Write to B. F. Feather, of Wayne, Nebr. and ask about the effect of the recent cold spell on the Apple-tree Aphis.
May 4 Ans’d

Write to B. F. Feather, of Wayne, Nebr. and ask about the effect of the recent cold spell on the Apple-tree Aphis.
May 4 Ans’d
Lincoln, Nebr., May 4, 1903.

You would greatly oblige me by letting me know how the Apple-tree Aphis or plant louse was affected by the recent cold spell. Before the freeze this insect was known to be present in large numbers over a considerable scope of country lying between the 98th and 100th meridians, with Madison as the easternmost and Republican City as the westernmost localities from which we have reports concerning its abundance. It would be quite interesting to learn which of our birds are especially active in destroying these small insects. A little time carefully spent in watching the various warblers, the house wren and one or two of our smaller native sparrows will no doubt result in the discovery that they all do much towards killing off these and other small soft-bodied insects at this time of the year.
Yours very truly,

The University of Nebraska Lincoln Ornithology
uner, Professor
ent, Experiment Station
State Entomologist
Lincoln, Nebr., May 4, 1903.
Feather,
Wayne, Nebr.
Dear Sir;-
You would greatly oblige me by letting me know how the Apple-tree Aphis or plant louse was affected by the recent cold spell. Before the freeze this insect was known to be present in large numbers over a considerable scope of country lying between the 98th and 100th meridians, with Madison as the easternmost and Republican City as the westernmost localities from which we have reports concerning its abundance.
It would be quite interesting to learn which of our birds are especially active in destroying these small insects. A little time carefully spent in watching the various warblers, the house wren and one or two of our smaller native sparrows will no doubt result in the discovery that they all do much towards killing off these and other small soft-bodied insects at this time of the year.
Yours very truly,

Wayne Nebr. 5/5/03. From present appearances I think the recent cold spell has largely killed the Apple-tree Aphis. Our English sparrows are very numerous here and are great insect destroyers, which but few people believe, still it is a fact. All fruit is largely [illegible] here.
Yours tc
B. F. Feather
May 6 Rec’d
May 7 Ans’d