228 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDWARD VII., A. 1908 



a thin double cocoon, loose and white outside, but black, and of almost skin-like texture 

 within, inside the dried up skin of the caterpillar, which soon turns white and shows 

 by contrast very conspicuously the black head and tubercles of the dead larva. Tlic 

 name of the friendly parasite is Limneria Guignardi, Prov. 



A Cherry Fruit-fly (Rhagoletis cingulata, Loew.). — I have received from Mr. 

 W. R. Palmer, of Rockside Oi'chard, Victoria, B.C., some specimens of puparia of a 

 fruit-fly which is justly causing, him miTch anxiety from its injuries to cherries in his 

 orchard. 



Victoria, B.C., October 10. — ' I send you samples of Olivet cherries which have 

 been infested by a small white maggot. I also send you some of the puparia for your 

 inspection. Their presence is first noticeable by a small round hole in the fruit. On 

 opening the cherries the grub will be generally found inside. It works around the 

 stone and when full grown leaves by the hole and drops to the ground. The maggots 

 all disappear from the fruit as soon as it is fully ripe, but the cherry is spoiled by 

 being made rotten around the stone and is rendered of a darker colour. 



' As they have increased this year, I have become very much interested in them 

 and hope you will be able to identify them and give me some means of preventing 

 their injury.' 



Mr. Palmer was written that the insect answered in every particular to the Cherry 

 Fruit-fly described by Prof. Slingerland in Cornell Bulletin 172, September, 1800. 

 This insect had never so far been recorded as injuring cherries in any part of Canada. 

 the occurrence, therefore, was of great interest and all facts concerning it were asked 

 for. 



Victoria, November 5. — ' I will try and give you all the jiarticulars I can r(^gard- 

 ing the cherry insect, Rhagoletis cingulata (?), as you call it. Unfortunately, I did 

 not keep exact dates. I first noticed the holes in 1004. Last year my brother found 

 one in a Novelle Royal, and this year they were quite numerous on two particular 

 trees that we think are dying from defective root stocks and which therefore are not 

 in a very healthy condition. They have confined themselves so far to three varieties. 

 Olivet, Novelle Royal and Morello. The last named they do not seem to care very 

 much for; but we found a few in them this year. The trees are eleven years old. I 

 do not know of these insects being anywhere else. I think ovir trees were the first 

 planted here of these varieties, the other growers who have them, have very few in 

 bearing. A great many of the Olivet are now being planted. 



We have not found any in the Sweet cherries, either early or late, so I am in- 

 clined to believ.e that they j)refer preserving cherries, perhaps the reason is they are 

 softer and more juicy. I will try the gas-lime treatment you recommend and shall 

 apply it at once.' — W. R. Palmer. 



If the identification of the insect which is attacking cherries in British Columbia 

 is correct, the parent of the maggots is a pretty little black and white fly very much 

 like the fly of the Apple Maggot. 



Unfortunately, up to the present time, no remedy has been found to be effective 

 against this enemy, and although an autumn application of gas lime to the land under 

 the trees which were infested, was recommended, I have since learnt that this was not 

 found effective in some Australian experiments. It is claimed that this fly spreads 

 slowly and the drastic measure has been suggested of destroying all the fruit on an 

 infested tree as soon as the presence of the maggot is detected. 



