220 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDVMRD VII., A. 1908 



Bible of the egg clusters are removed, and the keeping down of all weeds and low 

 growth in orchards, upon which the full grown and immature insects feed. They are 

 particularly attracted, it is claimed, to beans, and it has been suggested that some of 

 these should be planted between the trees in infested orchards, as traps, the plants 

 being sprayed with strong mixtures of kerosene emulsion or whale-oil soap when the 

 larvffi or nymphs are found to be numerous. Although the eggs are laid in the wood 

 of trees, the young insects spend very little time on the trees and resort almost entirely 

 to low herbage for their sustenance. 



The San Jose Scale, Aspidiotus perniciosus, Comstk. — This terrible enemy of 

 the fruit-grower continues to spread alarmingly in the district of Ontario which, 

 from its first appearance in Canada, has been the only part of the province where it 

 has gained a foothold. This area extends through the counties immediately north of 

 Lake Erie, and as far east around Lake Ontario as a point a little east of Burlington 

 in Halton county. The losses are certainly enormous every year, but the satisfactory 

 fact must be recorded that, even in the worst infested districts good clean crops are 

 being reaped by careful fruit-growers, who use the lime-sulphur wash systemati- 

 cally every year. A renewal of interest in the subject has recently taken place, owing 

 to the activity of certain fruit-growers in the St. Catharines district, and to the 

 energy displayed by a few public-spirited men in the neighbourhood of Chatham, 

 Ont. In response to inquiries made by Mr. Herbert S. Clements, M.P. for the West 

 Riding of Kent, and by instruction of the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, tlie whole 

 question of the occurrence of the San Jose Scale in Canada was discussed before the 

 Select Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Agriculture and Coloniza- 

 tion, on March 6, 1907. Immediately afterwards, on March 8, a convention was held 

 at St. Catharines by the Niagara Fruit Growers' Association, at which the subject of 

 treating the San Jose Scale was the chief topic. This meeting was largely attended; 

 and, in addition to the information imparted by the Dominion Entomologist, valuable 

 addresses were given by Prof. H. A. Surface, of Pennsylvania, and by several of the 

 practical fruit-growers who were in attendance. The consensus of opinion at this 

 meeting was that, where the lime-sulphur wash had been carefully applied, the Scale 

 had been controlled and good crops produced. It was also apparent, however, that a 

 large majority of those who grew fruit in the district were taking no steps whatever 

 to control the pest, and, as a consequence, their neighbours were subjected to much 

 loss and expense. One point which was urged upon the meeting was that a uniform 

 formula should be decided upon for making the lime-sulphur wash. During the dis- 

 cussion a remarkable diversity of opinion was expressed as to the exact quantities of 

 ingredients to use and as to the time necessary to boil these so as to produce the proper 

 chemical combination. Naturally, each experimenter considered that the formula 

 which he had been using was the best one. As a result of this disciissionj a committee 

 of representative men from the various sections was chosen, and they were requested 

 in the name of the association to investigate this matter, and that each one should 

 during the coming season experiment with at least one other formula besides the one 

 which he considered best. One great advantage of the lime-s\ilphur wash, which was 

 acknowledged by all, and which, perhaps, accounts for its wide adoption by a large 

 number of fruit-growers, is its undoubted efficacy in controlling a large number of 

 fungous diseases. The manufacture and use of the lime-sulphur wash are decidedly 

 unpleasant and troublesome; but its great value in destroying scale insects and many 

 other fruit pests, besides fungous diseases, has rendered it very popular with all who 

 have tried it. 



White Grubs (Lachnosterna species). — A very common enemy of strawberry- 

 gn^owers is the White Grub so-called. This is the larva of one of the species of May 

 Beetles or June Bugs. There are several species with somewhat similar habits, and, 

 although most of these in American literature have been treated of under the name of 

 Lachnosterna fusca, Froh., that species is by no means responsible for all the injury 



