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JAMES FLETCHER ENTOArOL<,.;r8T AM) BOTANIST, OOMIXION KXPKHIMKNTAL FARMS BEKOHK THE SELKCT STANDING COMMITTEE OF THB HOUSE OF COMMONS ON AGRICULTURE AND COLONIZATION MAY, 1898 PJdNTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAAfENT i.-.-,m CoMMiTTEU Room No. 46, House of Commons, Friday, 13th May, 1898. dav n?fr^n''T'\^*''"'''".^ Committee on Agriculture and Colonization met this daj at II o clock a.m.. Mr. liam, Chairman, presidiii},-. The Chairman :— We have with us this morning Dr. Fletcher Entomolomst to the Experimental Farms. I introduce him to you. ^'"<="^'^' entomologist Mr. Fletcher:— Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,-There are many subjects of 'nnu i r'\'^ ^"^°'".°l°^i^^;« --'< which cannot, for lack of ti„,o. L S o now before the Com.n.ttee. I cat, only refer to son.e of the most importati subjects Ihe one of the greatest importance, in that legislation has been enacted durmg the present Session concerning it, is the San Jose Scale. THE SAN JOSE SCALE IN CANADA. .nH J^-'" '?l? ^^'^ ''^^" ^'scovered in the western part of Ontario early last year, and owmg to the known mjunous nature of this pest and the rapidity with which it had spread dunng the year in infested Canadian orchards, some^meYsiTres were ne- cessary to prevent the further introduction of the insect and to provide f^it de- fSrCoTumhifr/"'^- ^r'-''^'' ^^° ^^^ S^" J°^^ Scafe was discovered in Bntibh Columbia and prompt action was taken by Mr. Palmer, of the Deoart- ment of Agnculture of British Columbia, to have it stamped out. was sent IhS^ by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture to investigate the matter, on account of Its importance, and found that Mr. Palmer had done his work so thoroSghlv tha there was no trace of the Scale to be found at the time of my visit. The ' nuen intercourse between British Columbian fruit growers and those of Califo .' * and Oregon, and the large amount of nursery stock imported from these States have r8!2'''^ ;," 't 5''' ''^'"^ introduced again into British Columbia. In December 1896, undoubted specimens of it were sent to me by Mr. Palmer. Early ^st sS I found through one of my correspondents, that the Scale occurred L ^1^? numbers near Chatham, Ontario. The matter was at once attended to a^d nqu ries set on foot as to the occurrence of the Scale in other parts of Ontario. DuS^he month of June last the Minister sent me to the Niagara district to examine one of the large orchards which was found to be infested. SeveralTeadhirfruit Lnw ers accompanied me to the orchard of Mr. C. Thonger arNif ara P ofSo; ^e?°t; ° ^""ff^r ^«°.'"-ted to come with us.^ We exaSd Mr Th Tn ger's trees and held a meeting in the orchard. We found that the crnli w spread through Mr. Thonger's orchard during the preSs season and had fn creased enormously on trees which had been found infested the yea? before I was deputed by the Minister to explain to the fruit growers oresent wwVi,. nature of this insect was, and also to take their views'^rtovhltZv though were the wisest measures to adopt with regard to it. The Ontario Gove nm?n has been taking active^ steps to have this pest stamped out. An insn/lr " spiaym^ has been appointed, viz., Mr. W. M. Orr, of Fruitland, Ontario who has pushed the inspection of the orchards of the province energetically during the ' J F — i/^ THE x.i.v .losn ^rM.E. one, has iK.ip..i to Ma;;i,t;; ;;:? ;;;:;: '"""^^'"'^ ^ ^^='^ ^" ■•='- ■• ="'-''-1 f- at PERNICIOUS NATURE OF TUB SAN JOSB SCALE ;l.c past i n.i,ht as wellTny "tlS plairy^afon^e " Airtho"' 1 '?' """ '" thing of the subect acknowledtre that t U iffhr . ■ "^'"^ '*""w any- entomologists hav. ever had to sfudv I L I T ^"''"'^ ^'''^ "•'''' ^vc a. rapidity since its u.troducUon in^o (he sVates east 'o7 the" V^",:"'^r'''^ """-'"""^ has been the cause of ereat lo« T ;= ^ uf ^ , ^^'^^y ^^lumitains. and native of America, ahhS t was firs disown /''fV'S^"'^ "^"^^ ^''^' '« ""t a and by 1880 it had done so Id ha /t nt7t'w\ 1^'" JT?' ^f^"'"'''' '" '«70. Enton.ologist as /(.^,rf,o/„, ^S/ f/e pJmicIS,?^"'/'^' '''' ^'"'^'-''' ^'^''''''■•« injuries and the great difficultv of reaHn.^ I P . ^l^^^'f' °" '''^'-'"""t of !»» Scale had spread all over Sfornif and thrnn.lf^wl'"'^ °^ ^?^°"'^'^ ^'^^'-""^ ^'"^ gon, and hJd done a g.eat deal o hann iSi ^^^"^'"S^^" ^ '^'•"tory an jng a'grrh"n;b:[J:o"i^ the entomologists are mak- instances we can give as to ts ravais ' T l" 1 J "^ ^^^^ !^"''" ^""^ "° actual mittee, one instance of several a£u1 TI ^'^^ ^°"' ^^^^^^^^ of the Corn- seen others in a similar cSHoncWo it .'^Id "°'..'''" this orchard. I hav. photograph of an orchard which cintined 28^ hi^ • ^' f ^""^ I*"*"- '^^'^ «" ^ jured in three years by the San TosT Scale tS;^lfT!l!^ *''" ^^""^ "^^"^ «o in- the photograph was taken, and the other half hLi ^ them were dead at the time burned. A full grown bearing peach tee r^l?^' T" ^^^ *« ^^ <="* down and attacked by this ifsect ^Z^^^^ZSl tr:e?i" wonhTo ^' *° ^-l^' '^ "°^ large amount of money which has been artnplW w ■ f^o, you will see the of Maryland. Virginia' New Jer" y and^rn ^^^ "s?^^^^^ Wl^k^T'^' doing extensive injury at the preset tire " " J°^^ ^*^^e '» LEGISLATION. exdtitSheSan%s1s?ariT^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^- -trol and care was taken that all infoni;atron con tnin^ ?L in e^^^^^ ^T'' gethcr, and the Honourable the Minister of Ao-«v, u u ■ ^^ gathered to- «5* 77/A' .s'.l.v .insf: .:i\\i.r.. <9» Canada dcnmndecl that the Government should do something Lmt v..-,r i aboM. H w» wcTo ,S! .-,,; . f ^- " "'If "'" " ""'">■■■• "' I"-'*""" measure 0,,r (r,,^ *■ '' •'"•* ""■"»«" at all ii lia.l tu l,o an ixtra.ic s ".v it u n'; :;"vm:.„":;r;:i'Ti: .''.'h '"""'","!'"■ "i ""= ™« •™" -- tlicir miiscri- *i,„l- , I I , '" """''' "'" increase llie i.rice of Rstui in tnis .Si.ilc It IS .hfToi-fnt in tlic I -nite,! States. I refer to flie \\,\u~,\ o I'/'r' 71"" "^ '''''''''"' ""^ '-^'••■'"''^ I ^^i«'' *" antn,. „ 1 , P.,. tn vn I ''"'"' ',""•;'■ '■'""''*' '" '"''"y ^vavs. Some people.' however Jeem to valne th.n.c^s more the fm-tluT they f;., from "home to pn>ci re t lem On tl?,^ tfLorrZ7' "rr''f ";""^ T""- '''^^ '"-nvenieni to L^Tho ' "si H to import trees and shrubs from the I'nited States, the San [o.e Scale A -Ins heen a dee.dally ,,opnlar n,eas.,r<., I.oth in Canada and in the United StaVes Tt has also had a very roocI effeet on luu-opnan markets where there Ts a reet,ito of he fac that Canada has taken ever; precaution to c^row the procl SsT.^^^^ rih'r;lt '" ^'"- '"^ ^"■'^"-^ ■•""' "• '''•"^^'-'^ "-- f-- .1- ravages o/u:' Je,'- I will speak now .as to the .lifficuUics of detectimr this Scale The insect is verv small andmconspicnons. Here are some branches which are affected mo or less, by the mseet. This, first, is n branch ver>' badiv infested incee I and vm ee the mse^t can be re.addy detected. Then there are branches less ba 1 Iv ^i^s ed and here is one very httle mfested. When a tree is badIv infested the fac is crv evident, and there is no difficulty in .erin.cr the scales, but when I as on v Vfew bran;h°"o; • '•,',' '^T^' '"l^"""'.'" '" ^'^^^^^ *'--• ^" ^his ven J i'hH ' „ „ red S2 ■^Ij:!'"'-''^'" f'^'l '•"'^"""''<" it is to detect the infestation Tn he anXtnrot^,- •'.,!' •''"■'"^ '" ?''''^*'^"' '^'-^ ""t passed or has under considerat on an Act proh.bttmg the importation of infested stock, but thev all relv on inspection • Tut: ,sM.v .iitsf: x-.i/,/;, vuu notice si.u'lr\^?i ^ .' ^.'"^'"f'■•' '"creases vvitl. such rapidity that if It i. tnu. ,lV- i "•^•^'ist. It IS sometimes said that it does not spread rapidly so weak that ahlion^d, tr.ate.l so'as ../prevent the snre.d 5 tu-'K.-.'r^'''''"^ ""^"^ pensation The Ho n, r i>^i VI "^ ' ''"^'"' '"^''°"* ^''''"^' '"'"^ *="'"• own wa.VH ,!,», ,1,. public ,l„ „„, Ic^ c^^i • f &'"■. "5 "^^ ^^^ Jose ^cale. When the appear- but besid s k the^re are one or r^'".!! '' "''7 '"'^^ '"ecognized as a scale in^sect, ^f?t ; the San'?n ™r?"' '° ''''''Y' V^^^" ^ '''' '^ '"^^^^ed witi a certain sJale THE SAS .lltSK SCMJ:. . g looked. It has been stated that there are certain methods of treating the San Jose Scale by which all stock can be disinfected by fumigation so that it would be safe to brmg it into the country. Fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas is probably one of the best mtaiods of treating nursery stock, but unfortunatclv actual results have shown us that where stock has been treated by nurserymen, even professedly with great care in the past, there are instances where this treat- ment has not been effective. Therefore, in view of the above facts, I could not see my way to advise the Government to trust either to inspection or even to this fumigation with gas which might, if thoroughly apjilied, be perfectly effective, but which as practised by business men, past events showed us had not proved so in some instances in which it had been tried before the stock was imported. On the Pacific Coast the gas treatment for destroying insects is widely used and is found to be very satisfactory. There is also another method, nainely, to spiay the trees with a mixture composed of lime, sulphur and salt, which is there claimed to be perfectly effective. This again has been tried in the East, but like the gas treatment has not been nearly so effectual as in the West. Of the many remedies which have been tried for the destruction of the San Jose Scale, wha'le-oil soap, two pounds in one gallon of water will probably give the best results. This at least is the experience of the experimenters in the United States, where manv different methods have been tried. If a tree is onl\ ^htly affected it mav be treated if the remedy is used as recommended. If, however, it is badly infested it had better Ijc dug up and burnt at once. PARASITES. B\' the Chairman Q. Is there a parasite which follows the San Jose Scale and other insects ? A. Yes, there are several parasites but they have not developed yet in suffi- cient niunbers in Canada to protect the orchards against the scale. In Cali- fornia during the last year or two, this insect has decreased in numbers and in- jurious eflfects, a fact probably due to the attacks of some imrasite which, ho ./ever, has not yet been recognized. There is also a fungous disease which attacks the scale in Florida. Professor Smith, of New Jersey, has successfully imported this fungus into his State, and efforts are being made to import it into Canada, but up to the present they have not been attended with success. Mr. Craig last year got some of the fungus from Florida and tried to introduce it into the Niagara district m some different localities so that it might spread amongst the insects and de- stroy them. So far there have not been any results that we have seen. In St, Cath.-xrin' s, last autumn, I found in one orchard scales that had been destroyed by another kind of fungus. This is now being propagated in the hope that it may be useful i,i controlling the spread of the scale. In summing up this matter I must say that I believe everything is being done and has be'?n done, which was dictated by wisdom and common sense to protect Canada from the ravages of the San Jose Scale. By Mr. McMillan : Q. ■^Vill there be any danger from this fungus ? A. No. The fungi which are parasitic on insects are of a different nature from those which attack plants, and are not in the least likely to leave their animal food and attack vegetation. .T !• --^ 10 rill: SAX .iDsi: s< ■. I /, /■;, DISSEMINATION. J>y Mr. McGregor g. Is there any danger of bringing in the scale on imported fruit, such as oranges and pears, from LaUfornia and other districts altected by the scale r A. 1 believe there is no danger at all of importing the scale on fruit. The scale 4loes not occur on orange trees in California. There are several points bearing on this question which ma} be considered. In the first place fruit infested by the scale is conspicuously disfigured by purple spots so that it is not likely to be packed. It is easily detected, and there are knvs in all the infested States providing that fruit bearing scales shall not be exported, so that it is nnlikrly after a >linrt linie lliat any infested Iniit will l)e exported, but. un tlieotlier hand, it may be said that it has been exported in the past. That, however, was before attention was so prominently brought to it as is now the case. Even if iiifested fruit were imported into this country it is very unlikely that the scale would get from that fruit on to the trees in orchards. The scale dies when once removed from the tree or fruit; it is only the young that are born after the scale has been imported into this country, that could possibly get to the trees. After the voung are born they are able to crawl, at the longest, for aboi,. two days only; they are exceedingly minute it re- quires a strong magnifying glass to see them at all With good eyes yon could detect theni as a fine powdery dust, but nothing more than that. On trees badly infested in the Niagara district, in June, one of my correspondents described the appearance of infested trees at the time the young were hatching as looking as if they were covered with i)owdcred sulphur, because the yellow-coloured young bark-lice spread over the trees in millions. These insects are so minute that they cannot travel verv far The full-grown scales die very soon after a branch is cut from a tree, fortv-eight' hours IS perhaps the longest time they can live on a severed branch, because thev re- quire sap to hve on all the time, and by that time the branch would have dried up too much forthem to get nourishment. The insect is attached to the tree bv means of a hair-like sucker or beak and il is onlv while the tree is living that it can get the sap that it requires for its sustenance. If a bough were cut from the tree the evaporation of the moisture within two days, and probably within a few hours would kill all the sea es on the bough. It is only the young insects that are born while the bough IS alive that can spread. On a dormar.t tree with a root like nursery stock at the time of shipping, the scales are also dormant and can last longer. Another ])oint about bringing in the scale on imported fruit, the people who grow fruit in this country are not those who are Hkelv to purchase the import- ed article. It would be bought chiefly in the towns and' for the scale to get into the coiintry districts would be practically impossible. Should a farmer buv a box of Laifornia pears it would be very unlikely that the peelings cf these pears, which would dry up soon, would be carried into his orchard from his back vard or that the young would be born in thes. few hours that the peelings remained moist, and m that way be carried to the trees. I must sav I can see no danger from the im- portation of fruit under existing circumstances. Q. Is there danger from birds disseminating the disease? A. Yes, there is danger from birds; they are one of the "usual means bv which the insect is disseminated. The minute young crawl on the birds which perch in infested trees, and are thus carried from tree to tree, but the birds which carrv young scales to orchards would be hardly Hkelv to be honpintr nbnut where the l-eehngs were thrown during the short time that the voung coiTld be born At i meeting held last spring in Washington, of entomologists, nurservmen and fruit ' •///•; s.i.v .insi-: sc. I /./■:. U growers to confer with tho iMitomologisit of the United States Department of Agri- culture and to consider this matter, with the object of introducing ^ Bill into Con- gress, I asked the question distinctly of the nurserymen and entomologists there, if there was any single instance that had been put on record of the San jose Scale having been spread by means of shipments of fruit, and was told that there was not. There is not a single instance known where infestation has taken place from fruit, and I cannot see how such a thing is in the least degree likely. O. You have done everything possible to have this pest stamped out? A. I think so, and the British Columbia and Ontario ( lovernments have also adopted drastic measures with the same object in view. O. There arc lots of inspectors with us? A. And they are working well, I know, for I am in correspondence with nearly all of them. Hardly a day passes that I do not get specimens sent in from some of the inspectors in Ontario for examination. Mr. Fisher, Mr. Orr, Mr. Bennett, and others, are doing everj'thing in their power to make the ( tntario Act effective and to learn all that is to be known about the .'^an Jose and other allied scale insects. By Mr. McMillan : Q. I should have thought that the greatest danger m regard to pears and apples would be that the scale would be on the short stems attached to them? A. The stems dry up very quickly. As a matter of fact, although they are frequently thick on the base or stem end of the pear I do not remember seeing them (ill tile stem; nf cnurse they cnuld be tliere, bni i do iii>t remember --eeing them there. . By the Cliainnan : Q. Have the States not legislated against each other on t'nis subject? A. Undoubtedly. Special Acts have been passed in many of the States, and others have legislation n(iW mider c insideratKm. ( )nl\ \t>tenlav I received llie new Act passed in New Jersey. By Mr. McGregor : Q. New Jersey is the wonst State in the United States? A. They have done so much good work under their active entomologist. Dr. Smith, that they are rapidly becoming one of the best States in the United States. The pest is getting out of the orchards in New Jersey into the forest trees, and that is another point of the many details I did not give in regard to this dangerous insect, it will attack almost every known woody shrub or tree. Every plant which has a woody stem this insect will attack, and if it once gets into our forests it will' be simply a matter, then, of our having to trust to nature for its extermination, and nature, although usually sure, is sometimes slow in carrying out her work. We find in all branches of natural history where injurious species are studied that prob- ably some remedy would be forthcoming in time, but as all our cultivated crops are grown under artificial conditions we must make use of artificial measures to protect our crops until such time as nature produces a remedy for those which increase unduly in numbers. Q. If parties could not get Good's Potash Soap, would you advise the use of sulphur and common .soap? 12 Till-: SAX ./(IS/.- sc A /./■:. whale-oil X,vS\1.:y 7a" SiVthi°cort'"\t^^^^ ^"^ ^'- "-"narv whjcli I,as given the besfrelldtr Ke o4 ^ ^^^ ^-:^P ^ ti,e ..aterial and tins well-known eonibination, wh ch consi s S V n1 T ^T' ^'""'^ '''''^'' standard remedy against plant-lice and s a le nsec s lu /'"[' 'n^^'"^'' '' '^'^ word of warn ntr in rep-nrr tr. r.,,-^ i , nseLts. but I shnuk now sav a l^een advocated ?erv Sy h^sle o'urrn'rT?/""^ "". ^'""'^ '''''■ ^his Ims rfsnits ^^l„.„ „.,.,i : ..' ,Y • '"""^ ^^^^'^^ ^'"'tecl States, and has given some good uiJnn S(,nK' kinds (,i trees onlV rfsnlts when used carefnllv i)\- >|>ecialists, and as Q. But it would kill the trees off' i"j"-i. L;S;!^;LSen;:it ha^^S^ber ^^P^TT"^= '^"' I--'^ ^-- it ha every confidence have toT 'e tl att ev h.vo '''''''f'^^ ^r "^^" '" ^^''°'" ^ >^«ve k-erosene, spraying it on to he tn,' k i'"'?'' ^°°'' ■"""''^ f"-"'" "^"iK' P">-e quickly. Bt/l tl^nc t aftl saS 'treaLe?? ' ''^? "'".^ evaporation gSel on kerosene emulsion. treatment is with whale-oil soap or with tlie By Mr. Rogers : trees are very dean, owing to tVe care Air 0. f "'T ''^^^ '" ^^"^^^- O"'" years. The location of the orchard doe. not V.^ .''1 '''^''" ^"'^'^ ^'^^"^ ^"'^ ^°"^^ liave lost some trees from ti^e to time h"° ,'' u° ''" ^"'^^^ satisfactory, and we causes we have ve:^- seldom bst any ?;c;;:;'borerf "^ '"" """^ ^"^ ^■•°'" °^^^^ 53; Mr. McGregor : Q. Yes. spra^^d w;d'rs;?r;;!4'pVn^^p^>'j,t ,;^:! Tt r^ ' '^^^ '--'---i -" '- fore the leaves open T^re Te fm^ or Lth "^ ^ ??y"^ '"^<^ '" ^^'"t^--' l^^- that makes it difficult to estrov a 1 h tho Zl '. °^ 'L'' ''^^''^ '" summer and leaves, as there are some vouS on thJfJrZ'^ ""''•'" '^'^'''' ^'^ '^'^'^^ with difficult to get at witTanv of fhp tr. V ! ^^^ *''" *™'- ^'^^ '^°^^'-«l scales are sary to do viv tUroghLrk 1 ' ,"'"'''; ' ^.'^^'^^V^^^ded, therefore it is neces- the spray. ' ^ '^°'^ '" ""'"t^' ^'^^" the who'e tree can be covered with Q. What is the best time to sprav? shot/d b^^pS^eS'r'th^^letes:^;:"^^!.^^ Y '''' ^'^^^^'^'^^ '"^-^^^ ^rees open in the spring. ""^ '" ^''^ ^"^unm, and again before the buds By the Chairman : A ■ vrK^'f •'' f ^^os^ne- is that what we know a. coal oiP oil such as is generally used"n Lr^ps ' ' " ""'f' '" *''^ °"''"^'>' i'l»minating t i!(ii!i:i!s. i'i:.\ \vi:i:\-ii.. 13 BORERS. Q. What is the mixture lor preventing burers in trees? A. It is made with ordinary soft soap, diluted or made thinner with a strong soUition of conmion washing soda. You mal lay eggs in the next vear's crop. In the big seed firms they have " bug houses," siJecial places where they can treat at once loo sacks or more by putting them inside these air-tight cham- bers and then juitting bisulphide of carbon on the top in shallow^ open vessels, so that evaporation may take place readily. When all the sacks are placed in th.e bug house, the bisulphide is emptied into the pans at the top and the whole is left tightly closed for forty-eight hours. The bisulphide vaporizes easilv and the heavy vapour falls down through the pease and as they arc kept tightlv closed in, under the influence of this poisonous vapour all the weevils inside the seed i)ease are destroyed. It is best to treat the pease as soon as possible after they are thresh- ed, so that the weevils may be killed before they have consumed much of the inside of the pea.^ The e^^ is laid on the greet-, pod and the young grub hatches and eats its way inside and then penetrates one of the pease inside which it lives until it is mature. A very convenient way for fanners to treat their pease is to use an ordi- . "^^' 45'.C;"a'^0" coal oil barrel. Pour five bushels of pease into it and then i)ut three ounces of carbon bisulphide in a flat vessel on the top of the seed, close the barrel tightly, first with a damp sack on the top and boards on the top of that so as 14 .I.V7W. Sn ? Whole tightly covered. If you buy seed from any large house you will almost always find that the seed has been treated before you buy it; but, if not il e pease can he easily treated in this way by the purchaser. A'y Mr. McGregor : O. How many ounces of bisulphide did you say was u=ed- A. Three ounces to about five bushels of pease is the usual quantity used or one ounce to every hundcrd pounds of grain. The bisulphide vai^orizes readih becoming a colourless vapour. Whale 1 am speaking of it.I may tell voTthat 1 1.' liquid IS extremely infian.n,able. It is a coloirless liquid like water a 7vapor "^ a r tlvT "/I"-' ^'-^"•"^'•^^"••^ "f t'l^ ^'''•- '^'^^ vapour is very much heavier tlfan tl J air. that is the reason ,t is placed on top of the seed to be treated; as soon as d,e hqu.d vaporizes, it sinks downward among tlie pease, destroying al the insects It IS extremely inflammable, as I have said, and if'a light of anv iSnd, ve, a Hghted cigar or p,,,e, comes in contact with it a serious explosion mav take place I i. very .langemus. and s]i,.uld be used ,nit .,f dn,.,-. .„• i„ ,,„ ,,,,„• .,,„,. ',,,,•,, ,,, (It d(»irs there will not be an explosion. By Mr. Scmpk : Q. Does the pea weevil extend far o\er Canada? A. No, it does hardly any injury outside of south-western Ontario Manv of our northern farmers are growing seed for United States merchants, because tliev can grow them without any weevil. We never have the weevil here in Ottaw^ I once found one or two injured pease on the farm here, but that onlv showed that they can be imported in the seed but will not increase here to anv extent? disap?;arll7' ^ ''"'"' '" ^"'^"'' ^''"^ "'"'' ^" ^' ^^'^' """^ ^^" '""'''^ ^PP^^-"^ ^o have A. You are just outside its breeding range. ANTS, The Chairman i-That substance is useful for destroying ants. Mr r LETCHER i-As Air. Bain says, this liquid is extremely useful for destroy ing ants, .^pcrial y the Lutle House Ant ( Mommorion f^haraonis) that sometimo. gives troubles m houses. It is very difficult to locate the nest, but if you can find Zt7^T '^" T\:' ""^^ P""-" •" ' teaspoonful of the bisulphide the^vapour will spread down into the nest and destroy the insects. vapour wni By Mr. McMillan : Q. Wiil it be effective in destroying ants in the orchard" A. It IS the best method of destroying them. Make a hole down into the nests "fh^th^f:;;!"' "" '" '°'''^''" ^^^^'^ "p ^^'^^^ ^ ""'^ --^'^ -" pJcss u doi By Mr. Calvert : weel do^!^' *mnn f "' '"' ^^'"" '''' '''■''" ^^°"^ ^"-"^ ^^ ^ ^'^ ^^ ^^, ''^' Th*^ weevils sometimes do a good deai of harm there I understand but if the seed ,s thoroughly treated there will be, year after year, less difficuUv.' se you will I if not, ilie y used, or es readily, u that tlii> ! vaporizes T than the Jon as the insects. It I a lighted ace. It i- ■cause inn Many of ause they 1 Ottawa. Dwed that I's to have " destroy- >uictinic,> can find ■30UT will the nests it down year the d, but if /'AM III.I<;IIT. /'/■:.] Mnrii, PEA BLIGHT. 16 you not, By Mr. I'ciiny ; (J. \ou made some investigations in Prince Edward Counlv, did into the cause of pea blight? A. Yes ; the opinion I came to some years ago on this subject was that ivum the special adaptability of Prince Edward County for growing pease the\- liad grr-wn them Unj long; as it is said, the ground was "tired" of that crop, and so when there was a dry year the crop suffered, and what was called " l)light " should have been called " drought." THK TEA MOTH. Mr. McMillan asked about the Pea Moth in (Jntario. We do not see nuich oi It here, but I understand that down in Xew Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and .\'ova Scotia the loss from it is enormous, frerpiently 25 per cent of the crop. -Mr. .McMii.i,.\.\:~Last year and the year before we had a good deal of it in Huron. By an lion. Member : Q. liow is it injurious ; does it affect the life of the pea ? A. No ; it is a litUe caterpillar which works inside the pod eating into tlie seeds; you will sometimes find in a pod that four or five peas have been injured. In some parts of Quebec, last year, this was very bad indeed. It is sometimes called the '• Weevil," but that is a mistake; this is the caterpillar of a small moth which eats the green pea while it is still soft. By Mr. McMillan : Q. This seems to be an insect that strikes the pea on the outside ? A. Yes, it is a small moth which lays the egg on the outside. The caterpillar eats Its way through the pod and destroys the pease. During last sununer I suc- ceeded in breeding this insect and finding out the time when it api)ears. It is a small niotli that appears about the loth or i2\h of |ul\-. I found out from the exjKM-ience of my correspondents that the pease sown earlv succeeded best, and in New Brunswick those that were sown earlv escaped, but in gardens people niust have the larger late varieties such as the Heroine, Telephone and Stratagem. The only remedy is using the early varieties. One of mv correspondents is going to try spraying the pease at the time that the pods are forming. Some may say that this is impossible, just as years ago they said that it was impossible to sprav a whole orchard, but we now know it is possible and must be done if we are to get good crops of fruit. I think it is possible that good results may follow spraying pease for the pea moth with Paris green in the same wav as apples are for the codling moth. This is very much like the codling moth 'in all its habits so that we ma\' be able to treat it in the same way. Q. We found that by sowing late we got the best result"^ ? A. What would you call late ? Q. The end of May ? A. Was there no trouble from the pease mildewing ? 16 iwuuirr i;rsT n.v. Q. No ? 1.P..,^ ?"" ''^''''°" ''''"'l^ """"^ ''''^'' '"'''"S^ ^""^ *" '"^ '"'^asure successful, probably is ccause If you .s.,w early your pea is so far ripe that the young caterpilar Janu . fce.1 on It, an was very bad indeed. The fact is that this has been in T country as' ar bafk a we have any record of agriculture. One gentleman in New I'.runs'wick M Wet more, has traced the mention of it back f.jr loo years at least. By Mr. Scruple : Q. I do not think it has reduced the vield very much ' A. No; but it causes a great deal of" expense bv making necessarv tiie hand incking of seed. It ,s impossible to get a good sample without picking it over By Mr. McMillan : ars and good work mav be done by destrovin- in- fested pants at that time. After hoeing and thinning tlic best results have been obtained by spraying the tops with ordinary coal oil emulsion, the ordinary mixture that IS now well known, a dilution of one part of the emulsion to twelve'of water Spray the mixture thoroughly beneath the leaves as well as on the top and in that way you will destroy the pest before it has spread to the whole field. The effects of the hce are ver}' apparent on turnips, the leaves turn a crrcvish colour so that th» presence of the insects is easily detected; and thev should be'thcn treated promptly Ihe best implement to use is a knapsack spravcr with a nozzle whicli will thrnv a spray beneath the leaves. Whale-oil soap. I'lb. in 8 gallons of water, mav also be used. APPLE APHIS. By Senator Ferguson : O. We have had experience of a plant-louse on apple trees, particularh on the graft,s and young buds, in the early summer in Frince Edward Island' It was very injurious to the fruit? 18 OYSTKHS/f /■:/,/. IIA liKI.OCSK, CUT wmi MS. u.y ^' '^^^ ^PP^^ Aphis is very injurious just now to apple trees. It was iniurious last year HI August, but it is also injurious now wi.e., the bu' ^'^''^'^ '« recon n " and prni el on our spraying calendars. There is one characteristic about or chanls winch are attacked by the oyster-shell bark-louse, and tha i w • ,1 in nealy every instance that orchards are not taken care of as well as th v nigh 1 c til In T '"f^''':"-^ •" tins part of Canada that it is a wise practice h> ■ ddvate the land under the trees, and, where trees are regularlv cultivated u Ue vigour of he trees is kept up, they throw off the attacks of manv i, ri us in c ts ttTreo'^ll •'''""' '^'' °^'^^^'--^'-" l'-'<-l-'«e is found it is wise f.Jst " vigo -nte CUT-WORMS. By Mr. Pcttct : Q. What would you advise to destroy the grub that eats tomato plants? A.. These are called cut-worms. ^ Roiicdics. — It is a comiiir'n nracticc in Priiic(> Fflni.-,! C,^ , ,,. i th^v r ^'''Tr^ t"'^. P'-'^"ts. These are made at the canning facto V am l^FT.,' ! ''"T°'^ """^y ^'^ attained with an ordinarv piece of paner I see that an enterprising firm in Ottawa has got up an excellent iule d< vK m'n^li sntipyo cardboard, wid, a slot cut in one end through wl a oi gen sbv which ,t ,s made into a ring to put around the plants."^ These a'e sok at ^ cents a thousand; they aremade of waterproof paper and are certainlv excell^nt^lSs In crops such as omons and carrots, which are also frequentiv 't cl c 1 l cu ' worms the remedies which are most useful are as follows: (i. P iso rapsne made by taking young succulent vegetation-weeds, grass, n dove .Whin' will do ,f 1 ,s green and succulent. Tie these plants in loose bundles din the h a strong mixture of Paris green, an ounce or two in a pail of water n t -n 1 « tribute these bundles along the rows, every ten. f^fteen'or twentv ":; l! I I'V Id or m the garden every six or eight feet apart. Cut-worms, as you arc I'ro- CUT WOHMS, 19 bably all aware are the caterpillars of moths which hatch from the egg in autumn and pass the winter as partially grown caterpillars, they come out in the spring at night and attack any vegetation they can find, Tlie bundles of vegetation men- tioned are more conspicuous than the i)lants which thcv arc designed to protc.-t and the worms being attracteil to them |)oison themselves by eating this poisonous food. (2.) Another remedy is bran or shorts poisoned withParis green, which can be applied moistened so as to be about the consistency of porridge and put in small lumps along the rows of the young plants that require to be protected, or it may be applied dry close to the (jrill. This mixture seems aetuallv to be more attractive than the green plants. Last year we saved several rows of onions and carrots by this apiilication where other rows not so treated were almost wiped out by cut-worms. For tomatoes I think the rings wotdd probablv be the best remedy. By Mr. Calvert : Q. You would pul a ring around each plan'.? A. Yes, at the farm we simply wrap a little ])iece of paper aroiiu! the stem of each plant at the time Cut-worms, remedies "" Oyster-shell Bark-louse ^^ Pea blight ..........'... ^^ Pea moth 15 Remerly for 15 Pea weevil 13 Remedy for 13 Plant-lice ^'^ San Jose Scale -" Occurreiice 3 Injurious nature of 3 Legislation concerning ■* Remedies for 4 Parasites of 8 Strawberry Leaf-roller "__' ^ Tent caterpillars [[ [ 21 Turnip Aphis 17 17