67 
>bout it. Chancing to find a few of them in some plants in 
rden, the other day, set me to looking about in the neigh- 
fields. I find some spots, particularly in old patches, where 
re pretty bad. In a small field of Mr. Goodrich’s i’ should 
three-fourths of the plants were affected, and they are dying 
:,st. In most of the fields examined I found no trace of them, 
fear there is danger of their spreading from these infected 
and becoming generally destructive again. It is certainly a 
1 >n of great practical importance, to know whether it is likely 
jad rapidly m the near future, or whether its natural enemies 
]ever they may be—are likely to keep it within its present 
’• If you can spare the time, I wish you would come down 
vestigate this fellow. In the old fields the beetles have mostly 
3 plants, but in new-set fields I find the insect, in almost all 
of development. As we have eighty-five acres in strawberries, 
naturally a good deal interested in these matters.” 
onsequence of this request, I sent one of my assistants, 
. H. Garman, to Southern Illinois, with instructions to give 
' ole subject of insect injuries to the strawberry as thorough 
:i mination as the season would permit. 
|i 
i isited various beds at Cobden, some old and some recently 
l; examined carefully the large field of Mr. Earle, at Anna, 
iiveral plantations at Villa Bidge, giving especial attention to 
| Mr. G. W. Endicott. On his return, he stopped at Centralia 
parched the plants in the fields of Mr. Webster and Mr. Brun- 
le was m Cobden on the 10th of September, at Anna on the 
<nd at Centralia on the 28d. In every old bed examined, he 
the borer present, and often very destructive. Throughout this 
jfisit, larvae, pupae and adult beetles were found in the infested 
Many of the latter still pale, having evidently recently trans- 
from the pupa state. 
worst fields were a small one on Mr. Endicott’s place, at 
.fidge, and one on Mr. Brunton’s, at Centralia, both of which 
en in strawberries for many years, but had lately been aban- 
on account of the insect injuries. The new fields of young 
likewise contained the borer, some more, some fewer, but 
'post infested were in immediate proximity to old patches or 
ledling plants which were found to contain the grubs. Even 
which had taken root this summer from plants set new last * 
* occasionally, but rarely, contained them. The fields exam- 
s 3re of about all the varieties now raised in Southern Illinois, 
med equally liable to attack, and many of the plants were 
n the worst affected beds. 
ire to call special attention to the fact that, as late as the 
!i September, he found the borer present in all stages of larva, 
| nd beetle, in the fields of Mr. Brunton and Mr. Webster, at 
ia. He brought back from the South a number of the plants 
\e borers still in their crowns, and transplanted them to 
f earth, where they were kept for further developments. 
l these plants were examined, a month later, it was found 
3 beetles had all transformed and emerged, eating outward 
side of the crown, and were then dead on the ground in the 
