223 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDWARD VII., A. 19C8 



dopartment. This bounty will hold good until May 31. I have already had wo/d 

 from two school teachers, one of whom reports 80 nests destroyed and the other 70 

 nests destroyed by the pupils, I visited Digby myself and went over part of the in- 

 fested area with Mr. Vroom. I also discussed the whole situati-on with him and Prof. 

 Smith. I was in hopes that we might be able to run one or two spra^'iiig oulfiis in 

 some of the districts; but I found that -this would be quite impracticable; for, al- 

 tiiough I have given the impression that a considerable number of nests had been 

 found, yet this is the result of a very extensive search. In a four-mile drive wo found 

 altogether 15 nests. Many of these were in trees considerably removed from the road- 

 side. If one were to attempt spraying in these areas after the leaves come out, I do 

 not know how he could locate the trees, unless perchance they were so badly stripped 

 that there were no leaves left to hold the spray. Another unfortunate feature is that 

 most of the orchards in Digby county where the pest is located, are not of more than 

 half an acre to two acres in extent, and they are so irregular and thickly planted, 

 that Mr. Vroom, who has had a large experience in spraying, says that it would be a 

 ir.ost difficult thing to work a sprayer in such places.' 



The measures adopted by the provincial authorities under Prof. Gumming were 

 th3 best that could be done under the circumstances; but it is novv of the greatest 

 importance that everybody during the coming summer should spray their orchards 

 with great care. The remedy recommended is the poisoned Bordeaux mixture men- 

 tioned above; and as there is now no possible doubt that spraying is a paying opera- 

 tion from the fruit-grower's standpoint, it will have a double advantage in giving better 

 crops of fruit, while, at the same time, everything will be done that is possible to con- 

 trol the Brown-tail Moth. The farmers and fruit-growers of Nova Scotia seem keenly 

 interested in this matter and will probably do a great deal this summer and next 

 winter to control this infestation. The government is anxious to adopt the Avisest 

 B'oasures under the circumstances and every effort will be made during the coming 

 summer to obtain advice and assistance from those best informed upon the subject. 



In order that the insect may be recognized with ease, the following short des- 

 criptions of the various stages are submitted; but it would be wise for any one who 

 has the slightest doubt upon the subject, to submit specimens either direct to this 

 oiHce or to send them to the Agricultural College at Truro, IST.S., when the fullest in- 

 formation and advice will be gladly given. The descriptions are condensed from Dr. 

 Howard's valuable pamphlet ' The Brown-tail Moth and How to Control it.' (U.S. 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Farmers' Bulletin No. 264). 



The Eggs. — The eggs are small and globular and are laid in elongated oval masses 

 beneath the leaves in late July. The egg. masses are brown and covered witli silky 

 hair, each mass containing about 300 eggs. The masses average about two-thirds of 

 an inch in length by one-quarter of an inch in width. 



The Caterpillar. — The full grown caterpillar is about two inches long, reddish- 

 brown in colour with a broken white stripe on each side and two red dots on the back 

 near the hind end. It has also patches of orange and is covered with tubercles bear- 

 ing long barbed hairs. The tubercules along the back and sides are covered with short 

 Srown hairs as well as the longer ones. These give the tubercles when magnified, an 

 jippearance like velvet. The head is pale brown with dark motlings. The young 

 caterpillars are blackish, covered with reddish-brown hairs, the head jet black. Close 

 examination will show projecting from the back of the fourth and fifth abdominal seg- 

 m.ents (that :s the eighth and ninth segments of the body counting the head as the 

 first) a large :uft of reddish-brown hairs; and on the middle line of the nintli and 

 tenth body segments is an orange or reddish tubercle, which 'may be withdrawn 

 into the body. After the second spring moult the caterpillar is about three-eighths of 

 an inch long, the yellow markings on the body are more appnrent than before, but Iho 

 brown tufts on the back less so, while the bands of white dashes along tlio sides 

 characteristic of the full grown caterpillar, are now noticeable. . !.r,->^ 



