislature at its last session appropriated one thousand dollars with 
which to commence this work. And it having been justly ob¬ 
jected to the volumes of the Natural History of the State hereto¬ 
fore published, that they were so purely scientific in their charac¬ 
ter as to be unintelligible to the great mass of our citizens, and 
hence, of little practical benefit to them, this examination of the 
insects of the State was placed iu charge of the State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, that the investigations might be conducted with a 
direct reference to economy, as well as scientific accuracy. 
The society here presents the report which has been prepared 
pursuant to this appropriation. We find it a most interesting and 
valuable production, embodying facts and observations of much 
importance to the agricultural and horticultural interests of the 
State. Pursuant to the instructions of the society, to the person 
to whom this work was confided, it is chiefly occupied with an ac¬ 
count of those insects which are injurious to fruit trees. Com¬ 
mencing with the apple tree, those insects which infest the root, 
the trunk, the bark, the leaves, and the fruit, are successively 
considered. Next in similar order are considered those which in¬ 
fest the pear, the plum t the peach, and the cherry tree. To these 
are added several other species which appeared the last summer, 
under circumstances favorable for learning their history and 
habits, infesting the hickory, the maple, the pine, and other in¬ 
digenous forest trees, and some which occur upon garden vege¬ 
tables and flowers. 
