14 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
inallieiiialically certain to lilt (lie coU’ers of the orehardist, 
while producers of the old strain sink into linancial leth¬ 
argy, are getting to he quite the fad. 
Every honest and progressive nurseryman here is doing 
his best to secure propagating wood from the best or¬ 
chards, and still give attention to any new variety of 
merit. Let’s get together and stop spending money for 
advertising space to play upon the credulity of the public 
at the expense of legitimate nursery progression. 
Let us standardize our stock, our varieties, our adver¬ 
tising and our courtesy to each other, and at the same 
time give the public more for its money than it is now 
getting. 
REPOUT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 
ON THE CONTROL OF INSECTS 
While all the State Experiment Stations support work 
in economic entomology, and while many other countries 
are developing services in this direction, the Department 
of Agriculture has by far the largest organization for the 
purpose of research on insect pests. It is virtually the 
leader of the world in the warfare against injurious in¬ 
sects. It has ill its tiles biological notes on thousands of 
species and is studying them Irom all points of view in its 
held laboratories. No less than 143 distinct projects are 
being investigated at the present time, involving possibly 
500 of the species of insects most injurious to crops, 
domestic animals, stored foods, forest products, shade 
trees, and ornamental plants. It is safe to say that some 
form of remedial treatment has been found for every 
markedly injurious insect in the United States, but con¬ 
tinued efforts are being made to find something more ef¬ 
fective or cheaper or simpler. 
Many striking things have been accomplished. The 
pear thrips, which at one time threatened the extinction 
of the Pacihc coast deciduous-fruit industry, is no longer 
feared. Two serious pests of the clover-seed crop now 
can be handled by slight variation of cropping methods. 
The bark-beetles of our coniferous forests, which have 
imposed a loss comparable to that resulting from forest 
tires, can be controlled at very little expense. Sprays 
and spraying machinery have been developed which can 
be used successfully against practically all leaf-feeding 
species. The fumigation of nursery stock and of ware¬ 
houses has been perfected. Such injurious species as 
the onion thrips, the grape-berry moth, the alfalfa weevil, 
the tobacco hornworm, and many others of recent prom¬ 
inence, can be controlled. The spread of the gipsy and 
brown-tail moths through our northern forests and or¬ 
chards has been prevented. These injurious insects not 
only have been kept in a comparatively small territory, 
but are being reduced in nmnber year after year by active 
scouting, spraying, banding, and egg destruction, and 
through the aid of parasites brought from Europe and 
Japan. Although the spread of the cotton boll weevil— 
which represents probably the most difficult problem in 
insect control—has not been stopped, the investigations of 
the department’s entomologists have shown the southern 
planter how^ to reduce greatly the potential damage and 
how to grow cotton in spite of the weevil. 
An important development in this practical entom¬ 
ological work of recent years has been the establishment 
of a number of more or less temporary held laboratories, 
scattered over the country. Thus the expert workers are 
taken into the centers of activity of the injurious species. 
Great stress is being laid on what may be termed the cul¬ 
tural method of insect control. The intimate life round 
of the insect pest is studied in close connection w ith farm¬ 
ing methods in order to ascertain whether by variation of 
cultural practice the insect damage can not be consider¬ 
ably reduced. Remedial w ork of this sort is extremely 
practical. Investigations have shown that in many in¬ 
stances partial or nearly complete control can be gained 
by some change in farm management. This naturally is 
the best remedy, except possibly in the case of introduced 
pests, where control can be secured by the employment of 
parasites or other natural enemies. 
Technical methods of control, mechanical and chemical, 
including sprays and spraying machinery, fumigation for 
citrus orchards, nursery stock, mills and warehouses, or 
trapping methods and other means of mechanical destruc¬ 
tion also have been studied and developed. In the large 
problems it frequently has happened that cultural, bio¬ 
logical, and technical measures are used at the same time. 
When the enormous annual losses from injurious in¬ 
sects are considered it is clear that the value of the depart¬ 
ment’s work in applied entomology is very great. 
E. J. McGregor in an article in the Journal of Economic 
Entomology, gives an account of a mite that is attacking 
the privet in the south. While the Amoor River Privet 
seems to be the principal host for this pest, it is recorded 
on other plants such as the Dock, Oxalis, Strawberry, 
Boston Ivy, etc. 
The damage done by this pest is often very noticeable, 
and shows up the most with the approach of the fall. 
The heaviest infestations occur in September and October. 
The mite feeds on the under sides of the leaves and is 
indicated by a yellowing or fading of the infested leaves, 
which finally fall until the plants become entirely de¬ 
foliated. 
One season’s defoliation rarely results in the death of 
the Privet bushes, as a second crop of leaves is soon de¬ 
veloped, but constant attacks soon weaken the plants until 
they finally succumb, leaving gaps in the hedges. 
Several insecticides have been tested against this pest. 
Lime sulphur seems to have })roduced the best results. 
S. A. Graham, in the Journal of Economic Entomology, 
gives an account of efforts to control the white pine 
weevil. 
The most effective remedies prove to be creosote 
sprayed April 13th pure strength. While this slightly 
injured the plants it was effective in destroying the 
weevils. A lime sulphur at scale strength, which had 
been recommended as a deterant, in this trial at least 
proved valueless. 
The experiments so far are by no means conclusive. 
I have enjoyed your magazine the past year very much 
and wish to subscribe for it for 1917. 
Yours respectfully. 
Landscape Gardener. G. R. Turner,, Stoughton, Mass. 
