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EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



considerable quantity of the unusually light yield of apples are wormy, spotted and 

 small." In British Columbia the orchards on the mainland have been badly infested 

 with Apple Aphis (Aphis mali, Fab.) and the Oyster-shell Bark louse {Mytilaspis 

 pomorum, Bouche). On Vancouver Island Mr. John Tolmie reports "The fruit crop 

 is poor this year, mainly due to heavy showers just as the fruit was forming ; small 



fruits have, however, done well." Mr. G. A. 

 Knight, of Victoria, B.C., also states that the 

 Woolly Aphis (iSchizoneura lanigera, Hausm.) 

 is now very abundant on Vancouver Island in 

 apple orchards, and that the Cherry-tree Slug 

 (Selandria cerasi, Peck.) Fig. 11, has been this 

 Fig. 11.— The Cherry-tree Slug. year extraordinarily abundant. This insect 



was also complained of to a certain extent in Nova Scotia and Ontario. At Ottawa, 

 besides cherry trees, the larvse disfigured ornamental hawthorns and the oak-leaved 

 mountain ash. It is easily treated with a weak application of Paris green, or may 

 be dusted with freshly slaked lime. 



The SnoT-BOR^R (Xyleborus dispar, Fab.), I fear, is again on the increase 

 in the Nova Scotia apple orchards. Through the kindnesss of Mr. W. H. 

 Woodworth, of Berwick, N.S., and Mr. T. E. Smith, of Cornwallis, N.S., I 

 am in possession of a large quantity of facts as to the depredations and 

 habits of this injurious insect, and hope, at an early date, to have more defi- 

 nite information as to remedies than is as yet available. 

 Fig. 12— ^r- T. E. Smith sent to me from North Sydney, Cape Breton, some larv® 

 The Shot- which were abundant there upon apple trees. These, when received, had 

 borer, gpun their cocoons ; of which specimens were submitted to Prof. J. A. 

 Lintner, and he reports: "There is hardly a doubt but that the little cocoons sent 

 me are those of Micropteryx pomivorella, Pack." 



The Eed-humped Caterpillar op the Apple {(Edemasia concinna, Sm. & Abb.) 

 was rather abundant upon young apple trees at Ottawa, and specimens were also sent 

 by Mr. B. Hutcherson from Ladner's Landing, B.C. These are the first specimens I 

 have seen from British Columbia. 



The curious caterpillars of the Unicorn Prominent (Ccelodasy& unicornis, Sm. & 

 Abb.) and of the Hag-moth (Phobetron pithecium, Sm. & Abb.) were sent as apple 

 insects by Mr. W, J. Kerr, from Smith's Falls, Ont. 



A pest which I found to be very abundant in the peach orchards round St. 

 Catharines was the Peach Bark-beetle (Fhlosotribus liminaris, Harris). This was first 

 brought to my notice by Mr. C. E. Fisher, of Queenston, and I have later received 

 specimens and facts bearing on the life history both from that gentleman and Capt. 

 James Sheppard. Some experiments which are being carried on to control this insect 

 are not yet completed, so a report upon them is deferred for the present. 



Most of the fruit insects reported this year have been enemies of the apple. 

 The Apple-tree Aphis (Aphis mali, Fab.). — From British Columbian reports 



this insect is committing serious injury in the 

 apple orchards. In the East it is seldom that 

 this insect develops in sufficient numbers to be 

 ranked as a first class pest, but this season a 

 large number of reports have been received from 

 British Columbia complaining that even old 

 trees had been killed. Mr. John S. Warren, 

 in a letter to the Orillia Packet, gives an ac- 

 count of the condition of the orchards at 

 Okanagan Mission, B.C., in which he speaks of 

 ^ serious loss from the Apple Aphis. Mr. J. H. 



Fig. 13.— The Apple Aphis. Christie also sends specimens of Aphis infested 



twigs from the same place, of which he says: "The contents of this parcel 

 will, I think, be somewhat of a surprise to you. The twigs sent were cut from 

 three different orchards from trees six to eight years old, and you will have 

 a better idea of the state of affairs here when I tell you that several ten to 

 fifteen year old trees have been destroyed during the last year by Aphis. Large 



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