7 
r, 
totes also, on everything relating to economic entomology. He 
isited Villa Ridge, Anna, Cobden, Tamaroa and Centralia, spend- 
ag some time at each of these places, and in October he made 
nother trip to Oarmi, and other points in the Wabash valley. In 
September, I went with an assistant to Jacksonville and Jersey ville, 
■nd in November brought the held work practically to a close by 
aaking a third trip southward to Villa Ridge, Anna, Carbondale 
nd Centralia. Field work was constantly in progress in the vicinity 
f Normal, and numerous short trips were also made to points ad- 
acent. It was the policy of the office to keep all parts of the State, 
s far as possible, under intelligent supervision, and especially to 
isit, either in person or by competent assistants, every point where 
nything of especial interest to the economic entomologist appeared, 
j diether in the way of insect injuries not yet clearly understood, or 
estructive outbreaks of familiar enemies, which afforded opport¬ 
unities for held experiments for the control of their injuries. 
1 For the purpose of securing early notice of such events, and also 
r ith the hope of distributing practical information concerning in- 
f irious insects just where and when it was most needed, I early 
)ok measures to put the office in immediate communication with 
irmers and fruit growers throughout the State. With this end in 
iew, I issued in July, through the usual channels of the depart¬ 
ment, and by every other method available, a circular inviting cor¬ 
respondence, not only from entomological observers, but also from 
lose in want of information or advice respecting insects injurious 
) their property. I am happy to say that this circular, widely 
ublished by the press, had apparently an excellent effect. The 
irrespondence of the office has rapidly grown, two hundred and 
ighteen letters having been written on economic entomology since 
le first of July, but it is not yet by any means as large as it 
mould be; and I cherish the hope that those for whose benefit we 
ce working will more generally form a habit of referring to us for 
eeded information, and of contributing in turn to the common 
;ock of knowledge from their own observation and experience. 
The most important special investigations undertaken this season 
] ere those upon the corn root-worm, the chinch-bug, and the straw- 
prry crown-borer, together with studies upon the food of the pre- 
| iceous insects and upon certain questions related to the food of 
rds. Much time and thought was given to a research upon the 
mtagious diseases of the chinch-bug, and some substantial progress 
as made in a knowledge of the subject. Many experiments were 
so made with insecticides, espedially for the chinch-bug, the plant- 
?e, and the cabbage-worms. The life histories of the corn root- 
irm and of the strawberry crown-borer were completed, and several 
•eviously published mistakes of observation or inference were cor- 
cted. A large number of dissections of those insects which have 
| therto been reckoned almost wholly carnivorous, and therefore 
I ghly beneficial, were made with a view to determining exactly their 
due to the farmer, and the conditions under which they could live 
j the absence of a supply of insect food. Substantially complete 
! suits were reached for the two most important families of beetles 
this class—the lady-bugs (Coccinellidse) and the predaceous ground 
betles (Carabidse), and the results have been published this month 
I. 
