68 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 



The Wheat Midge (Diplosis tritic'i, Kirby) destroyed much of the wheat crop of 

 the lower Fraser country in British Columbia; but wheat is not an important crop in 

 that district. 



The Plum Curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar, Hbst.) made serious inroads into 

 the sparse crop of plums of Ontario. A firmly established colony of the Apple JMaggof 

 was found in the important apple-growing locality of Como in the province of Que- 

 bec. The most effective treatment to control this insect was made kno'nii to the grow- 

 ers, and it is hoped that before long a decided improvement in conditions may be 

 noted. 



On Vancouver Island, the Vancouver Island Oak-Looper (Therina somniaria, 

 Hulst), an insect of periodic occurrence did much harm to the beautiful oaks around 

 Victoria. 



In 1905 the most important reduction to the crops of the Dominion was in the 

 enormous wheat crop of the west. This was due to a severe outbreak of Bunt or 

 Stinking Smut. In the eastern provinces some injury was caused to various crops 

 by the caterpillar of a noctuid moth, called in my last report, the Armed Rustic 

 (Barathra occidentaia, 3rt.) I am told, however, by Sir George TIampson, of the 

 British Museum, that the species is really B. curialis, Sm. 



There were a few instances of injurious presence of insect enemies of forest and 

 shade trees in 1905. In the Ottawa district the native Arbor-vitses or AVhite Cedars 

 were much disfigured by the minute larva; of a species of Tineid moth (Argyresthia 

 thuiella, Busck) which bore in the tips of the twigs and cause them to die and turn 

 brown. The Spruce Gall-louse (Chennes abietis, L.) was frequently complained of 

 from many points in Ontario, and the first Canadian specimens of the Larch Case- 

 bearer (Coleophora laricella, Hbn.), which often does much harm in Germany, were 

 found at Ottawa. 



In the Division of Botany the most important work of the officers has been in 

 connection with testing the suitability of various fodder plants for profitable cultivation 

 in Canada, and in giving information concerning noxious weeds. The most valuable 

 outcome of the first line of this work, has iindoubtedly been the introduction into 

 American agriculture of the two valuable grasses, the Awnless Brome-grass (Bromus 

 inermis. Leyss.) from Russia, and the Western Rye-grass (Agropyrum teneriim, 

 Vasey), a native Canadian grass first cultivated as a crop by Mr. K. Mclver, of Virden, 

 Man. 



Noxious weeds have been made a subject of special study by the Botanist for 

 many years, and the excefttional opportunities he has had of visiting all parts of Can- 

 ada, attending meetings and of spending several weeks in the West for many years, 

 driving through the country, holding meetings and visiting farmers, have enabled him 

 to learn much of the nature and distribution of most of the different weeds which give 

 farmers trouble in the various parts of the Dominion. Several articles on weeds have 

 from time to time been printed in the reports, and a large correspondence on the sub- 

 ject is constantly carried on as to the best way to treat these pests of the farm, and 

 also as to the names of strange seeds found in samples of crop seeds sold by seedsmen 

 or saved by farmers themselves. "Wlien the Seed Selection Special train, which for two 

 months traversed all the western lines of railways in the winter of 1905-6. was planned, 

 the Botanist was invited to take part in this work. This he was able to do, and 

 delivered 145 addresses upon the subjects of weeds and their eradication, and on the 

 smuts of the small grains. The following notice was prepared for The Fanners' 

 Advocate, and appeared in their issue of April 12, 1906: — 



' THE WORK OF THE "SEED SELECTION SPECIAL TRAIX. 



^During January and February of this year an important experiment was tried 

 in the prairie provinces, the results of which must surely bring great benefit to the 

 farmers of the west. For many yeai-^ it has been known that smut was causing con- 

 siderable loss among the small grain crops in that part of Canada, and although some 

 of the more advanced farmers every year treated their grain to protect themselves 

 against this loss, many others did not. As the crop of 1905 came under inspection in 



