Biological
& Medical
Serials

Canada. Dept. of Agriculture,

mology Research Institute

Report of the Dominion Entomo

CANADA =

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CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM see

FOR THE : a . eee ee
“YEAR ENDING “MARCH 31

WO06@ 2 eG

AUTHOR'S EDITION
FROM ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPERIMENTAL FARMS FOR THE YEAR 1907-8

CANADA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST

JAMES FLETCHER, LL.D., F.R.S.C., F.LS., F.E.S.A.

FOR THE

YEAR ENDING MARCH 381

1908

OTTAWA
GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU
1909
1594—5

i
+

Pace. | Pace.

Entomologist and Botanist—Report of ‘Entomologist and Botanist—Report of
MGM CRE se) Ae co Se alee) sue mee the—Con.
mernowledgments... 6... 2. se sees we 189 | 15 Zn 2k gee gine Mes iaMlnd Cag bine Le ag ARS "1
Aphis mali.. .. .. .- 22 22 ee ee ve oe 194 | MEnGdion fhe Ck ee 190
RAINE MEIER ESS eset! anc owes cco! 1am n-eeimeie ever LOM: | Tnsects, instructions ™) for sending
ST ORC ec c eke EHMOUgH ENE MAM oe cece wejsuts we) neeelO
.. eS vid 2a ore aes ae Sd PSOSONNGCUTPELCV onl ce nisl. sie wien (ares ox ae cee 100
Bees, influence on set of fruit.. .. .. .. 198 | vou peer poe sere Ciage nny sere ee
Botanical specimens, preparation of.... 212 Killing bottle for insects.. .. .. .. .. 212
Bordeaux mixture.. .. ........ .. .. 206 | Lepidosaphes ulmi.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 199
Brown-tail Moth.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 205 | Lysiphlebus tritict.. .- .. .. .. .. .. 194
mempeies fOr. 4. oc cc cc cc we cu os 206 | Macrodactylus subspinosus.. .... .. .. 203
PECUEHMS: THSOTUM.. 55 3s cece ee wee. 196 Mayetiola (Cecidomyia) destructor.. .. 190
amends MIXGUTO.. 2... «6s. 2. > «+ 206 Meetings attended by Entomologist
Gammnula pellucida... .. .. «2 sss -. +. 195 | anid Botanistiee ae ole een, ged 85
Cankerworms.. .. .. -. -. ++ ee ee ++ 207 by Assistant Entomologist... .. .. .. 189
remedies for.. .. -. 6+ ee ee se +s ++ 207 | Melanoplusmationisieancte 6 <a ae: > sce LOS
Seems PaTRONCHG.. ---- we ee eID) ner ittgtugie ak we we) ceces ad es 20 198
Cephus Te saa suse ie | fEMAUI=TUDGUNT <a ose) sicties oe nds, Se ee! 195
Cereals, insect enemies of.. .. .. .. .. 190) re
MPM MVOUN cs ons def ce ss, ae -- 199%) ee 5 hes: ia seh ia em ae Ze
_ a ee aad INOtOLOD US) QRUGUMss sess so ss vee ee 207
Peliedions of insects es eres: 183 Nursery stock, regulations governing
Correspondence.. .. .. .. Bein: ea TUTOR UAGIONT Obes. catecne a) mie aiss_ais, po, OL
Criddle mixture, for ee nora: eee ls dipping of.. .. 6. ee ee ee ee oe ee 208
Criddle, N., on Wheat-stem Sawfly.... 191 | Oat Grain Aphis.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 194
Customs regulations, under San José Oyster-shell Scales mere cope <a iscwe loo
SemlewAct: <0. <6 Ape OE LT bal ECIMCHICS LOL MEM MAE soe oe coe ae 200
Cutworms, poisoned Gran. foe, Jenin 1964)» Packing specimens for sending
Dipping of nursery stock.. .. .. .. .. 203 | Shroush pene cM awl senso 2 sya ssapean aie eee CoML
DRomtiniseton COMCCHIONS. 09.6 0+ er 300084 | Pea Moti sys. clecect 2200: sees os, 197
Envelopes, kind of, used for jaseotss: eke ole” |. PeamWeovile eins cc sas. ssc iieewel scene dD
Euproctis chrysorrhaa.. .. .. .. .. .. 205 ! Hives tiie Pony TINE, Boece Cea os LComaoed CLé
Fruit crops, insect enemies of.. .. .. 198 | TLOMLCUIES #hOL et cae! oes See eee een ee 8
Fumigation Stations.. 201 | Pimpla pedalis.. .... .. 209
formula used at.. .. .. .. .. .. «. -. 201 | Plants, instructions for sania ciieh
ELUTE) Oe Hip AU ep en taaw o shore choles eres ese
SRERRPOU POLS sos araen oem cist saesielsos «s 195 Poisoned bran for cutworms.. .. .. .. 196
Femiedies for:. .. .. .. «. .. =» «» -. 196| Relaxing insects, method of.. ..... .. 212
Gray, D. D., report ie es tee e209 4 PROC OMMO MERLOT oc Swetie ioe Hes sap tesa) 200
‘Green Bug’ so-called.. .. .. .. .. .. 194 | POMICAIES MODS. oe cseees ele ec) wey of ee) CON
Hickory Tussock Moth.. .. .. .. .. .. 208 | Rusty Tussock Moth.. .. .. .. .. .. +. 207
Halisidota carye.. .. .. .. .. .. -. -. 208 | Sam José Seale... .. .. .. .. -. -. -. -- 200

WIMRETELCRE Ee: Miao wialivalairete s,s. oe, 0.5) er8r2500 1209 fumication (stations: ... 5.2 << skies. eOl

2 INDEX

Pace. Pace.
Entomologist and Botanist—Report of Entomogolist and Botanist—Report of
the—Con. the-—Con.
San José Scale—Con. Toxoptera graminwm.. .. «. «s o- «- «- 194
regulations governing importation of Tussock Moth, Hickory... .. .. .. .. .. 208
nursery stock under San José Scale INGA ou Oo go ou, da=co Go Malad co jcc Zul”
INGE Saline nolo hcreigaes Remit Cine Ceen EERE OL White-marked). ocean. <2 acini
dipping of nursery stock.. .. .. .. .- 203 | Wheat Joint Worm:o.. =. -. .. s. 22 )iue
Siphocoryne aven@.. .. .. +. +. «- «- 194 remedies for’. : Vases ey-teclcy is) occ eee mn
Specimens, instructions for sending Wheat-stem: Sawfly...) 20) <\-sscjle ce sie Moree
through the male... 1s. ume enol burning stubbles to destroy... .. .. 192
Spring Grain Aphis.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 194 | White-marked Tussock Moth.. .. .. .. 208
Spotted) Malistdota.. ca) tjn ciel i-tl tee eO

8-9 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No, 16 A. 1908

REPORT

OF THE

HNTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST.

(James Fietcuer, LL.D., F.L.S., F.R.S.C., F.E.S.A.)
1907-1908

Ortawa, April 1, 1908.
Dr. Wm. Saunpers, C.M.G.,

Director of Dominion Experimental Farms,
Ottawa.

Sir,—I have the honour to hand you herewith a report on some of the more
important work done in the Division of Entomology and Botany during the year
ending March 31, 1908.

The applications for help in fighting insects and weeds from all parts of the
country increase in number every year, and many farmers and others visit the Divi-
sion for advice, or to examine the cabinets to identify plants or insects which are
giving them trouble. The demand for help from school teachers and students has
increased enormously during the past year or two, since nature study has been recog-
nized as a useful part in a common sense education. Many addresses have been given
by the officials of the department on various occasions to help along this movement.

Collections.—The collections in the Division have been much increased during
the past year. A large number of specimens have been added to the Herbarium, and
the whole has been arranged according to Prof. John Macoun’s Catalogue of Cana-
dian Plants, and a card index of the specimens has been completed. In the collections
of insects satisfactory progress has been made. The large and valuable collection of
noctuid moths has been rearranged, and a large number of specimens which, were lack-
ing, have been procured either by collecting or rearing them, or from correspondents.
This class of insects contains the various species of cutworms, some of which every
year are the cause of such serious depredations on farm crops. It is always a great
surprise to those who find the unsightly cutworms attacking their young plants, when
they are shown the moths which come from these caterpillars, many of which are of
considerable beauty, notwithstanding the general character of inconspicuous colour-
ing which prevails among the Noctuids. Several gaps in our cabinets have been filled
in with specimens reared from eggs sent to the Division by correspondents in all parts
of the Dominion. Many of these insects are of extreme rarity, and, by getting eggs
and then rearing the insect through all its stages, not only are more perfect specimens
secured, but, what is far more valuable, a knowledge is acquired of the complete life
history of each species, and as it is usually an easy matter to rear insects from the
egg, large series showing the range of variation in colour, markings and size are thus
secured. The value of the life history of an insect, how it passes the winter, when the
eggs hatch and how long a time elapses before the larva becomes full grown and
produces the mature form, are facts of enormous importance in devising a remedy

183

184 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

tor any species which may have proved destructive to crops. Many insects, particu-
larly moths, lay eggs freely in confinement if enclosed in any small box such as a
small cardboard, wooden or tin box, three or four times the size of the specimen. These
eges should be sent off to the Division at once, as most of them hatch in eight or ten
days; parcels thus sent have been safely received from the extreme limits of the
Dominion, from British Columbia, from Nova Scotia and the far north. The cater-
pillars, on hatching, are cared for in Ottawa, and the large number of perfect speci-
mens in our collections show to what advantage this method of obtaining specimens
and useful information on life-histories may be used. It may be well to mention
here to all who are good enough to send in specimens, that full directions as to pack-
ing and forwarding such material as plants and insects are given at page 212 in this
report.

Among the more important donaticns which have been made to the entomological
collections during the past year, the following may be mentioned :—

Thos. Baird, High River, Alta——A large number of specimens of rare moths
from western Alberta.

J. W. Cockle, Kaslo, B.C.—Several interesting insects from the Kootenays.

The Messrs. Criddle Brothers, Aweme, Man.—Many species of local insects from
central Manitoba.

Paul Hahn, Toronto.—Specimens of insects from Niagara Glen and Toronto,
including a specimen of Apantesis virgo L. var. cttrinaria N. & D.

Horace Dawson, Hymers, Ont.—Larvee and moths of the genus Papaipema, also
supposed larve of Platypsylla castoris Ritzema.

Edward Denny, Montreal.—A fine pair of the rare moth Hepialus thule Strk.

Dr. C. A. Hamilton, Mahone Bay, N.S.—Several interesting species of injurious
insects.

A. W. Hanham, Duncans, B.C.—A large collection of British Columbian hymen-
optera, diptera and lepidoptera.

W. Metcalfe, Ottawa.—Several boxes of mounted micro-diptera and a few other
insects.

Joseph Perrin, Halifax, N.S.—Moths and butterflies from MacNab’s Island.

John Russell, Digby, N.S.—Several rare species of Nova Scotian moths and
butterflies, including a fine specimen of Catocala celebs, Grt.

N. B. Sanson, Banff, Alta—Specimens of Rocky Mountain larve, including
Neoarctia beanwu, Neum.

J. B. Wallis, Winnipeg, Man.—Several specimens from Peeeianan B.C., chiefly
lepidoptera and coleoptera.

©. H. Young, Ottawa.—Eggs of rare Ottawa moths and mounted specimens of
lepidoptera and coleoptera which were required to complete series in our cabinets, all
beautifully mounted.

A large number of additions have also been made to the collections from material
sent in for names by entomologists, farmers and others.

The botanical collections have been enriched from the following sources :—

J. R. Anderson, Victoria, B.C.—British Columbian plants.

A. Arsenault, Adamsville, N.B—A monstrous form of Leontodon autumnalis, L.

The Messrs. Norman and Evelyn Criddle, Aweme, Man.—Seeds, living roots and
herbarium specimens of Manitoba plants.

Norman Criddle, Aweme, Man.—A collection of paintings of Manitoba violets.

George Fraser, Ucluelet, B.C.—Rare plants from Northern British Columbia,
including living roots of Viola langsdorfii, Fisch.

Rev. L. Gladu, St. Boniface, Man.—Botanical specimen of (nothera caespitosa,
Nutt.

Dr. W. Grignon, Ste. Adele, Que.—Living roots and stratified seed of Ginseng,
Aralia quinquefolia, Dec. & Plan.

Dr. ©. A. Hamilton, Mahone Bay, N.S.—A collection of 45 named species and
varieties of Nova Scotia sea weeds.

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 185

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

David P. Kane, Kaslo, B.C.—British Columbian ferns, including a magnificent
root of Adiantum pedatum, L., var. rangiferinum, Burgess and Macoun.

Rey. J. H. Keen, Metlakatla, B.C.—Specimens of Gentiana Douglasiana, Bong.,
and rare insects from northern British Columbia.

Mrs. D. W. Stewart, Renfrew, Ont.—Living roots of violets and specimens of
Medicago falcata, L.

Mrs. Stoker, Cowichan Lake, B.C.—A large collection of the seeds of 147 specics
of Vancouver Island plants.

Dr. Douglas G. Storms, Hamilton, Ont.—Roots of Trillium grandiflorum, Salisb.,
abnormal form with green flowers. -

E. P. Venables, Vernon, B.C.—Local plants from Vernon, B.C., including
Cynoglossum occidentale, Gr.

Rev. Frare Marie Victorin, Longueuil, Que—Specimens of Butomus umbellatus,
L., and Sambucus Hbulus, L., first found growing wild in Canada by the sender.

Correspondence—The correspondence of the Division has shown a considerable
increase over that of previous years, and the number of subjects inquired about has
shown that the Division is becoming well known as a source of information with
regard to all matters relating to the scientific consideration of insects and plants in
connection with agriculture and horticulture. The number of letters exclusive of
circulars entered in the Division register, as received from April 1, 1907, to April 1,
1908, was 4,030, and the number despatched 3,640. Articles relating to outbreaks
of insects, the treatment of well-known pests and the best methods of dealing with
noxious weeds have been prepared for local newspapers and for agricultural journals,
whenever required. Many of these have been at the request of correspondents who

have intimated that they were of general interest.

Meetings—Meetings of farmers’ institutes and other agricultural associations,
teachers’ associations, &c., have been attended by the Entomologist and Botanist when-
ever other official duties would permit.

June 7, 1907: Annapolis Royal, N.S.—A convention of fruit growers to consider
the best measures to adopt to control the Brown-tail moth. An address was given on
the habits of this insect and its history in America. A full and interesting discussion
was carried on, and much information elicited with regard to the localities where it
had occurred in Nova Scotia, and the vigorous steps which were being taken by the
Provincial Secretary for Agriculture for Nova Scotia.

June 23 and 24: Boston, Mass.—By invitation of the legislative committee of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through Mr. A. H. Kirkland, Superintendent
for suppressing the Gypsy and Brown-tail moths and with the approval of His
Excellency Governor Curtis Guild, Jr., I was invited to be one of fourteen entomolo-
gists, from all parts of the world, to inspect and report upon the extensive work which
had been done in the New England States in fighting against the Gypsy and Brown-
tail moths, and particularly with regard to the importation of parasites of these insects
from Europe. On June 24 I visited the laboratories at Saugus, Mass., with Superin-
tendent A. H. Kirkland, and the following day, in company with Prof. John B. Smith,
State Entomologist for New Jersey, Dr. E. P. Felt, State Entomologist for New York,
Mr. Kirkland and Mr. F. H. Mosher, we covered a great deal of ground in an
automobile and examined the work which had been done in clearing street trees, parks
and woodlands from these aggressive enemies. The success of this whole movement,
both in fighting against these caterpillars by the ordinary means and by the extensive
importation of parasites. has been so remarkable that I was much pleased to have
this opportunity of examining into the details of the work in the company of the
experienced entomologists above named. The whole work forms without doubt the
most remarkable experiment which has ever been tried in economic entomology. That
in only two seasons 8,000 miles of streets should have been practically freed of devastat-
ing caterpillars of two of the worst known pests of shade trees, is a triumph of applied

186 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

science which must be of great encouragement to all engaged in such work, and is an
indication of what may be hoped for in the near future in Massachusetts, if the same
plan of action is persisted in under the same capable and energetic management. The
systematic colonizing of parasites of these pests has been carried on under the direc-
tion of Dr. L. O. Howard, the United States Entomologist, and the condition of affairs
at the present time is very hopeful and demonstrates the wisdom which has been
shown by Superintendent Kirkland and Dr. Howard in carrying out this vast experi-
ment. During last year over 100,000 parasites of different forms, chiefly Pteromalids
and T'achinids, were liberated, and there are evidences that many of these are suc-
cessfully established and that they are working on the insects for the control of which
they were introduced. At the present time the field work is going on with a large
measure of success, and the people of the State are well satisfied with it as well as
with the work of introducing parasites.

July 4: Guelph, Ont—Summer meeting of the Entomological Society of
Ontario. Addresses on ‘ The Control of the Brown-tail and Gypsy moths in America,
with special reference to the Importation of Parasites,’ and ‘ Nature Study as a
means of Education.’

July 12 to 31 in Manitoba and the Northwest Provinces :—

July 12 to 15, Aweme, Man., visiting Mr. Perey Criddle at St. Alban’s, near
Aweme, with Dr. Henry Skinner, of Philadelphia. Collecting insects and plants, at
Aweme and in the Douglas sand-hills, where many valuable and interesting specimens
were secured.

July 16: Brandon.—Visiting Experimental Farm.

July 17: Regina.—Examining the country around Regina with Mr. Willing.
In the evening held a meeting of the Northwest Natural History Society in the Pro-
vincial Museum. Address ‘The Practical Value of Natural History Studies.’ This
was the first of a series of meetings held by Mr. T. N. Willing, the Chief Provincial
Weed Inspector, Dr. Henry Skinner and myself, at which addresses were given upon
weeds and their eradication, the interpretation of the Weed Ordinance and the part
played by insects in the transmission of various diseases.

July 18—Left Regina for Hanley, where a well attended meeting was held in
Rollefson’s store, Mr. D. McLean in the chair. Questions were asked as to the treat-
ment of Hare’s-ear Mustard and Skunk-tail grass. The value of summer fallowing
was also discussed. ;

July 19—Left Hanley and drove to Rudy, where a good meeting of about forty
was held at 3 p.m., Mr. William Duncan in the chair. On account of the heat this
meeting was held outside the stopping place.

July 20.—Left Rudy at 9 a.m., and drove to Tessier, 27 miles. Stayed with Dr.
Tessier, who had gathered together about 50 farmers from this new and exceedingly
rich district. The meeting was held out of doors in the evening, and was prolonged
on account of the many questions until a late hour. Keen interest was shown in the
subjects treated of. :

July 21.—Started from Tessier at 8 a.m., and drove 54 miles into Saskatoon.
The crops throughout this whole district were excellent, and the country is settling up
quickly.

July 22: Saskatoon.—A meeting was held at 1.30 p.m., Mr. John Ashworth in
the chair. In the afternoon we took train for Duck Lake, where a meeting was held
in the evening.

July 23.—Drove from Duck Lake to Skipton School, 25 miles, which was reached
by 3.30 in a heavy and severe hailstorm. After the meeting we drove on to Parkside,
another 14 miles, for the night, where we were kindly put up by Mr. George Alaman-
ofski.
July 24.—Drove from Parkside to Shellbrook, 12 miles, where we held a meeting
in the afternoon, which was not very well attended, owing to a heavy rainstorm. We
left Shellbrook in the evening at 7 a.m., and drove into Prince Albert, 32 miles,
through the sand hills, arriving by midnight.

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REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 187

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

July 25.—Left Prinee Albert at 10 a.m., and drove 48 miles to Kinistino, whcre
a good meeting was held in the evening, in the main street of the town. At this
meeting several ladies were present, and many questions were asked about insects
injurious to crops.

July 26.—Took train to Star City, where a small meeting was held at 3 o’clock
in the afternoon.

July 27.—Took train for Prince Albert, arriving soon after noon. In the after-
noon we drove out to hold a meeting at Birson, and afterwards visited the Weed
Inspector, Mr. George Connors.

July 29.—Left Prince Albert for Warman, where a good meeting was held in the
afternoon in the implement shed of the Saskatchewan Trading Company. Most of
those present were Mennonites. We left Warman at 3.20 for Radisson.

July 30.—Collecting on the sand hills at Radisson in the morning, and in the
afternoon at 2 o’clock, a large meeting was held with Mr. George Langley, M.L.A., in
the chair. We left the same afternoon, and arrived at Lloydminster before midnight.

July 31: Lloydminster.—A large meeting was held in the afternoon, Mr. Jones in
the chair. In addition to the other subjects usually spoken of at these meetings, the
value of Brome grass was discussed. Seeing the lack of good hay in the district, I
urged the settlers very strongly to cultivate this valuable grass, which is not only a
source of a very large supply of succulent and highly nutritious fodder and hay, but
is very early and also bears late into the autumn. It was explained that this grass
had been introduced and was still highly recommended as a source of feed for stock.
Many adverse reports which were made against it, were by those who had found
trouble in keeping it out of tree plantations, or who did not want to give the proper
amount of work to cultivating their land. Awnless Brome grass is a succulent
vigorous-growing perennial grass which roots deeply and therefore is rather trouble-
some to eradicate when the land is required for other crops; but it produces more hay
and of higher quality than almost any other grass that can be cultivated. It is
specially suited for the soil and climate of the Northwest, where in many places
grass is one of the most d:«sirable crops. The seed is easily threshed and handled
and has a ready market. Many of the farmers in the Northwest have told me that
they owed their prosperity mainly to this grass. The difficulty of eradicating it from
the land is, I believe, much exaggerated, and those who have tried it find that they
ean destroy Brome sod by breaking and back setting in the same way as the native
grasses on the prairie. When it is wished to renew a piece of Brome pasture or
meadow, this may be ploughed shallow in autumn or early spring, which, as the grass
is very deep-rooted, stimulates growth and renews the stand. In districts where the
soil is light and apt to blow, there is no better way of putting humus and fibre into
the soil than by growing a crop of Brome: and, from a eareful consideration of this
question, I am convinced that no farmer in the Northwest can afford to condemn
Brome grass on the dictum of other people; but should try a small patch of this
valuable grass on his farm. Where farmers think more of their ornamental tree
plantations than of their farm crops, or if they can make more money out of growing
trees, the conditions of course are different, as undoubtedly Brome grass or any other
plant growing among trees will rob them of moisture and stunt their growth. This
meeting was the last of the series. The meetings were well attended throughout,
and a keen interest was shown in the subjects treated of. Mr. Willing’s extensive
knowledge of farming conditions and farm practice in all parts of the Northwest
made him a valuable source of reference to all who wanted information on these
matters. Dr. Skinner delighted the audiences with his clear and definite presentation
of his subject. He showed the great danger of allowing house flies free access to
houses or places where food was kept, and explained the method of transmission of
diseases by the various kinds of mosquitoes which carry yellow fever, malaria, &e. THe
also dealt with other blood-sucking insects, and showed conclusively the value of a
knowledge of insect life both to farmers and to dwellers in cities. My own addresses

188 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

dealt with the particular farm weeds prevalent in the various districts visited, the
agricultural treatments best suited for their control and the answering of questions
concerning special pests, both plants and insects.

August 2: Banff, Alta.—Collecting and ‘examining ; the collections in the Banff
National Museum with Mr. N. B. Sanson.

August 3, 4: Laggan, Alta.—Collecting around Lake Agnes and on the moun-
tains around Laggan, where many rare plants and insects were secured.

August 6: Vancouver.—Inspecting the fumigating station. Left for Victoria
the same evening.

August 8.—Left for Duncans with Mr. Tom Wilson to inspect work done for the
Department of Indian Affairs in clearing the Indian orchards of pests which it was
alleged were a danger to the orchards of the white settlers. We were accompanied
by Mr. W. M. Robertson, Indian Agent for the Cowichan Agency, who was of much
use to us when treating with the Indians.

August 9.—Returned to Victoria. Consulted with Mr. A. W. Vowell, Indian
Superintendent for British Columbia, as to carrying on the work in the Indian
orchards for the future.

August 10—Had a conference withthe Hon. R. G. Tatlow, Minister of Agricul-
ture, and afterwards with the Premier, the Hon. Richard McBride, with regard to the
work which was being done in the Indian orchards.

August 11.—Left for Agassiz, which was reached the same night.

August 12—Visited Sir Arthur Stepney’s hopyards, where a remarkable out-
break of a flea-beetle, Psylliodes punctulata, Melsh., has been doing much harm for
several years. Left for Kamloops and reached there at 6 o’clock the same evening.

August 13.—Visiting orchards and giving advice on the treatment for Codling
Moth, of which there is a rather severe outbreak at Kamloops. There was to have
been a meeting of the Fruit Growers’ Association at this place, but through some
misunderstanding it had not been arranged for. We were, however, able to meet
several of the fruit growers. Left for Revelstoke the same evening, and the next day
proceeded to Kaslo.

August 15: Kaslo—Visiting orchards all day with Mr. J. W. Cockle, who had
been making investigations into the life-history of the Codling Moth in this locality,
and had also treated carefully a few trees which had been found to be infested by the
San José Seale the previous year. It was satisfactory to find that, although the
Codling Moth was abundant, the San José Scale was entirely destroyed on the treated
trees, and not a single specimen could be found in the locality. In the evening a
well attended meeting was held in the town hall, and a great many questions were
asked concerning the cultivation of fruit trees, and the insect enemies most likely to
occur in the Kootenays.

August 19: Nelson.—A large meeting of fruit growers was held in the town hall,
at which many matters relating to fruit growing were discussed, and particular
attention was paid to the insect pests occurring in the Kootenays and those which it
was thought might possibly be introduced. Mr. Anderson detected the Codling Moth
at Nelson during this visit; so, special attention was given to it, and the proper steps
to control it were explained.

August 23: Indian Head—Visiting the Experimental Farm and farms in the
neighbourhood with Mr. Angus Mackay, the Superintendent of the Experimental
Farm.

October 31-November 1: Guelph, Ont.—The annual meeting of the Entomo-
logical Society of Ontario. Presidential Address: ‘The Entomological Outlook.’
‘The Entomological Record, 1997,’

November 15: Toronto.—Annual convention of the Ontario Vegetable Growers’
Association. Address: ‘Insects that trouble vegetable growers and how to combat

them.’

Macdonald College, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Que.—Meeting of the

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 189

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

Pomological and Fruit Growing Society of the Province of Quebec. Address:
‘Insects injurious to fruit and vegetable crops in Quebee province during 1907.’

December 26 to January 3: Chicago, Il].—Attending the meeting of the Amer-
ican Association for the Advancement of Science; the Association for the Advance-
ment of Agricultural Science; the Entomological Society of America, and the
Association of Economic Entomologists.

February 4: Ottawa—Canadian Seed-Growers’ Association. Address: ‘ The
place of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association in the campaign against farm
weeds.’

Mr. Gibson also attended the annual meeting of the Entomological Society at
Guelph, and took an active part in the proceedings, giving in the various discussions
much useful information, which was very acceptable to the meeting. Mr. Gibson also
read a paper on ‘ An unusual outbreak of Halisidota Caterpillars.’

Acknowledgments.—It is again my pleasant duty to gratefully acknowledge my
obligations to my many correspondents in all parts of the Dominion, to practical
farmers who have much aided the work of the Division by promptly reporting out-
breaks of injurious insects and noxious weeds, by sending specimens for examination
and for our collections, and also by making observations upon points of special
interest. My thanks are also specially due to many eminent specialists who have helped
by giving us the exact identifications of specimens of plants and insects which were
unknown to us. Among these, special mention may be made of the following :—

Prof. John Macoun, of Ottawa; Prof. W. G. Farlow, of Harvard University ;
Prof. L. R. Jones, of Vermont; Dr. P. A. Rydberg, of New York, and Dr. William
Trelease, of St. Louis, for giving me their opinion on some doubtful plants.

Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology, Washington, U.S., and
the specialists on his staff, for the identification of insects in little known orders.

Dr. J. B. Smith, New Brunswick, N.J., who has examined and reported upon
hundreds of noctuids and other moths for this Division and for Canadian collectors.

Mr. W. D. Kearfott, of Montclair, N.J., who has been of great service in naming
microlepidoptera.

Mr. W. H. Harrington, Ottawa, for identifying coleoptera and hymenoptera.

Dr. E. M. Walker. Toronto, for examining and reporting upon many specimens
of Canadian odonata and orthoptera.

Sir George Hampson, Bart., of the British Museum, has kindly examined several
specimens and compared them with the series in the British Museum, not only for
this office but for many other Canadian students.

In conclusion, I have again much pleasure in acknowledging publicly the good
work which is being done by my assistants, Messrs. J. A. Guignard, Arthur Gibson
and J. Létourneau.

I have the honour to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,

JAMES FLETCHER,
Entomologist and Botanist.

190 EXPERIMENTAL FARUS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

DIVISION OP tit OMe 0 er.

CEREALS.

The season of 1907 in all parts of the Dominion will long be remembered for its
unusual and irregular character. Frcem the Atlantic to the Pacific the spring was
cold, dry and very late. Insects of all kinds were exceptionally scarce and the paucity
of insect life in April and May had a direct effect on bird life as well as in many
places also upon fruit crops. The amount of fruit set was noticeably smaller where
there were no colonies of bees kept in the vicinity. The exceptionally backward
nature of the season continued throughout the summer and affected seriously the
development and ripening of all crops. This was only partially compensated for by
a long open autumn without severe frosts. In the wheat-growing districts the crop
was, however, in many places injured by this exceptional season and this was par-
ticularly the case in the prairie provinces.

The grain crops in the Northwest provinces were poor and light in quantity owing
to the veyy unusual season, but the much higher price paid for grain than in previous
years brought much money into the country and relieved the farmers from much of
their loss. In British Columbia very littl spring wheat was grown owing to the
presence in previous recent years of Wheat Midge. Fall wheat yielded fairly well.

Tue Hessian Fry, Mayetiola (Cecidomyia) destructor, Say, occurred in the Mari-
time Provinces in several localities, but only in Prince Edward Island was noticeable
injury reported. There is evidence that this troublesome insect is again gradually
increasing in Ontario, and as it is working westward in the northwestern United
States it must at some time be expected to appear in our Alberta fall-wheat districts;
it will be well therefore for farmers to be on the alert and apply vigorously the well
known remedies which, briefly, are as follows—

Late Sowing of Fall Wheat.—This is the most important preventive remedy and
means a change from the ordinary farming practice and for this reason it is some-
times rather difficult to persuade wheat growers to adopt it. By postponing seeding
until the end of September the appearance of the young wheat plants above the ground
in autumn is delayed until after the egg-laying flies, which emerge in August and
September are dead. The chief objection offered to sowing so late as the end of Sep-
tember is that plants have not time to make vigorous roots so as to withstand the
cold of winter. This danger, however, experiment has shown is not so great as it
appears, and if the land is got into good condition and good heavy seed is sown by
the end of September, it will generally give a satisfactory crop.

Burning Refuse-—Many of the flax-seed-like pup of the summer brood are car-
ried with the straw and at threshing time are loosened and fall beneath the machine
with the rubbish, or they may be left in the straw. All dust and screenings therefore
from the threshing mill should be carefully destroyed or fed, and all straw and small
seeds should be either used during the winter or burnt before spring.

Treatment of Stubble-——Most of the flax-seeds of the summer brood are placed so
low on the stems that they are left in the stubble when the wheat is cut. A large
yroportion of these produce flies in September but some pass the winter in the stubble.
Stubble should therefore be ploughed down deeply so as to place the insects so far
beneath the surface that the delicate flies when they emerge cannot escape.

Trap Crops.—A method of reducing the numbers of Hessian Flies which is little
practised, but which is spoken highly of by some, is sowing narrow strips of wheat in

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 191
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

August, which will attract the females to lay their eggs; these strips must afterwards
be ploughed down before the larve are mature when they will be killed, and the
wheat which is sown late will escape owing to the egg laying females having all
deposited their eggs. This end may also be obtained by running a harrow over the
stubble as soon as the crop of fall wheat is cut so as to start a volunteer crop from the
grain which had been shelled out in harvesting. This volunteer crop will form an
attraction to the females before the main crop appears above the ground and can be
ploughed down deeply at any time before the larve mature.

Reports of injuries by Hessian Fly from Manitoba proved upon investigation to
be unfounded.

WHEAT-sTEM SawFLy, Cephus occidentalis, Riley & Marlatt—This insect which
has been referred to occasionally in previous reports of the Division, last autumn
appeared in central Manitoba and the eastern part of Saskatchewan, in much more
serious numbers than at any previous time. The broken down straws which resulted
from its attacks were seen in many fields and caused some alarm. Among ccrre-
spondents who reported on this insect, Mr. Norman Criddle, an observant farmer and
student of insects, living at Aweme, Manitoba, writes at the end of the season as
follows :—

‘This native species of sawfly which until the breaking up and cultivation of ‘the
prairies was confined to a few native grasses belonging to the genus Agropyrum, of
which A. caninum, R. & S. here is the favourite, has increased considerably during the
last year or two. In the absence of parasites this insect seems to have been controlled
by the number of flowering stems formed by its food plant, the grass in its turn being
restricted by the climatic conditions of the season, so that an unfavourable season for
the grass to form flowering stems would also prove unfavourable to the increase of
the sawfly; but with the cultivation of the prairie and the planting of cereals the
conditions change. For, although native grasses seem still to be preferred, yet if
on account of the season, as is sometimes the case, they fail to develop stems abun-
dantly or the insects are too numerous for the stems of the grasses produced, the flies
turn their attention to wheat or rye, as well as to the western rye grass, Agropyrum
tenerum, Vasey, which is now so extensively grown in Manitoba, causing serious
damage to that important crop. These conditions occurred in 1907 with the results
that in some cases fully 50 per cent of the wheat stems ,were broken down around
the edges of fields, extending in to a distance of 100 feet or more, and damage was
apparent to a lesser extent all through the crop. An interesting feature in connection
with this attack upon wheat, was that fully 75 per cent of the infested stems were
broken down by wind about 2 or 3 inches above the ground, close to where the larve
were at work; and in many instances an examination showed that the larve had been
caught by the breaking of the straw, some actually at the broken spot, when they
were pinched to death, while in others they were above the break, which proved equally
fatal to them. I calculated that on a certain area fully 12 per cent were killed in this
manner. It is interesting to note that the native grasses, however, never break in
this way, so that in attacking wheat the insect has to contend with conditions which,
though favourable to its increase, are not so much so as an abundance of its native
food plant would be. The life history, so far as I know it, seems to be about as
follows:—The eggs are laid singly upon a stem of grass or wheat, not far from the
head, between June 20 and the second week of July. The larve soon hatch and begin
to eat down inside the stem, usually reaching maturity and the ground towards the
end of August. They then eat the stems almost through, slightly below the ground,
so that they break off. The stubs are then closed over with a water-tight material
and the insices of the stems are also lined by the larve to the roots. In these retreats
the larve pass the winter and remain in an active condition unchanged until May of
the following year, when they turn to pupe and emerge as perfect sawflies towards the
end of June, the date varying somewhat with the season.’

192 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

In my previous reports from observations I had made on material sent to me I
had suggested that an important remedy in controlling this insect would be the burn-
ing over of stubbles, but from Mr. Criddle’s observations it would appear that the
winter location of this insect below the surface of the ground would protect it so
thoroughly as to render this practice almost useless. At my request Mr. Criddle
made special observations on this point. He writes :—

‘“Aweme, October 6, 1907.—At your suggestion I have just made experiments
with burning stubble to see what its effect would be upon Cephus occidentalis. As the
stubble was too thin to burn freely, and to make sure of having the experiment com-
plete, I spread an infested piece of ground with four inches of straw and then set fire
to it. This burnt decidedly longer than the thickest stubble would do and heated the
ground on the top, so that it was unbearable to the hand. After it was cool I exam-
ined the inhabited straws, and though in some eases the top of the stubble cut off by
the larve had been burnt, in no instance was a single larva found injured, but in
every case they were found at the extremity of their burrows near the roots of the
plants, showing that the heat had merely had the effect of driving them downwards,
and as their tunnels in the straw usually extend from one to two inches below the
surface, they would practically be uninjured by this treatment.’

~The Wheat-stem Sawfly undoubtedly occurs in many places where its presence
is overlooked, but correspondents in Manitoba and the Northwest make frequent
reference to an injury in wheat fields which can only be referred to this insect. The
remedy which suggests itself and which has been practised to some extent is the
ploughing down of all stubbles either in autumn or before June 15, at which time the
mature insects may be expected to emerge. Mr. Criddle also suggests that all grasses
belonging to the genus Agropyrum growing around the edges of fields should be
mowed down during the last two weeks of July, so as to destroy any contained larve.

Wheat Joint Worm, Jsosoma tritici, Fitch.—There is every year considerable loss
in the wheat crop of Prince Edward Island from the Wheat Joint Worm, and some
correspondents believe that the insect is spreading quickly throughout the province.
Father Burke, of Alberton, who has many opportunities of examining the crops,
believes it to be a serious matter, and regrets that more of the farmers do not con-
sider it specially with a view to adopting concerted measures for its control. The
adoption of a regular short rotation of crops and the mowing down of all grasses
along the borders of fields in J une, as well as the keeping up of the fertility of the
soil, so as to produce a healthy vigorous growth, will not only discourage egg-laying
by the Joint Worm but will have many other beneficial effects on the land where
these wise measures are practised.

‘Lower Montague, P.E.I., July 30—lI send you a few stalks of Laurel wheat.
This crop was sown on May 19, and appeared to be all right and looked splendid
until lately. On examining it I find a great many crooked straws similar to those
which I send. I have never seen this before. I have a field of White Fife wheat which
was sown on the same day as the Laurel, and this is very little affected—Montacur
ANNEAR.’

‘Stanley » Joint Worm has totally destroyed all
the wheat in this vicinity and is spreading rapidly. As yet farmers have made no
effort to fight the pest. Will it take oats and barley if we give up growing wheat ?—
A. J. McNEItt..’

“Bay View, P.E.I., March, 1908.—In reply to your question, the Joint Worm of
wheat was first observed in our district in northwest Queen’s county, at Long River,
about five years ago. The next season it had spread five miles along the shore. The
remedies recommended were not applied, as the farmers on the Island seed down all
their wheat land with clover and grasses, and firing the stubble would destroy their
hay crop. In 1907 the pest had spread from Kensington along the shore to beyond
Rustico, a distance of over thirty miles, and some nine miles inland. All wheat

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 193
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

seeded before June 3 was attacked, and practically all was ruined, and later seedings
although free from the pest gave light crops of soft wheat. Parasites have not been
observed as yet, and there seems to be a steady increase in the numbers of this very
serious pest of our wheat crop. I may mention that | saw Joint Worm flies on the
wing on May 23.—J. A. Cran.’

Specimens of the galls were sent from Prince Edward Island and such of the flies
as were reared proved to be the Wheat Joint Worm, /sosoma tritici, Fitch, but from
the difference in the appearance of the galls it would seem likely that another species
was also at work on wheat in Prince Edward Island. No specimens of [sosoma hordei,
Harris, were received, nor were there any complaints of injury by joint worms to
barley. It is not likely that the Wheat Joint Worm will attack either barley or oats.
There is apparently only one brood of the Wheat Joint Worm in Canada, the larve
of which winter in the straw, for the most part so near to the ground that when the
crop is cut the greater portion of them are left in the stubble. It has been recom-
mended as a remedy for Joint Worms to burn over the stubble or to plough it down
deeply for the destruction of the contained larve, and the disposal by burning or
feeding of the galls or hardened portions of the straw which become separated in
threshing. There is great variation in the extent of the swelling which results from
the attacks of these larve. Frequently the galls are hardly noticeable, but the tissues
of the stem are thickened and become brittle so that they break from the rest of the
straw when threshed. These and all straw from an infested crop should be eitker fed or
burnt before the ensuing spring. As is pointed out above by Mr. Clark, the farmers
of Prince Edward Island are getting into the way of seeding down their wheat lands
with clover and grasses, so that either burning of stubble or ploughing down. cannot
be adopted where the land is to be left in hay. A more extensive cultivation of clover
than has been the practice in the past in Prince Edward Island is highly desirable,
but while the Wheat Joint Worm is abundant and inereasing in destructiveness,
some modification of the ordinary practice is decidedly advisable and the benefit of
sowing clover as a nitrogen-gatherer, might still be preserved to a large extent
by sowing a few pounds of clover seed with all grain crops and then plough-
ing this down with the stubble either in the first autumn or the following
year. In fighting against insects it frequently becomes advisable to modify accepted
agricultural practices so as to control a pest which has become unusually abundant
at a special locality. By examining the stubble of an infested crop of wheat it could
soon be seen whether or not the galls were located near the base of the stem or so
high up that they would be carried with the straw. The location of the gall will vary
with the season in the same way that the point of attack by the Hessian Fly varies.
In late cold springs the attacks of both of these insects are lower down, in the case
of the Hessian Fly being sometimes entirely confined to the root shoots, while in
other years the larvee may be found one or two joints up the stem from the base.

It is important that the farmers of Prince Edward Island should now come to-
gether and discuss methods of prevention for this insect, so that some wholesale,
vigorous and concerted action may be taken to prevent the further increase of this
insect which is now becoming of importance to the whole Island.

The perfect insect of the Wheat Joint Worm is a minute, shining, black, four-
winged fly, only one-fenth of an inch in length with clear wings and pale legs. The
larve are slender, footless grubs, one-eighth of an inch long with perceptible brown
jaws. These occur only inside the galls on the stem and vary in number from 4 or 5
to as many as a dozen in a single gall. The galls as a rule occur just above the first
or second joint above the root. Nearly all of the larve winter unchanged inside the
galls, but occasionally a small proportion change to flies and emerge late in autumn.

The Grain Aphis, Macrosiphum granaria, Kirby.—There was an unusual amount
of interest and considerable alarm in the Northwestern provinces last summer con-
cerning grain plant lice and several letters were received asking if specimens sent
were the so-called ‘Green Bug’ which was causing such a great sensation in the

16—13

194 EXPERIMENTAL FARMB
8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1903

States to the south of our border. Actual specimens of this insect, T'oxoptera graims-
num, Rond., were received from Emerson, Manitoba, but these had merely spread over
the border from an infestation a few miles to the south in Minnesota and did ne
harm in our wheat fields. There were, however, serious complaints of injury in Mani-
toba and the eastern part of Saskatchewan from the ordinary Grain Aphis, Macro-
siphum graneria, Kirby, a somewhat similar insect but one which is easily distin-
guished from it by the venation of the wings when examined under a magnifying
glass. There are four plant lice which injure wheat in the west. (1) The Spring Grain
Aphis, or so-called ‘Green Bug’ which for the most part attacks the leaves of the
young plants, and which has the secend vein from the tip of the upper wings only
once forked or divided, and the small honey tubes at the end of the body above, of a
pale colour with only the tips darkened. (2) The Grain Aphis, which has the second
vein twice divided and the tubes black. (3) The Oat Grain Aphis, Siphocoryne avene,
Fab., also called the European Grain Aphis, which in the winged form has the second
vein forked, but instead of being divided at the tip so that the first fork from the tip
leaves the main vein one-quarter of the way from the end, it is only about one-eighth
of the distance, thus leaving the cell at the tip of this vein very small. The tubes at
the end of the body are distinctly breader at the base than toward the apex. The eyes
are reddish as in the Grain Aphis and the front of the head is not pointed in which
it agrees also with the last named species. The two last named plant lice although
they occur upon the leaves of the small grains during part of their life-history are
much more apt to cluster together on the heads as soon as these are formed, while it
is stated that the Spring Grain Aphis only attacks the leaves. Prof. Washburn states
distinetly, ‘ Toxoptera was never found according to the reports of our field werkers
on the heads of any of its food plants, differing in this respect from Macrostphum
granaria which attacks the heads as soon as they appear.’ (4) The Apple Aphis, Aphes
mali, Fab. This species does not feed the whole season on the plants of the various
small grains but migrates to them during the summer time from apple trees, the win-
ter being passsed in the egg condition on the branches of apple trees in a similar way
to that in which the Hop Aphis winters on plum trees. After four or five generations
on apple trees in the spring, winged migrants are produced all of which fly to the grain
fields and at once produce large numbers of wingless young, all of which are females.
These towards the end of the season produce perfect males and females, which, after
mating, deposit the winter eggs on apple trees.

The injuries by the Spring Grain Aphis have been more pronounced in the
southern districts of the United States; but the species has spread northward in
injurious numbers almost to our borders. The chief check on the excessive increase
of this pest in the United States has been the sudden appearance in large numbers
of a minute parasitic wasp, named Lysiphlebus trittict, Ashm., which not only destroys
this grain aphis but also all other species found in grain crops. It is fortunately
present in large numbers in all the districts from which grain plant lice were sent
last summer. The injuries by the ordinary Grain Aphis, M. granaria, were in some
places severe, being reported in July, August and September. These injuries were
chiefly in the west.

‘Welwyn, Sask., August 26.—I send specimens of a green aphis and some heads
of wheat showing the way in which they feed. Seemingly they suck the sap out of
the base of the grain where it is attached to the stem. Is this the same as the green
bug they have in the Western States? They are doing the grain fearful damage, as
they are in millions. So far I have only seen it on breaking. I have not heard of
any other fields in this neighbourhood, and I only discovered them on my own three
days ago.—RaNaLD STEWART.’

‘Welwyn, September 10.—I send you some more wheat and bugs. I have found
no parasites. The bugs are not as plentiful as they were three weeks ago and summer
fallows seem to be free. J have just heard to-day that there are hundreds of acres
about 30 miles northeast of here which are not worth cutting. Two farmers there

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 195
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

have 200 acres of wheat, and out of that they are only going to cut 35. I think the
damage is more widespread than people have any idea of. I have put my own loss at
15 per cent of the crop and probably more, but we have had two heavy rains since
these bugs appeared, and this seems ta have washed many of them off.—RANAup
Srewant.’

These specimens sent by Mr. Stewart were at first thought to be the dreaded
“Green Bug,’ but winged specimens were afterwards received and they were found to
be the Grain Aphis. Specimens of the same species were also sent from localities in
Manitoba, mostly from the west of the province. Parasites were reared in numbers
from all the material sent, including that from Welwyn.

Unfortunately for the Grain Aphis there is no practical remedy which can be
applied in a wholesale manner, but Prof. F. M. Webster, who has devoted much
attention to the insects which attack grain crops, has constantly drawn attention to
the great advantage of practising good agricultural methods in working land, such
as the adoption of a regular rotation of crops, so as to keep up the fertility of the soil,
and advises that care should be taken to sow grain at the best time to secure a vigor-
ous growth, which will enable the plants to withstand the attacks of the aphis suffi-
ciently long to allow the natural parasites which always sooner or later appear, to
increase, so that the numbers of the plant lice may be reduced before serious injury
is done to the grain plants. In the case of the Oat Grain Aphis and the Apple Aphis,
the two commonest species in Ontario and the east, as these pass the winter in the
egg condition upon apple trees the regular spraying of apple orchards with kerosene
emulsion or the lime and sulphur wash would not only clear those trees of enemies
which sometimes do much harm but, also, to a large measure protect the wheat fields
the following season. Fortunately for the wheat grower a severe outbreak of grain
plant lice is almost invariably accompanied by a rapid increase in the numbers of
various parasitic and predaceous enemies, which as a rule prevent serious losses.

GrassHorrers, Melanoplus spp.—Locusts, or as they are more generally spoken
of as grasshoppers, were injuriously abundant in some places in eastern Ontario and
along the Quebee shore of the Ottawa river. A great amount of injury was done to
pastures and all growing crops. Large swarms of the ordinary species which are
common in Ontario also occurred in many places in western Ontario, where injury
was done not only in field crops but in vineyards and orchards. The species sent in
were Melanoplus femur-rubrum, DeG., Melanoplus atlanis, Riley, and M. bivittatus,
Say. In Manitoba the same species were all present and destructive as well as M.
packardi, Seudd., and Camnula pellucida, Scudd., was destructive in British Colum-
bia. The following letters chosen from many received show the extent of injury by
some of these swarms and the time they appeared :—

‘Kamloops, B.C., May 31—Please send the latest information on fighting grass-
hoppers. They took my crop last year and are now hatching in great numbers. I
have just put out Paris green and salt mixed with horse manure and a little water.
My neighbours have tried this also, but they tell me the grasshoppers will not eat it.—-
J. P. SHAnnow.’

‘Treesbank, Man., August 16.—Grasshoppers are decidedly on the increase again,
and with favourable conditions I fear that they might be as bad as ever in a year or
two. We shall, however, watch them and try and put out the poisoned horse manure if
they attack the crop—N. Cripp.¢.’

‘Neepawa, Man., September 7.—I send specimens of grasshoppers which are most
unusually numerous this fall in this vicinity. They were never seen so thick before. .
I am wondering if they are the forerunners of a grasshopper plague next summer. ITs
there any danger from their laying eggs which will hatch next spring? If so what is
the best thing to do?—E. T. Moopy.’

The species sent by Mr. Moody was the Two-striped Grasshopper, a large heavy
species, which as a rule is found in rather low ground near bushes, and is not so
often injurious to crops as some of the smaller and more active species.

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196 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

‘Pointe du Lac, Que.—I send specimens of grasshoppers which are actually
destroying the crops in our district. We have tried the Criddle mixture, but it has
not had an appreciable effect on thezr numbers.—Rev. J. Caron,’

‘Galetta, Ont., July 17.—Please give a remedy for grasshoppers. A very large
army of them has attacked a field of oats having come from a large adjoining pasture.
I have tried Paris green on a ridge without effect.—MatrHEew RippELL.’

‘ Ballantrae, Ont., Aug. 22.—Seeing that various reports are going in with regard
to the grasshopper plague I thought I would tell you how we were faring in this part
of the province. i live on the ridges of the township of Whitchurch, county of York,
and our soil here fer the most part is a sandy loam. The grasshoppers struck this
locality early in the season and we are suffering greatly from their ravages. Other
localities escaped until later in the season, but they are becoming general and wide-
spread now. ‘They have taken all second crop and spring-seeded clovers. Pasture
land is as bare and brown as a barn floor. Some farmers left their oats standing
until completely stripped, others cut them in the milk, and they were half stripped
even at that stage. The turnip crop is practically gone. In some cases the carrot
crop is eaten level with the ground and their latest freak is eating out the mangel
roots. Peas have escaped fairly well but some fields are nearly stripped of their
foliage. J°odder corn is eaten in holes and they are boring through the husks and
eating out the grain of the ear. They started about a week ago upon the potatoes and
some patches are now bare. They cut the leaves off and drop them and the stalk is
sometimes eaten through at the bottom and just falls over and dries up. Vegetables
are entirely destroyed and raspberry, gooseberry and currant bushes are stripped bare.
—W. A. Quantz.’

Last summer was extremely dry in many localities and where this was the case
growth was slow and meagre and here the grasshoppers did most harm. In some
places where copious rains came late in the season and vegetation of all kinds picked
up the injuries by grasshoppers were much less apparent. Rev. Father Caron
when writing in the middle of August from Point du Lac, Que., refers to this and
speaks of his previously reported poor effects of the Criddle mixture of Paris green
and horse manure in his parish, which he says the farmers did not use sufficiently to
give it a fair trial because it did not show immediate results. This was the case also in
many other places where the mixture was tried. There is evidence to show, however, that
this mixture which undoubtedly gave most satisfactory results in Manitoba wherever
it was tried has not proved so successful in some other places. Whether this is due
to the climatic conditions I am unable to say, but in Manitoba the grasshoppers were
destroyed in myriads and the mixture was remarkably attractive to them, so that
they would flock to those parts of the field where it had been scattered and were
poisoned by eating it. In Ontario on the other hand it would seem to be much less
attractive to the species which occur commonly here. For these districts it may be
remembered that the now well known poisoned bran remedy for cutworms (one pound
of Paris green, one pound of salt and one gallon of water, in 100 pounds of bran) may
be used and is extremely effective against grasshoppers of all kinds. In fact this
mixture of Paris green and bran was originally devised in California as a remedy
against grasshoppers in vineyards. The spraying of the edges of fields with arsenical
mixtures when grasshoppers first begin to move towards crops has also been found very
useful. Later when the insects have their wings and are occurring in large numbers
a modification of the tin pans or light frame works known in the west as ‘ hopper-
dozers,’ may be used to great advantage. These are light frames with wings and a
back covered with canvas and having a tin pan at the bottom which will hold tar or
coal oil and water. These are drawn over pastures or in such places as grasshoppers
are abundant and the insects are caught in large numbers. If a grasshopper has only
a small drop of coal oil on its body it will soon spread all over it and be fatal.

Pea Weevit, Bruchus pisorum, L.—The Pea Weevil which for three years has
hardly been mentioned in correspondence, is evidently again increasing in numbers

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 1:7
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

and it is of the greatest importance that pea growers and seed merchants should use
vigorously the well-known remedy of fumigating all seed peas before sowing them, or,
what is far preferable, as soon as they are harvested and threshed. One or two samples
have been recently sent in which were as badly infested by the Pea Weevil as in the
worst years four or five years ago. One of the important centres of the pea-seed trade
is the county of Prince Edward in Ontario. A few years ago peas in that county
were infested by the Pea Weevil to an extreme degree. Mr. J. D. Evans, of Trenton,
who has kindly kept me informed regularly with regard to this infestation, reports on
the season of 1907, as follows: ‘I discusssed the matter of Pea Weevil injury with
Mr. W. P. Niles, of Wellington, one of our best authorities, and he tells me that the
Weevil is almost extinct in Prince Edward county at the present time, but owing to
the carelessness of farmers in attending to their seed peas, he will not be at all sur-
prised to see it again troublesome in the near future.’ Mr. Niles said that he had
received some peas from Oshawa which were somewhat infested but not very ser-
iously; but he had, however, a sample from Exeter, in Lambton county, which was
about as bad as it could be. The remedy above all others by which the Pea Weevil
has been kept in check in the past is the scrupulous fumigation of all seed peas.
There is still some confusion on the part of farmers as to what the Pea Weevil really
is. This is to a measure due to the senseless persistence of merchants and farmers in
speaking of it as the ‘Pea Bug’ and consequently as almost every insect is called a
bug on this continent, as many specimens of peas injured by the Pea Moth are sent
in as having been attacked by the Pea Weevil, as those injured by the insect properly
so called. The injuries of these two insects are entirely different. The work of the
Pea Weevil is inside the seed and after the small brownish gray beetles, one-
fifth of an inch long and bearing two conspicuous black spots on the end of the body,
have emerged, there is on the side of the pea a small perfectly round hole. The work
of the caterpillar of the Pea Moth is an irregular ragged-edged cavity eaten in the
side of the seed while it is green. The life-history of both of these insects is perfectly
weil known: The egg of the Pea Weevil is laid on the outside of the young green pod
and the grub on hatching eats its way in and penetrates the nearest pea. Here it
remains until full grown which is late in the summer time after the peas are ripe.
When peas are threshed as soon as they are ripe and the seed is fumigated at once
the grub of the Pea Weevil can be destroyed before it has eaten very much of the
seed; but if left untieated until later in the winter or until just before sowing, the
benefit is merely that the beetles inside the peas are killed. This is of much importance
but if the work is done as soon after harvesting as possible the injury to the seed is
reduced very much indeed. The larval life of a Pea Weevil is passed entirely inside
the pea it first entered. The egg is laid during June and the small grub has to pene-
trate the pod and locate itself inside a seed before this becomes too hard. The
development from a white fleshy grub to the pupal condition and the change to the
perfect beetle, all take place during the late summer and some of the beetles are fully
developed by about the middle of August, a few, in certain seasons, leave the peas in
the autumn or even as early as harvest time; but the regular habit of the insect is
for the beetles to remain in the seed until the following spring. Those weevils which
emerge in the autumn pass the winter hidden away under rubbish or in barns, out-
houses, &c. Occasionally there is a wholesale emergence in the autumn, and when this
takes place the numbers of Pea Weevil are enormously reduced. They are exposed
to many dangers which they would have escaped had they remained inside the peas.
Insect eating birds and mammals destroy many, and I have been shown, near Picton,
in Prince Edward county, Ont., thousands of the beetles which had crawled beneath
the shingles of an old barn and had died there, presumably killed by the cold of winter.
Those weevils which pass the winter safely outside, or those which have been sown
in the spring with the seed peas, fly to the fields, and for some time feed on the
foliage of the pea plants. As soon as the young green pods are formed the eggs are
laid and the grubs hatch soon afterwards. There is only one brood of this insect in

198 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1902

the year, and the important fact in its life-history is that every pea containing a
weevil, and this is by far the largest proportion of all the insects produced every year,
is for a considerable time entirely at the mercy of the farmer or seed merchant, for
there is no other known food plant for this insect than the cultivated pea. It is not
a native of this country any more than its food plant is, and the pea is not one of

those cultivated crops of which the seeds lie over and produce a volunteer crop the
following year.

Remedies.—(1) Holding over seed. Of many remedies suggested that of easiest
application and requiring no expenditure is the holding over of seed. Where only a
few seed peas are used it is very easy to store these away until the second year after
harvesting. Peas should always be bagged and the sacks tied up tightly at once
after threshing. It has been found that the Pea Weevil cannot eat its way through
bags even when these are made of paper. Therefore all the weevils which emerge
either in autumn or the following summer will die inside the bags, and the seed can
be sown the following year without danger. Sound seed will not be injured in the
least by being held over for this time. Seeds which have heen injured by the weevils
will grow unless the germ has been destroyed, but such seeds produce only weak plants,
which unless all conditions are extremely favourable, do not produce nearly as heavy
a crop and should not be used for seed unless no others are obtainable. Of 400 seeds
picked at random from a sample sent in last winter, all of which had been attacked
by the weevil, only 34 grew:

a. 10 seeds germinated, 3 weak plants, 7 strong.

b. 9 seeds germinated, 2 weak plants, 7 strong.

c. 10 seeds germinated, 4 weak plants, 6 strong.

d. 5 seeds germinated, 8 weak plants, 2 strong.

This experiment merely confirms previous experiments which have been tried here
on several occasions.

(2) Fumigation.—The standard remedy upon which chief reliance must be placed
to control the Pea Weevil is the fumigation of all seed peas with bisulphide ot
carbon. For treating large quantities, specially prepared houses are maintained by
the large seed merchants. These ‘bug houses’ are tightly constructed, and are made
to treat from 1,000 to 3,000 bushels at a time. The treatment of smaller quantities,
such as are required by farmers, is an easy matter, and an ordinary coal oil barrel ig
a convenient receptacle for the seed. A 40-gallon coal oil barrel will hold about five
bushels, or 300 pounds of seed, which can be treated with 3 ounces of bisulphide of
carbon poured right on to the peas and the barrel quickly closed up tightly. The
bisulphide of carbon should be of the best quality which will vaporize entirely without
leaving any residue. The time to keep the barrel closed is 48 hours. As stated above,
the seed should be fumigated as soon as possible after harvest, but the work may be
done at any time when the temperature is above freezing. It is well to mention that
bisulphide of carbon is very inflammable; fumigating therefore should be dene out of
doors in a shed or at a distance from buildings, and no light of any kind must be
brought near.

FRUIT CROPS.

The spring of 1907 was cold throughout the Dominion and very dry in the
eastern provinces. This had a direct effect upon all fruit crops. The remarkable
scarcity of insects of all kinds prevented the fertilization of much fruit, except in
such orchards as were near to apiaries. The crop in Ontario, Quebec and the Mari-
time Provinces was not of very high quality, but good prices were obtained, particu-
larly when grown under the best horticultural methods. At the Central Experimental
Farm there was a full set of fruit owing to the number of bees which had access to
the bloom. Prof. Hutt, of the Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph, drew particular

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 199
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

attention to this matter also at the last annual meeting of the Entomological Society of
Ontario. Bees wintered poorly and many colonies were weak in spring. Prof. Hutt
attributes the small set of fruit in some localities in Ontario in 1907, chiefly to the lack
of domestic and wild bees, and noticed many instances where men who kept bees had
better crops of fruit. In British Columbia the fruit crop was excellent and as good
in quality as in quantity. In western Ontario the crop of grapes was large except in
those districts where the Rose Chafer destroyed the blossoms. wing to the late
cold season many kinds of grapes were not ripe when the frosts came. Small fruits
produced poor crops owing largely to the drought. The crops of vegetables of all
kinds were also much affected by the drought, and in the eastern portions of the
province of Ontario and in parts of Quebec the potato crop was exceptionally poor.
In some places the seed tuber remained in the ground without decaying until the end
of the season.

Copiine Morn, Carpocapsa pomonella, L.—Of the insect enemies of fruit crops
some of the old enemies and well known pests were more than usually destructive.
The Codling Moth in western Ontario was so destructive in some places that several
fruit growers discussed seriously the advisability of cutting down their apple trees
and planting grapes or peaches. This part of the province is within the area where
there are two regular broods of the Codling Moth in the season, the latter of which
is by far the more destructive. It therefore becomes necessary for fruit growers not
only to spray their trees in spring but also to apply bands regularly as shelters for
the larye to spin up in. This causes a great deal of work, and in this district grapes
and peaches are considered the best paying crops. This fact I believe accounts to a
large measure for the increase of the Codling Moth in the Niagara peninsula. The
apple orchards are not given the same care as in other parts of the province and con-
sequently some of the regular pests increase unduly. Jn this district three sprayings
with poisoned Bordeaux mixture in spring and the banding of all trees in July and
August are the means by which the apple, pear and quince crops should be protected
from injury by the Codling Moth. Some care is necessary in attending to the band-
ages, or putting them on may do more harm than good. These bandages may be made
of any soft material such as burlap, hessian, old sacking, &c., and can be quickly and
easily attached to the trees by placing a piece of string or wire around the middle
and then turning down the upper half. These bands should be put on the trees by the
beginning of July and should be examined at least once a week for the rest of the
season. During August a great many cocoons and larve will be found and these must
be destroyed, for which purpose it will be necessary to remove the bandages. Later in
the season the caterpillars will be fewer and the easiest way of killing them is with
the point of a knife without removing the bandages. The caterpillars have the habit-
of boring some distance into the bark of the tree and spinning in the dust on the
outside of their cocoons. This renders them extremely difficult to detect and I have
found a convenient implement for cleaning the bark beneath the bandages is a wire
brush such as is used for cleaning out furnaces. This tears the cocoons from the
bark and destroys the contained larve.

A fact which is always apparent in orchards which are regularly sprayed year
after year with poisoned Bordeaux mixture is that the effects are cumulative. Regu-
larly sprayed orchards gradually become year by year freer from insects and fungous
enemies, notwithstanding the fact that many insects are able to fly long distances
and the spores of parasitic fungi may be borne easily almost to any distance.

THE OYSTER-SHELL SCALE, Lepidosaphes ulmt, L.—Owing possibly to the inclement
season the increase of the Oyster-shell Scale in the summer of 1907 was particularly
noticeable and undoubtedly much injury resulted from its attacks upon fruit and
other trees. The young of this insect hatch beneath the parent scale about the end
of May or the beginning of June and are active for a few days only. They are then

200 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

very minute, six-legged mite-like insects which swarm over the trees giving them
the appearance of having been dusted with some coarse white powder. By the second
day most of the young scale insects have chosen a suitable place and have attached
themselves to the young tender bark by means of their slender sucking tubes. There
they remain for the rest of their lives, growing rapidly during June and July. Karly
in August the females have become lttle more than a bag of eggs beneath the waxy
scale. The insect itself is crowded up into the narrow end of the scale where it diss,
leaving the eggs to carry the species over the winter. The scales of the male are
seldom noticed; they are most frequently found upon the leaves and are of an entirely
different shape from those of the female, being elongated, square at the end and
somewhat tapering to the front. They are very small not more than one-twentieth
of an inch in length and pale in colour. Unlike the female which lives all its life
inside the scale and has no power of motion after it once settles, the male is a minute
two-winged fly which when mature emerges from beneath its scale and has the power
of flying very rapidly.

Remedies—The remedies for the Oyster-shell Seale are the invigoration of the
tree by high culture and good orchard management and the direct treatment of the
seale insects with contact insecticides. The young hatch about the beginning of June
and as soon as these are noticed on the trees, whale oil soap solution, or kerosene
emulsion, should be promptly applied as a spray. The sooner this is done after hatch-
ing has taken. place the more effective it will be. Trees badly infested should be
helped by having some quick-acting fertilizer spudded in around their roots in spring
and in autumn should be sprayed with a lime wash made of one pound of quick lime
in each gallon of water. Two applications of this weak whitewash should be made
and the second one may be put on immediately the first one is dry. This spraying
should be done as soon as the leaves fall or at any other convenient time afterwards
before the intense weather of winter sets in. During the winter the lime flakes off
and carries with it a large proportion of the egg-containing scales which have been
loosened by the lime.

THE San Jos& ScaLe, Aspidiotus pernictosus, Cmstk.—The condition of affairs
with regard to the San José Seale in the orchards of Ontario is practically the same
this year as it has been for the last year or two. This insect although it has spread
to new orchards has not invaded new territory in the province. Owing to the late
season of 1907 the appearance of the young was also later than usual and there is no
doubt that the fruit growers of that part of Ontario where the scale occurs, now
understand its habits and the importance of using the lime and sulphur wash which
‘is the standard remedy. Mr. J. Fred. Smith, the San José Scale inspector for the
province of Ontario, reports that never before has there been so much done for the
destruction of the scale by fruit growers as during the past season. The lime and
sulphur wash was the remedy mostly used. Mr. W. H. Bunting, a large fruit grower
and a leading member of the Fruit Growers’ Association of Ontario, stated in a
lecture given at Ottawa last winter that he considered the advent of the San José
Seale into the orchards of Ontario, although it had done an enormous amount of
injury, had really been a blessing to fruit growers, because with the lime and sulphur
wash if properly applied, they now knew they could control this insect and the work
which had been necessary owing to its presence had placed their orchards in a far
better condition than they would have been had the seale never invaded the province.
Systematic spraying had become a necessity and with its practice many of the regular
enemies of the orchard had disappeared. The general condition of these orchards, he
believed, was now greatly improved. Many different materials have been experimented
with as remedies but up to the present time nothing better than the lime-sulphus
wash has been discovered and fruit growers will be wise to recognize this as the standard
remedy for the treatment of their orchards and leave experimenting with new materials

ee ee eS ee

—
'

———

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 201
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

to the professional entomologists who always try these newly suggested remedies, and,
it may be added, have in the past found most of them of little value.

There is Much inquiry every year for the regulations under which the government
permits nursery stock to be imported into Canada and also with regard to the formula
used for destroying the scale on trees which are imported. In the first place it may be
stated that the sole purpose of the government federal fumigation houses is for the
cleansing of the stock from the San José Scale, and there is no legislation whatever of
the Same nature against any other insects. This statement is called for by persistent
misrepresentations which are made in British Columbia. In that province the govern-
ment officials condemn and frequently destroy nursery stock upon which they find
several other insects besides the San José Seale; but the only one against which at
the present time any federal legislation has been enacted is the San José Seale.

The formula used—The formula used at the federal fumigating stations is one
ounce of cyanide of potassium (98 per cent), one ounce of commercial sulphuric acid
(60° Baumé), and three ounces of water, for every 100 cubie feet of space, and all
nursery stock is exposed to the gas generated by this mixture for 45 minutes. This
formula generates sufficient hydrocyaniec acid gas of a strength requisite to kill every
scale insect upon the trees in the 45 minutes during which stock is exposed to it.

Fumigating Stations—There are six points only along the border at which
nursery stock can be imported into Canada. At those points the federal government
maintains houses for the fumigation of all nursery stock coming into the country
from other countries known to be infested by the San José Seale. These are as
follows: Vancouver, B.C.; Winnipeg, Man.; Windsor, Ont.; Niagara Falls, Ont.;
St. John’s, Que.; St. John, N.B.

The federal fumigation houses are kept open, with a superintendent constantly
in attendance, throughout the spring and autumn shipments of stock. The superin-
tendents are all trained men, expert in examining stock, and in unpacking and re-
packing all packages which come into their hands. Up till the present time the
superintendents at all of the stations have done their work carefully and well, and
no well founded complaints as to carelessness or injury to stock have been received
from importers, either with regard to the reasonable delay which must occur while
stock is being treated or as to injury to trees during the necessary unpacking,
handling and repacking. In every instance when complaints have been made a
thorough investigation has been promptly instituted, and in every instance it has been
satisfactory to report to the Honourable the Minister of Agriculture that any injury
that trees suffered in transit could not be attributed to carelessness on the part of
the superintendents.

The Customs regulations as now consolidated under the San José Seale Act
read as follows :—

1. Under ‘The San José Seale Act’ the importation into Canada of any trees,
shrubs, plants, vines, grafts, cuttings or buds, commonly called nursery stock, from
any place to which the Act applies is prohibited, and ‘any nursery stock so imported
shall be forfeited to the Crown and may be destroyed, and any person importing
nursery stock from any such country or place, or causing or permitting it to be so
imported, shall be deemed to be guilty of an offence under section 6 of the Customs
Tariff, 1897, and shall be liable to a penalty prescribed by that section.’

2. By an order in council approved March 18, 1898, the said Act prohibiting the
importation of nursery stock is declared to apply to nursery stock from the following
countries, viz.: United States of America, Australia, Japan, Hawaiian Islands.

3. By an order in council approved March 18, 1898, plants exempted from the
operations of the above mentioned Act are as follows :—

(a) Greenhouse plants with the exception of roses (such as palms, ferns, orchids,
cacti, chrysanthemums, azaleas, begonias and carnations, but not roses or any other

woody plants).

202 “ " -BXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1962

(6) Herbaceous perennials (the tops of which die down in winter, such as peren-
nial phlox, dielytra, peonies, perennial sunflowers, &c., and also strawberries).

(c) Herbaceous bedding plants (such as geraniums, coleuses, verbenas, pansies,
&e.)

(d) All conifers.
(e) Bulbs and tubers (such as lilies, hyacinths, narcissi, and all other true bulbs,
gladioli, caladium, irises, cannas, dahlias, &e.).

4, By an order in council approved April 25, 1900, permission is given for the
importation of roses in leaf and in a growing condition which have been propagated
under glass.

5. By an order in council approved January 5, 1901, nursery stock may be im-
ported if fumigated at the following customs ports during the periods undermen-
tioned, viz. :—

Winnipeg, Man., and St. John, N.B.—From March 15 to May 15 in spring, and
October 7 to December 7 in autumn.

St. John’s, Que., Niagara Falls, Ont., and Windsor, Ont.—From March 15 to
May 15 in spring, and from September 26 to December 7 in autumn.

Vancouver, B.C.—From October 1 to May 1 of the following year.

Note specially, that,—(k) ‘ All shipments made in accordance with the above will
be entirely at the risk of the shippers or consignees, the government assuming no risk
whatever.

(1) Packages must be addressed so as to enter Canada at one of the above named
ports of entry, and the route by which they will be shipped must he clearly stated on
each package. The nursery stock will, however, be fumigated when transported via
other ports to a fumigating station.

(m) Nursery stock imported by railway or vessel! may be fumigated in bond
while in transit, and after fumigation may be forwarded under customs manifests
to a customs port of destination-—the customs officer in such case to mark plainly
on the manifests the word ‘ fumigated.’

(n) Collectors of customs at ports of fumigation are requested to co-operate with
the railways and officials of the Agricultural Department in securing speedy fumiga-
tion of nursery stock in transit, and also to use their best endeavours to expedite the
transit of such nursery stock.

6. By orders in council of March 23, 1901, and May 31, 1901, Dakota cottonwood,
or ‘Necklace poplar’ (Populus monolifera, Ait.), may be admitted at the custom
ports of Brandon and Winnipeg, Man., without fumigation.

IMPORTATIONS BY MAIL.

7. Nursery stock imported through the mails (by postal package or otherwise) is
subject to the provisions of the San José Seale Act, and during the period allowed .
for fumigation customs officers are to send such nursery stock, after customs duty
has been paid thereon, to the collector of customs at the nearest fumigation station,
marked ‘In bond for fumigation, with post card advising that the parcel be fumi-
gated and then returned by mail direct to the importer (giving his address) marked
‘Duty paid.’

8. Seizwres——Customs officers are requested to strictly enforce the provisions of the
law prohibiting the importation of nursery stock, and to seize all trees, shrubs, plants,
vines, grafts, cuttings or buds, commonly called nursery stock, when imported from
the countries above mentioned, in contravention of the aforesaid Act.

(Sed.) JOHN McDOUGALD,
Commissioner.

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 203
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

Dipping of Nursery Stock—The only safe remedy yet discovered, for the treat
ment of nursery stock for the destruction of San José Scale when nursery stock is
being shipped from place to place, is fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas. Many
experiments have been tried with various washes for dipping nursery stock to obviate
the expense and inconvenience of this operation but none of these have proved satis-
factory, nor as good, all things considered, as the method of fumigation which has
been adopted by this department. Experiments, however, are being constantly tried
and if anything better is discovered it will be at once adopted. Nurserymen and fruit
growers now know that no injury whatever is caused by the fumigation and it is now
seléom advanced by shippers as was the case a few years ago as an excuse for bed
packing and poor stock.

The San José Seale Act has now been in force for ten years having been passed
on the 18th March, 1898. Since the fumigating houses were established in 1900 con-
stant examination has been made of nursery stock which passed through the fumigat-
ing houses and on no occasion has a living scale been detected upon trees which have
been treated by our superintendents. Many thousands of fruit trees and ornamental
shrubs worth large sums of money have been imported by nurserymen and others in
all parts of Canada, and although the scale can be killed with certainty, by fumiga-
tion in the way it is done in the federal fumigating houses, no injury whatever has
been done to the stock by the treatment which it has received to free it from any
possible presence of living scales.

In view of the above it may be justly claimed that the Honourable the Minister
of Agriculture has taken every wise step to protect the fruit growers of Canada
against a further introduction of this most serious enemy, and at the same time has
done everything which was reasonably possible to protect the interests of nurserymen
and others who wished to import stock from outside the Dominion. The methods
adopted for the fumigation of stock are those which are most highly approved by
experts and have been found perfectly effective in destroying any scales which
occurred on nursery stock which waa treated. The governments of Ontario and
British Columbia have also adopted drastic measures to prevent the spread of the San
José Scale from known points of infestation to new localities. At the present time
after eleven years from its first appearance it may be said that the only place in
Ontario where the scale now exists is the comparatively smali area running from
Essex county along the north of Lake Erie and extending to the county of Went-
worth, west of Lake Ontario. In British Columbia the scale has been detected at two
places, Kaslo and Spence’s Bridge, but »t the former of these the trees were carefully
sprayed and since that time no further infestation has been detected. At Spence’s
Bridge the whole orchard was cut down. The San José Seale has never been found
in the maritime provinces, the prairie provinces, the province of Quebec, nor in any
other part of Ontario than that mentioned. As this insect seems to be able to thrive
in all districts where the peach can be grown commercially it is most advisable that
fruit growers in such districts should be on the alert to detect any strange scale insects
upon their trees and have them examined by experts as soon as possible. Prompt
attention at the beginning of an outbreak will frequently save great destruction of
trees and crops and the expenditure of much money.

Tue Rose Cuarer, Macrodactylus subspinosus, Fab.—Injuries to grapes, peaches
and apples by the Rose Chafer are of yearly occurrence in the Niagara districts of
Ontario, but during 1907 their depredations were so serious that in many vineyards
the whole crop was destroyed and the large wine-making firm of Bright & Shirriff,
who buy between two and three hundred tons of grapes in the immediate neighbour
hood of their establishment at Niagara Falls South, could not last year buy locally
nearly all the grapes they required and had to import them from other districta. Mr
T. R. Stokes, secretary of the Board of Trade of Stamford township, and of Niagara
Falls South, in writing on this subject, says :—

204 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

‘Last year the Rose Bug destroyed grapes to the extent of $60,000 in Stamford
alone, immense graperies of ten and fifteen acres not producing more than a ton or
a ton and a half. Move than this they ruined shrubs and flowers in the historic
cemetery at Lundy’s Lane and the flowers in the beautiful Fairview cemetery have
been much injured. They destroy the petals, pistils and stamens of the flowers of the
grape. They make their appearance at the same time as the first grape blossoms. They
also riddle the leaves of strawberries, raspberries and many other plants. The beetles
only last for about a month, but they do an immense amount of harm. They appear
suddenly simply in billions, destroying all flowering plants. In 1907 they appeared a
week before grapes bloomed. They ate off the cap of the bloom and tore open the
blossom and ate out the centre. They also ate the leaves to a certain extent, but the
great injury is to the flowers. These Rose Bugs also tear up and destroy entirely
the flowers of any scented roses they can get at. They do not touch the unscented
varieties such as the Prairie King and the Crimson Rambler. They destroy a large
percentage of the raspberry crop by destroying the blooms. This is a very serious
matter and I trust that you will be able to come and map out some line of action for
fighting this pest.’

There is no doubt that the Rose Chafer is a very serious enemy of the fruit
grower wherever it occurs, and sometimes, as last year in the Niagara Falls district,
it does an enormous amount of harm by attacking the flowers and young fruits of
grapes, peaches and apples. Unfortunately very little can be done to control it. It is
known that it breeds in sandy land, and where this can be ploughed up either just
before the insects emerge early in June or late in autumn, a certan amount of good
ean be done, but all efforts with a view to poisoning the beetles on the flowers have
failed. Prof. F. M. Webster in 1899 reported to the Association of Economie Ento-
mologists (Proc. 11th Annual Meeting, Bull. No. 20, U.S. Div. of Ent.), the first
successful experiment in killing the beetles in a wholesale manner. He says, page 20:
‘At last we have found out how to kill the Rose Chafer. In view of the fact that
the digestive apparatus of this pest seems to be proof against the poisonous or caustic
effects of most drugs, this seems an achievement. One-half pound of fish oil soap
dissolved in a gallon of water and sprayed upon them will kill 95 per cent of the adults,
the females being especially susceptible, if the suds is sprayed directly upon them
Drenching their food plant does not seem to affect them in the least, even if one pound
of soap is used to each gallon of water, so the question of protecting vineyards is yet
unsolved. Rhubarb has been found to be a valuable bait plant, the bloom which
appears about the time of that of the grape being especially attractive to the beetles,
and while clustered on the blossoms they can be collected or sprayed with the fish oil
soap mixture and killed. The stronger mixture mentioned above did not appear to
affect the peach, while the weaker injures the leaves and young fruit of the grape to
some extent.’

The old fashioned remedy of hand picking is of course of service, but is slow and
expensive even when as at Niagara Falls South there is an abundant supply of cheap
labour. The children and women of the village are utilized in picking the beetles
from the blossoms of grapes, but it is very easy for them to do much harm at that
time by rough handling. The beetles may also be jarred on to sheets or frames
saturated with kerosene, but these methods are tedious and must be practiced daily
in the early morning or in the evening. Useful mechanical appliances on the
plan of a funnel or inverted umbrella with a bag or ean containing kerosene at the
bottom for collecting the beetles when jarred from the plants are referred to by Dr,
¥. H. Chittenden in a circular on this insect (No. 11, 2nd series, U.S. Div. of Ent.).

In view of the success obtained by Prof. Webster in spraying with whale oil soap,
experiments should be tried as to the strength which may be used without injury te
the grape blossoms. The numbers of the beetles which have appeared for the last two
or three years in the vicinity of Niagara Falls South are simply incredible. The
eccurrences were fortunately very local, some vineyards having every blossom stripped,

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 205
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

while in others hardly any bunches of fruit had been injured. Mr. Stokes attributes
this freedom from injury to the time at which the blossoms opened. If the fruit is
set before the beetles appear they do not seem to be specially attracted. It is while
the flowers are open and the perfume is given forth that they are attracted and do so
much harm. Clover when in bloom is also a favourite food plant for the Rose Chafer.
Mr. Geo. Green, of Niagara Falls South, showod me a field of clover close to his vine-
yard which was simply a secthing mass of beetles, which were swarming over the
blossoms in hundreds of thousands. Mr. Green attributed a fairly good crop of fruit
in his vineyard to the greater attraction which the clover had been for the beetles at
the time the grapes were in bloom.

The Rose Chafer is a dull, yellowish grey beetle about one-third of an inch long,
tapering a little towards each end. Its long sprawling legs are reddish with the feet
black and tipped with strong claws with which it hangs tightly to the flowers it is
destroying. The eggs are laid beneath the surface of the ground by the females, which
burrow down about two inches at the time they lay their eggs. Each female lays
about thirty eggs wich hatch in three weeks, and the young grubs feed on the roots
of grasses and other plants within their reach. They become full grown in autumn
and pass the winter in a cell deep beneath the surface. At the opening of spring tha
larve come up near the surface in the month of May and change to pupx in small
oval cells. In shape the larve and pup resemble those of the well known Whit»
Grub.

Dr. Chittenden points out the advantage of prompt action in the collecting of the
beetles or destroying them with contact sprays, immediately on their first appearance,
and advises that all land which might serve as a breeding place should be ploughed
and harrowed in May for the destruction of the pupe. The least amount possible of
light sandy land should be left in sod.

There are many brands of whale dil soap in the market. Those which are made
with potash are considered the best and most convenient to use for the destruction of
insects. That used by Prof. Webster was made by W. H. Owen, of Port Clinton,
Ohio, and costs about 44 cents a pound by the 100-pound keg.

Tue Brown-Tai, Motu, Euproctis chrysorrhea, L.—There has been considerable
correspondence again during the past season with regard to the infestation of the
Nova Scotian orchards by the Brown-tail Moth. The matter has been taken up ener-
getically by Prof. Cumming, Secretary of Agriculture for Nova Scotia, who made use
ef the school children in the public schools in an effort to destroy all of the winter
colonies of the caterpillars. A bounty of ten cents per nest was paid and these were
sent in and identified by stated qualified officials and about 3,500 nests were passed
as being those of the caterpillars of the Brown-tail Moth. Most of these were collected
in a small isolated area near Bear River, N.S., where little work had been done
the previous year. In those districts where operations were carried on last year,
although a very much larger area was covered, not more than 200 nests were found.
Prof. Cumming and Profs. Smith and Shaw, of the Agricultural College staff at
Truro, N.S., have also been studying the matter carefully during the summer and
arrangements were made for qualified men to go through the infested areas right up
to the end of the season. Prof. Shaw thinks that the orchards of King’s county, one
of the infested districts, are absolutely clear of the pest and he does not know of any
having been found in the forests adjacent. In Digby county also only four Brown-
tail Moth nests had been found up till December 6 last, by five inspectors who the
previous spring had found the nests exceedingly numerous in the same county. At
the end of the winter season Prof. Shaw writes :—

‘There have been about 15.000 specimens of insects sent in to Principal Cumming
by the school children who have been collecting the Brown-tail Moth winter nests.
Of these, 3,500 were of the Brown-tail Moth and these were found chiefly at Bear
River and Sm#th’s Cove, Digby county.’

206 ' “EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1809

The above reports are very satisfactory and the fruit growers of Nova Scotia are
to be congratulated on the energy which has been shown by the above officials who
have recognized the importance of this infestation and have acted promptly and
energetically. It must be remembered, however, that the insect had become widely
spread through the orchards of the province, that many of these are thickly planted
and closely surrounded by forests or strips of wild native trees, and that this is a very
difficult insect to control. It is almost too much to hope that the Brown-tail Moth
can have been exterminated even by the energetic efforts which have been directed
against it and every fruit grower in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Bruns-
wick should promptly send either to Prof. Cumming at Truro, or to this Division,
specimens of any strange caterpillars they may find on their trees and particularly
when these are occurring in large numbers during the summer, or gathered together in
nests composed of leaves spun together with silk during the winter months. The only
kind of caterpillar which is likely to be found in colonies inside such nests, is that
of the Brown-tail Moth. These pass the winter as small caterpillars, only one-quarter
of an inch in length and there are from 200 to 300 ‘~side each nest. The caterpillars

themselves are black, but are covered with rusty hairs but they can be at once recog-

nized by two conspicuous orange cushion-like tubercles on the top of the 10th and 11th
segments towards the end of the body.

Remedies.—The remedies for this dangerous enemy are the collection of the winter
nests of the caterpillars and the systematic spraying of all orchards during the sum-
mer. For this purpose the poisoned Bordeaux mixture is the best remedy and will
control at the same time the Brown-tail Moth and ali other leaf eating caterpillars,
and will reduce better than any other known remedy, the fungous disease known as
the Black Spot of the Apple and Pear, which frequently does great injury to the
important apple crop of the Maritime Provinces. As the Cankerworm is a frequent
and destructive pest in Nova Scotian orchards, one spraying should always be done
within two or three days after the apple blossoms fall. At that time the Cankerworm
can be more easily destroyed than at any other time, but if it is left unmolested until
half grown it is extremely resistant to the effects of arsenical poisoning. As poisons
for the above purpose, arsenate of lead and Paris green are probably the best. Of the
arsenate of lead there are several brands in the market and the material can also be
made at home, but for convenience and effectiveness probably the manufactured
article is the most satisfactory, because it is not only put up in very convenient pack-
ages bnt the chemicals with which arsenate of lead is made, are sometimes variable in
quality, whereas in the large factories these materials are tested carefully to see if
they are up to standard. When using Paris green in Bordeaux mixture, one pound
may be used in 100 gallons of the Bordeaux mixture. This is stronger than is actually
required, but the lime in Bordeaux mixture will neutralize the caustic effects of the
arsenate and the Brown-tail Moth is a very serious pest which must be dealt with,
with drastic measures, and the same may be said of the Cankerworm. Arsenate of
lead should be used at the rate of three pounds of the paste to a 40-gallon cask of
Bordeaux mixture. It may be well to warn fruit growers against using arsenites in
what is known as the soda-Bordeaux mixture, more properly called Burgundy mixture.
The true Bordeaux mixture is made with lime and for all ordinary purposes on fruit
trees the amount recommended is 4 lbs. of bluestone, 4 lbs. of unslacked lime, 4 ounces
of Paris green and 40 gallons of water, but for certain pests more Paris green is
advisable and by increasing the amount of lime a little it becomes a safe application
for orchard trees while the leaves are young and vigorous, but the arsenites should
always be applied in the real Rordeaux mixture made with lime and not with the soda-
Bordeaux.

In the report of the Chemist of the Experimental Farms for 1905, at page 149,
will be found an article on the Chemistry of Insecticides and Fungicides. In the con-
clusions of Mr. Shutt’s experiments the matter is summed up as follows: ‘Burgundy
mixture pure and simple has shown itself as far as our experiments have gone, to be

.
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REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 207
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

non-injurious to foliage, The addition of Paris green or other arsenite, however,
renders the spray corrosive and therefore dangerous for orchard use. When it is

desired to use Paris green as an insecticide in the spray, only Bordeaux mixture made
with lime should be employed.’

Cankerworms.—Reports of rather serious nature came to hand with regard to the
injuries of cankerworms in the apple orchards of the Annapolis Valley of Nova
Scotia. These caterpillars are very slender and inconspicuous at first and are fre-
quently overlooked until they have attained considerable growth. They are then much
more difficult to kill with the ordinary insecticides used in orchards and it becomes
necessary to use more poison to the barrel than for most other insects. It is recom-
mended to use as much as one pound of Paris green in 100 gallons of Bordeaux mix-
ture and this latter should be made with five pounds of lime to the four pounds of
copper sulphate in the 40 gallons of water. If applied while the caterpillars are young
the cankerworm can be controlled the same as every other leaf-eating insect. The
other remedy for cankerworms is the destruction of the wingless female moths when
they leave their chrysalids in the autumn and climb up the trees to lay their eggs.
There are two materials which are largely used for this purpose. These are printers’
ink thinned with fish oil, one gallon of the latter to five of the former, which quan-
tity will treat about an acre of orchard, and the other is a mixture of castor oil and
resin. Mr. O. T. Springer, of Burlington, Ontario, gives the following receipt :—

For cold weather; castor oil 2 pounds, common resin 3 pounds; for warm
weather add another pound of resin. This mixture must be heated slowly until all
the resin is melted, and then should be painted directly on to the bark of the trees
while still warm.

Mr. Geo. E. Fisher, of Freeman, Ont., after many experiments uses the same
materials but prepares them rather differently. He writes: ‘For use against canker
worms, I use for warm weather, 3 pounds of castor oil and 5 pounds of resin, and in
cold weather equal parts of both by weight. A little experience is necessary to decide
just what proportions of the materials will suit the prevailing weather conditions, but
they will vary between the weights I have given. The rough bark of the tree should
be scraped off at a convenient height before applying the mixture. The first applica-
tion will not remain sticky very long, being apparently absorbed by the bark, and a
second may be necessary in about a week. This will keep fresh for a good while, and
certainly is an excellent trap for cankerworms either in the moth or caterpillar
stage.” When applying these mixtures they are painted directly on to the bark of the
tree with a large paint brush so as to form a band right around the trunk about three
inches wide. The castor oil used is a commercial article, unpurified, which will cost
in most places about 8 or 10 cents a pound. Mr. Springer says that the work of band-
ing in the above mentioned way is not so great as might be supposed. One man can
go over 250 trees in ten hours if the mixture is ready for use. Should the mixture get
too cold to spread readily it may be easily and quickly brought to the proper tempera-
ture by using a portable oil stove. It is best to put on the first coat plentifully so as
to leave a good body of material on the tree. In the Burlington district, which is near
Hamilton, Ont., the female moth seldom leaves the ground before the last week in
October and never before the first frosts of autumn. If watched for and the bands
are painted on to the trees when the females first appear, thousands are caught by the
band, including many of the males, which also are destroyed, their delicate wings
adhering to the sticky material on the slightest touch. The females, unable to cross
the sticky bands, lay their eggs in large numbers on the trunks of the trees between
the ground and the band. These must be scraped off and destroyed during the winter
or the caterpillars will climb up into the foliage when they hatch in the following
spring, for by that time the bands will have dried on the surface or will have become
rough by rubbish or dust adhering to them.

The Rusty Tussock Moth, Notolophus antiqua, 1.—The work which has been
done in Nova Scotia in collecting the larve of the Brown-tail Moth has shown that

208 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

considerable injury is done every year to apple and other fruit trees by the Rusty
Tussock Moth, not only in eating the leaves of the trees but by gnawing cavities in
the sides of the growing apples. Both the Rusty Tussoeck Moth and the White-marked
Tussock Moth occur in Nova Scotia, and the work of both is very similar, but the
latter is the more serious pest of the two because it generally occurs in large colenies
and not in the scattered way that the former does. The two insects are quite different
and easily recognized in all their stages. The caterpillar of the Rusty Tussock Moth
is a much less showy insect than its near relative. The general appearance of the
body is gray with four short thick tufts of whitish hairs on segments 5, 6, 7 and 8
with red spots along the sides and a yellow line beneath the spiracles. The most con-
spicuous difference is that the head is black instead of coral red as in the caterpillar
of the White-marked Tussock Moth and there is an extra pair of long tufts of barbed
bristles on each side of the 6th segment (counting the head as the 1st), which are
entirely lacking in the allied species. The yellow stripes down the back so conspicuous
in the White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar are almost obliterated in that of the
Rusty Tussock Moth. The food habits of the Rusty Tussock Moth are very much less
restricted, than those of the White-marked species, which is almost confined to the
foliage of trees, while the caterpillars of the Rusty Tussock Moth may be found upon
almost any kind of tree, shrub or herbaceous plant. They seem to be particularly
partial to the foliage of geraniums and some other garden flowers. The moths are
also different. In the Rusty Tussock Moth the male is of a rust-brown colour, the
front wings crosssed by two wavy streaks and there is a conspicuous white crescent
near the hind angle of each. The wings expand a little over an inch. The female is
gray and practically wingless, in this respect resembling the female of the White-
marked Tussock Moth. The male of the White-marked Tussock Moth is gray and
the wings are crossed by wavy bands. The base of the front wings bears a dark patch
and there is another of smaller size towards the tip. There is also a small white spot
near the outer hind angle of the front wings. In both species the wingless females on
emerging from their cocoons remain there at rest for their whole moth existence. The
males seek them out and after pairing, the eggs are laid on or close to the cocoon.
Those of the Rusty Tussock Moth are bare and easily distinguishable but in the
White-marked Tussock Moth they are covered with a frothy white deposit so that
their shape cannot be seen without breaking up the egg mass.

Both of these insects are sometimes the cause of considerable injury and neither
should be allowed to increase with impunity. In many of our Canadian cities the
beautiful shade trees are year after year rendered unsightly by these caterpillars and
little is done to check them except an occasional spasmodie effort when they have
become so bad that the municipal authorities are compelled to do something.

The remedies are the spraying of the trees as soon as possible after the young
caterpillars have made their appearance, and the collection of the egg-masses during
the winter.

Tue Hickory Tussock Motu, Halisidota carye, Harr.—Throughout the whole of
eastern Canada considerable damage was done to forest trees of several kinds, such as
hickory, elm, birch, ash and basswood by the black and white hairy caterpillars of the
Hickory Tussock Moth. These caterpillars occurred in unusual abundance in 1907.
When young the caterpillars are very gregarious and frequently strip whole branches
of a tree. They have a habit of collecting together in dense clusters beneath the leaves
at night, but when feeding spreading out all over the tree making silken paths as they
travel along the branches. This caterpillar is particularly objectionable as an orchard
and shade tree pest because when falling on the bare skin the barbed hairs produce a
painful and persistent irritation.

The caterpillar of the Hickory Tussock Moth when full grown is described as
follows by Mr. Arthur Gibson in an article written for the report of the Entomological
Society of Ontario for 1907, at page 84. ‘The body is clothed with dense tufts of
white hairs with a ridge of black hairs down the centre of the back, and two pairs of

Female and male moths ; full-grown caterpillar. Winter nest. (After Kirkland.)
(Figures from Howard, U. S. Dent. of Agr. Farmers Bull. 264).
THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH ; Euproctis chrysorrhaa, L.

Larva and work of the Western

Western Wheat-stem Sawfly. (Cephus occidentalis, Riley & Marlatt. }
(Riley & Marlatt, Insect Life, IV, Div. Ent. U. S. Dept. Agr.) Wheat stem Saw-fly.
6127—p. 208. (Drawn by Norman Criddle.)

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 209
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

long black pencils on the 1st and 7th abdominal segments. When full-grown this
caterpillar is one inch and a half in length.’

Occurring with the above and almost as abundant was the rather handsomer cater-
pillar of the Spotted Halisidota, Halisidola maculata, Harr., which is covered with
tufts of bright yellow and black hairs, the black tufts being on the four anterior and
the three posterior segments, the yellow tufts on the central segments of the body.
These latter are centered down the middle of the back with a row of black tufts. This
larva is rather shorter than that of the [Hickory Tussock Moth and although a general
feeder like the other seems to prefer willows and poplars to other food.

Large numbers of these caterpillars were sent in by correspondents who had been
attracted by their appearance or who had suffered from the irritation of their bristles.
In the autumn and early spring large numbers of the close oval cocoons beset with the
bristles of the caterpillars were found beneath stones in woods and in other shelters
near where the caterpillars had fed. Many of these were found to be parasitized by
Pimpla pedalis, Cress.

As a rule neither of these insects develop into pests of importance, but upon
occasion, as during 1907, their attacks upon shade trees are serious.

A sufficient remedy is spraying the trees when the caterpillars are noticed with
Paris green or any other of the arsenical poisons. Both of these species are late sum-
mer and autumn insects and neither of them has so far proved a serious orchard pest.

THE APIARY.

The Apiary is under the management of Mr. D. D. Gray, the farm foreman,
whose report I append herewith. The practical work of handling and caring for the
bees has been done by Mr. OC. A. Burnside. There was a considerable amount of
disease in the colonies in the beginning of the year, but by the end of the season this
had disappeared and such colonies as we had were in good condition. The inclement
weather of early spring rendered the services of bees in fertilizing fruit conspicuously
apparent. In orchards situated near apiaries there was a considerable increase in the
fruit over those not so advantageously located. It having been decided to reduce the
number of colonies in the apiary, some of those which were strong and healthy were
sold and the number on our own stands was reduced to 32.

REPORT OF MR. D. D. GRAY.

SEASON oF 1907.

The spring of 1907 was very cold and backward.

The bees were placed on their summer stands on April 20, nearly all very badly
affected with dysentery and very weak, in fact a number dwindled and died, although
they had had plenty of stores through the winter.

The weather continued cold and windy well on into May and the first notice of
pollen being gathered to any extent was on May 10. Some feeding was done to
encourage brood-rearing and by June 15 quite a number were strong enough to have
supers put on and by the first week in July all were ready for work. The first swarm
came off on July 10 and we had six of an increase from the 32 colonies put out on
the stands. There were a few colonies, however, which escaped with very little of
the disease and these did well, one colony making 215 Ibs. of honey.

The bees were put into their winter quarters on November 13 weighing an ayer-
age of about 50 lbs. each.

All the colonies were raised from the bottom boards and blocked up 1 inch all
around between brood chamber and bottom board to allow for better ventilation. The
wooden covers were also removed and replaced by bran sacks, 2 or 3 being put on each
colony.

16—14

210 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS

8-9 EDWARD VII., A. 1909

The bees were examined from time to time and kept as nearly as possible at a
temperature of 45° to 50°, and at time of writing, April 1, are seemingly in good
condition and quiet, keeping well clustered up in the combs.

D.-D. "GRAY:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING INSECTS THROUGH THE MAIL.

A constant source of inconvenience and loss of time to the officials of the Divi-
sion is the manner in which insects and plants are sent in for identification. It is
most advisable that inquiries should always be accompanied by specimens and that
these should be packed in such a way that they may come safely by mail without the
parcels being crushed and destroyed, or in the case of living imsects so that ‘these
should not escape. Experience has proved that it is a very difficult thing for those
who do not make a study of natural history to write descriptions of either insects or
plants so that they can be recognized without specimens. There is also a tendency
everywhere to give new and local names to any enemy which has forced itself upon
the notice of farmers, fruit growers and others, by its sudden appearance in unusual
numbers or by its injuries to crops. These local names are as a rule not in the least
descriptive of the pest and only in the very rarest instances are they in any way
applicable to any striking characteristic of the insect or plant to which they are
given. They are generally quite unintelligible to others and are a source of dire dis-
tress, annoyance and waste of time to the specialist who is referred to for informa-
tion, unless specimens accompany the inquiry. It may certainly be accepted as a
general principle that any insect or weed which occurs in sufficient numbers to be
troublesome is not of a new kind which requires re-naming. There are now several
sources of reference in Canada, where every one who wishes to do so can find out with
very little trouble the nature and habits of any unwelcome visitor which may appear
in farm or garden. All that is necessary is to send a specimen to one of the many
government institutions or agricultural papers with a few lines descriptive of the
oceurrence and a statement of what information is desired. When such inquiries are
made the following rules may be followed and are merely mentioned here, surprising
as it may seem, because they are so frequently neglected by correspondents of this
Division.

1. Sign the letter of inquiry and give post office address in full, stating province
and post office to which a reply should be sent.

2. Send specimens representative of the species. In the case of plants, if pos-
sible, send flower, leaf and root. As everything comes free by mail to the Experi-
mental Farm, Ottawa, and the postmasters in all parts of Canada have printed in-
structions to this effect (Canada official Postal Guide, 1908, p. xxiv), there is no ad-
vantage to any one, and a great disadvantage when accurate information is desired,
in sending small chips instead of proper specimens.

3. In all cases write the name of sender with his address on the packet.

4. Do not inelose letters inside packets of specimens but send them separately.

5. Do not send specimens without a letter or note saying what information is
desired.

6. Do not send fragile specimens in paper boxes. The post office officials have
sometimes to handle several tons’ weight of mail, and fragile packets are easily
broken under such circumstances.

7. Do not send specimens in glass bottles or in liquid unless carefully protected.

8. When sending specimens or writing for information let the letter and the
specimens if possible go by the same mail.

9. Living specimens of insects or plants should always if possible be sent in tin
boxes. Insects should always be accompanied by some of the food plant for them to
feed upon during the journey. ‘Tin boxes prevent the evaporation of moisture and

,
.

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 211
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

keep the food plants fresh. For this reason as well as for the greatest safety of the
Specimens they are very much preferable to cardboard boxes.

10. When sending specimens do not punch holes through the box for the insects
to breathe through. These are quite unnecessary and as a general thing cause the
death of the specimens.

It will be easily understood how very inconvenient it is in an oflice with a limited
staff, but with a very large daily correspondence, when, as frequently happens, four
cr five packets of insects or plants arrive by the same mail without any name on them
of the sender and without any letter stating what information is desired. Parcels
when sent through the post offices are very seldom postmarked and all that can be ~
done is to hold them over for some days and then compare the writing of the address
with letters which have been received during the past week. This means, frequently,
in the case of specimens of important pests which we want to know about or concern-
ing which an immediate reply should be given, looking through about one hundred
letters. The inconvenience of caring for these parcels is also considerable. , Living
specimens have to be unpacked and fed and provisional numbers and labels put on
each, so that they may be recognized in case letters turn up afterwards. ~“Notwith-
standing every care to keep these parcels straightened out there are every year
many which come to hand which can never be acknowledged, either because the par-
eels have nothing on them by which we can associate them with letters or because the
letters are not signed.

In addition to specimens which are sent in by farmers, fruit-growers and gar-
deners, many insects and plants are sent in for identification by those who are study-
ing natural history in a more or less scientific manner. An excellent sign for get-
ting better results in farming, is that, many of the younger farmers and fruit-
growers in the country are now making reference collections of injurious insects and
weeds, so that they may become more familiar with these enemies from which they
every year suffer so much. These collections are continually being received for
identification and classification by the officers of the Division of Entomology and
Botany. Similar collections are sent in by teachers and other students.

The study of entomology in Canada is now receiving a good deal more attention
than heretofore. Each season sees new collectors in the field and much of the material
collected is sent to Ottawa for identification. Unfortunately, however, many of
these specimens received here are more or less injured from lack of knowledge as to
the proper way to pack, or of care in doing up the parcels. It is a constant matter
of surprise to see how few of even experienced entomologists, know how to pack speci-
mens for sending by mail. A frequent disappointment experienced at the Division is
to find on opening a box, valuable specimens which have been entirely ruined through
the neglect of some small or commonsense precaution in sending the specimens. Mail
matter received at large centres must of necessity be handled quickly and a moment’s
thought will convince any one that a box containing specimens of fragile pinned in-
sects, wrapped only in the paper on which the address is written, has very litile
chance of reaching its destination with the contents intact. Many such consignments
come to us with nearly every specimen broken.

There are several good ways of packing boxes of pinned specimens. The box con-
taining the insects firmly pinned, the pins being forced into the cork at the bottom
with a pair of forceps, can be wrapped lightly with cotton batting, or some other light
elastic material, and the whole placed inside a larger box of wood or strong cardboard.
The inside box should be wrapped neatly in thin paper and tied up to keep out dust.
The elastic packing between the two boxes will protect the specimens from being
broken by the jarring in the mails. Another excellent way which may be used when
it is not convenient to obtain an outside box of the right size, and indeed is the
method most in use by entomologists, is to simply surround the box of specimens after
wrapping it in paper, with a good supply of cotton batting, hay, straw, excelsior or

16—143

212 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS
8-9 EDWARD VIL. A. 1909

other light material of an elastic nature, and then wrap this in good strong paper.
The address of the person to whom the specimens are sent should always be written |
on a separate label which should be tied to the parcel so that this may receive the
postmark instead of the parcel, should the postmaster stamp it while passing through
the mail. It may be remembered that it is always better to put too much packing than
too little and when the box containing the specimens is protected by an outside box
there should be plenty of space between the two. An ordinary shallow cigar box
ecrked at the bottom answers very well to pin insects in. Cork is by far the best
material to use for this purpose but corrugated paper, pith, sheets of peat, or any
other soft penetrable material may be used if of sufficient depth to support the pin
securely.

Packages packed as above will come safely through the mails and may, as in the
ease of letters, be sent to the Division of Entomology at the Central Experimental
Farm, free of all postage. If for any reason it is desirable to send specimens by
express, this can be done by placing the box of insects in an ordinary fruit basket,
surrounding it well with light packing, such as is mentioned above, and covering the
top with ordinary wrapping paper. When sent by express, charges on the parcel must
be prepaid by the sender.

A convenient way of sending specimens for identification, particularly when these
are winged insects, such as butterflies and moths, is to put each specimen in a small
envelope as soon as it is killed, with the wings folded backwards over the back. This
should be done before they become too dry and brittle, or the legs and antennz will
be broken, which very much reduces their value as scientific specimens.

The killing bottle used for insects is easily made. Having procured a wide-
mouthed bottle, place in the bottom of it two or three small pieces of cyanide of
potassium, each of about the size of a hazel nut, and then mix some fresh plaster of
Paris into a thick paste and pour enough of it into the bottle to entirely cover up the
poison. The plaster will set in about half an hour and the bottle is then ready for use.
This bottle will last for a year or two if kept closely corked. The fumes given off will
pass through the plaster and will kill any insect put in the bottle in a few minutes.
When insects are packed in the envelopes these should at once have written on them
the date and exact locality of capture, as well as the name or initials of the collector.
They should then be packed away in a firm box and should not be moved again until
such time as they are to be relaxed for examination or mounting for the cabinet. To
relax specimens all that is necessary is to soak a cloth in water and then after wringing
out the superfluous water by twisting it tightly, place the envelopes between the folds
without opening them and leave them there for 12 to 24 hours according to the size
of the insect. They will then be soft enough to be set on the setting boards. When
set they should be left on the boards for at least a ‘week, so as to become thoroughly
dry or the wings will not remain even, after they are put in the cabinet. This ‘spring-
ing back’ of the wings spoils the appearance of the specimens in the collection. The
envelopes used by entomologists are not gummed but are made as required. <A con-
venient size can be made by taking oblongs of any moderately stiff paper, 4 inches long
by 3 wide, and folding them diagonally down the middle so that the portion folded
down reaches to within half an inch of the end of the opposite side, the half-inch flap
is then folded down over the central triangular double folded portion and the envelope
is turned over and the flap on the other side is treated in a similar way. This gives a
triangular envelope which can be opened by taking the flaps on each side with the
finger and thumb of each hand, and the specimen can be examined without danger
of breaking it. This cannot be done easily with an envelope made in the usual way.
The envelopes can of course be made of any size to fit the specimens to be saved.

When plants are sent as botanical specimens to be named, they should first be
dried in the usual manner between sheets of absorbent paper and each specimen should
be placed on a separate piece of newspaper, cut to a convenient size for mailing. With
each specimen or written on the sheet of packing paper, should be a note of the date

REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 213
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16

and locality where it was collected. Unmounted specimens are preferable for examina-
tion to those mounted or fastened down to sheets of mounting paper. Botanical speci-
mens should never be fastened down in bound books and there should never be more
than one kind of plant on each sheet. A bundle of dried plants can be sent safely by
mail if protected on the outside with sheets of cardboard.

When plants are sent in as weeds or merely to get the names of a few specimens,
all that is necessary is to roll up each one separately in a piece of paper and number
the specimens in accordance with notes on each given in the accompanying letter of
inquiry. If it is desired to have the specimens returned this should always be stated
and as with specimens of insects every packet of plants should have the name of the
sender written plainly on the outside and be accompanied by a letter enclosed in a
separate envelope.

Under the above conditions it is always a great pleasure to examine and report
upon any specimens which may be sent in, and all will be attended to and the report
sent back as promptly as other work in the Division will allow of, but when several
plants are tied up in a bundle or crowded into an envelope, as is sometimes done by
our correspondents, frequently in a moist condition, much time is wasted in doing
here what the enquirers ought to have done before sending in the specimens. More-
over when they get their plants back again they are of far less value to them for pur-
poses of identification than if they had dried them and packed them with a little care
at first.

When correspondents wish it, we are always pleased to return the specimens sent
in for naming; but when they have duplicates in good condition we are glad to get
them either for our own collections in the Division or for other correspondents who
frequently ask for specimens of special plants or insects. Very many species of natural
history objects although very common in certain localities, do not occur at all or are
quite rare at other places.

Pires! ¥

Canada. Dept. of Agriculture,
Entomology Research Institute
Report of the Dominion
1907/08 Entomologist
Biological]
& Medica]
Serials

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