REPORT OF TEE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 223 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



in fields as well as in gardens were much injured by the ordinary Cabbage Root Ma^ 

 got. The Onion Maggot was destructive everyw'here. Beets and mangels had their 

 leaves somewhat blistered by the mining larvae of the fly Pegomyia hicolor, Wied., re- 

 ports being received both from western Ontario and Nova Scotia; little harm, how- 

 (■\<-r, was done, as the attack stopped eai-ly in the season. The Turnip Aphis, Cab- 

 bage Aphis and plant-lice upon several other vegetable crops were numerous and de- 

 structive. 



Potatoes were in most districts a satisfactory crop. The Colorado Potato Beetle 

 was less aggressive than for many years, and no new enemies of prime importance 

 were reported. The Potato Aphis occurred at Mahone Bay, in Nova Scotia, and did 

 some harm ; but this is an insect which so far has only appeared at long intervals. 

 The Potato Rot has been rather prevalent and destructive. In Prince Edward Island 

 ' the root crops were good — potatoes never better nor less attacked by posts of any 

 kind.' (Rev. A, E. Burke.) At the Provincial Exhibition held at Charlottetown in 

 l^reptember last, the exhibit of potatoes was simply wonderful, the tubers being even 

 in size and remai-kably free of blemish. In Nova Scotia the crop was a good average 

 one, with little mention of rot In Ontario there was a large yield, but considerable 

 rot appeared, especially on heavy soil or on low land; the extent of the loss is var- 

 iously estimated at from 20 to 50 per cent. In British Columbia, Mr. J. R. Anderson 

 says : ' Potatoes are decidedly under the average in those sections where the best 

 qualities are produced; fair on low lands; prices firm. The yield of other root crops 

 is about normal, but short in some of the higher regions, although the quality ia 

 good.' 



Spraying potato fields with Bordeaux mixture to prevent injury by the Potato 

 Rot has again shown the great value of this useful remedy. Four sprayings on August 

 1, 15, 31 and September 14, gave potatoes absolutely free of all traces of disease- This 

 was on light sandy land, and, as a rule, one or two more sprayings would be advisable. 

 The saving from this treatment for Potato Rot is now so well established and so many 

 object lessons have been given at fall exhibitions and on the experimental farms, that 

 it is a most remarkable thing that more farmers and others do not practise such a 

 simple method of saving a large proportion of their crop. Although, as with every 

 rlher remedy, thero is a variation in the amouut of protection, iu every instriiico that 

 has come under my notice, and these have been many since we began to spray potatoes 

 on the experimental farms, to show farmers what an excellent remedy it is — it has been 

 invariably shown tliat spraying potatoes with the Bordeaux mixture to prevent Potato 

 Rot always pays. Every year such demonstration plots have been grown since 1891, 

 and, besides this, the Horticulturist and Agriculturist now spray all their potatoes as 

 an economic method of obtaining as big a crop as possible. 



The Potato Scab, another fungous disease which frequently disfigures and lowers 

 the market value of potatoes very much, was also reduced to a minimum by soaking 

 the tubers used for seed, before sowing, in a solution of 8 ounces of commercial for- 

 malin and 15 gallons of water. 



Cutworms. — The larvae of several species of noctuid moths known collectively 

 under the name of cutworms (Plato I., fig. 1), as usual, did a large amount of harm in 

 gardens, as well as, in some instances, in fields. By far the greater part of the in- 

 jury was done by the Red-backed Cutworm (Paragrotis ochrogaster, Gn.), which is 

 one of the widest spread and most injurious cutworms we have in Canada, appearing 

 every year in greater or lesser abundance. It is not always possible to determine the 

 species which is reported upon, but in most instances mentioned below actual speci- 

 mens were received: 



I was informed when in Prince Edward Island recently that, in almost all parts 

 of the Island, cutworms had been most destructive last spring. Father Burke says : 

 ' They were never more plentiful than last year and did a great deal of damage to 

 all crops. Your poison bran remedy seems dangerous to apply where there are birds, 

 fowls and other domestic animals about.' 



