194 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



Remedies. — Although only occurring occasionally in excessive numbers, and then 

 in but few localities, this moth is very widely distributed in Canada, and may generally 

 be found in most parts in low lands where the caterpillars have suitable conditions for 

 growth and an abundance of food. It has also been observed that the Army Worm is 

 most abundant in wet seasons following a dry autumn, the damp weather giving them 

 the same conditions over a large area as they would find in their own special habitat, 

 viz., low, swampy, and grassy places. 



When the caterpillars appear only in moderate numbers, they have an abundant 

 food supply, and do not then acquire the habit of " marching," which is merely moving 

 from one place where all the food has been devoured, to a fresh pasture. When, how- 

 ever, their appearance is excessive, they must of necessity move on to some other place 

 or starve. They may be prevented from marching from one held to another by plough- 

 ing a deep furrow across their path. This should be cleared out so as to have the edge 

 nearest to the field to be protected, perpendicular or slightly overhanging. Along the 

 trench so formed, pits must be dug about 12 feet apart. When the caterpillars come 

 to the trench, they are unable to climb up the opposite side, and after a few trials, 

 walk along until they fall into the pits, when they may be destroyed by covering them 

 with earth and tramping it down, or, as Prof. Lugger, of Minnesota, suggests, " with a 

 liberal dose of kerosene oil and water. Even a shallow ditch will answer this purpose 

 if the earth is made friable enough to keep the worms from ascending. If a log is 

 dragged continually through such a ditch, nearly all the worms collected there are 

 either killed or maimed." 



If pits are not dug, where the caterpillars occur in large numbei's, the trench will 

 soon be filled, and they will walk over on the bodies of their fellows. In case any of 

 the worms succeed in crossing the ditch, a narrow strip of the plants on the opposite 

 side of the trench should be dusted or sprinkled with a strong mixture of Paris green 

 diluted either with 25 times its weight of flour, ashes or land plaster, or mixed with 

 water as strong as one ounce to a pailful of water. 



When an attack has been very severe in any locality, much good may be done by 

 burning the old grass and stubble in autumn or spring; in this way many of the young 

 larvse are destroyed, as well as the old stems, which it seems are the favourite place for 

 the spring brood of moths to lay their eggs upon. 



An encouraging feature in connection with an invasion by the Army Worm, is the 

 fact that it is extremely rare for the insects to appear in large numbers two years run- 

 ning in the same place. This is due to the fact that they are almost invariably attended 

 by parasitic foes, which destroy them so effectually that the occurrence of two "Army 

 Worm years " in the same locality is almost unknown. 



FEIJITS. 



The following concise report on the fruit crops of the year has been kindly supplied 

 by my colleague, Mr. John Craig: "Apples were a light crop in Southern Ontario and a 

 fair to good crop in the eastern part of the province, as well as in Quebec and Nova 

 Scotia. There was an exceptionally large crop of pears and of unusually good quality. 

 All young, well cultivated peach orchards gave a heavy yield ; neither rot nor curculio 

 seem to have done much damage ; thinning in many instances would have been advan- 

 tageous. Plums and cherries were a good crop, but suffered considerably from rot and 

 curculio. Of small fruits, grapes yielded and ripened well everywhere ; raspberries 

 were a light crop in Eastern Ontario and Quebec, owing to injuries sustained during the 

 previous winter. In Western and Southern Ontario the crop was light also on account 

 of dry weather. Strawberries were injured in Central and Southern Ontario by late 

 frost ; in Eastern Ontario and Quebec the crop was heavy, but the fruit soft on account 

 of continued wet weather during the picking season. Other small fruits yielded 

 heavily." 



