"The common rose chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus) greatly injured some fields of corn in Will county, the adult beetle devouring the leaves.
"The 'flea negro-bug' (Thyreocoris pulicarius) was found injurious to wheat in Montgomery county, draining the sap from the heads before maturity, so that the kernel shriveled and ripened prematurely. In parts of some fields the crop was thus almost wholly destroyed.
"The entomological record of the orchard and the fruit garden is not less eventful than that of the farm. In extreme Southern Illinois, the forest tent caterpillar (Clislocampa sylvatica) made a frightful inroad upon the apple orchard, absolutely defoliating every tree in large districts. It also did great mischief to many forest trees. Its injuries to fruit might have been almost wholly prevented, either by destroying the eggs upon the twigs of the trees in autumn, as was successfully done by many, or by spraying the foliage of infested trees in spring with Paris green, or similar poison, as was done with the best effect and at but slight expense by Mr. David Ayres, of Villa Ridge. Great numbers of these caterpillars were killed by a contagious disease, which swept them off just as they were ready to transform to the chrysalis; but vast quantities of the eggs are now upon the trees, ready to hatch in spring.
"A large apple orchard in Hancock county dropped a great part of its crop on account of injuries done to the fruit by the plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar). There is little question that these insects were forced to scatter through the apple orchard by the destruction, the previous autumn, of an old peach orchard which had been badly infested by them.
"In Southern strawberry fields, very serious loss was occasioned by the tarnished plant-bug (Lygus lineolaris), which I have demonstrated to be at least a part of the cause of the damage known as the 'buttoning' of the berry. The dusky plant-bug (Deræcoris rapidus) worked upon the strawberries in precisely the same manner and at the same time, in some fields being scarcely less abundant than the other. I have found that both these species may be promptly and cheaply killed by pyrethrum, either diluted with flour or suspended in water, and also by an emulsion of kerosene, so diluted with water that the mixture shall contain about 3 per cent of kerosene.
"The so-called 'strawberry root-worm' of Southern Illinois proves to be not one species merely, but three—the larvæ of Colaspsis brunnae, Paria aterrima and Scelodonta pubescens. The periods and life histories of these three species are curiously different, so that they succeed each other in their attacks upon the strawberry roots, instead of competing for food at the same time. The three together infest the plant during nearly the whole growing season—Colaspsis first, Paria next, and Scelodonta last. The beetles all feed upon the leaves in July and August, and may then be poisoned with Paris green.
"The season has been specially characterized by the occurrence of several widespread and destructive contagious diseases among insects. Elaborate studies of these have demonstrated that they are due to bacteria and other parasitic fungi, that these disease germs may be artificially cultivated outside the bodies of the insects, and that when sown or sprinkled upon the food of healthy individuals, the disease follows as a consequence. We have in this the beginning of a new method of combating insect injuries which promises some useful results."
Illinois Central Railroad.
The elegant equipment of coaches and sleepers being added to its various through routes is gaining it many friends. Its patrons fear no accidents. Its perfect track of steel, and solid road-bed, are a guarantee[] against them.