86 THE REPORT OF THE N* 



•m 



August. Not only was tlie species found in abundance at Ottawa, but speci- 

 mens were sent from Nova Scotia and were also found at Nepigon, Ont,, as 

 destructive enemies of tbe cabbage; it also occurred at various places be- 

 tween these two points, and Dr. Fyles took it at Quebec. Favourite foods 

 in tbe vegetable garden were cabbage and spinach. 



The Diamond-back Moth {Plutella macuUpennis, Curtis, better known 

 as Plutella cruciferarum, Zell.), Fig. 33, was abundant and destructive in 

 many places, doing considerable harm in rape fields and on Swede turnips 

 and cabbages. The attack, however, was of rather short duration and ended 

 sooner in the season than is usually the case. This little insect is very 

 much attacked by a small hymenopterous parasite which this year- occurred 

 in large numbers. The remedies for controlling the small caterpillars are 

 rather difficult of application. They consist of kerosene emulsion, or arseni- 

 cal mixtures mixed with soap washes, which must be sprayed well under 

 the leaves by means of an angled nozzle. An important supplementary 

 treatment is to induce a vigorous growth of the crop with light surface 

 dressings of nitrate of soda. As a preventive measure, care must be taken 

 to keep down all weeds and plants of the Mustard Family and to destroy 

 in autumn all refuse plants of a crop which has been attacked. 



The Turnip and Cabbage Aphis (Aphis brassiccB, L.) did much harm 

 to turnip crops particularly around Guelph, but also in many other parts of 

 the Province. There is nothing new in the way of a remedy; but it is well 

 to emphasize the importance of feeding off or ploughing down turnip tops 

 and remnants in cabbage fields, late in autumn, so that the over-wintering 

 eggs may be prevented from hatching. 



The Turnip Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta vittata, Fab.) was only once or 

 twice mentioned in correspondence ; but the favourable weather which pre- 

 vailed in most parts of the province at the time the young plants were start- 

 ing, gave them full opportunity to outgrow the attacks of the beetle. 



The Onion Maggot and Cabbage Maggot, which for the last few years 

 have been so excessively destructive, during the past season were hardly 

 noticeable in many localities where in previous years they had made a clean 

 sweep of almost everything. 



The Carrot Rust-Fly (Psila roscc, Fab.), on the other hand, was rather 

 more abundant than usual and extended over a wider area than for many 

 years past. Some early carrots at Ottawa were quite destroyed; but later 

 sowings on the same ground produced satisfactory crops. There was no 

 injury recorded to celery or parsnips, both of which are occasional food 

 plants of the Carrot E,ust-fly. The remedies for this insect are to take great 

 care, when thinning out young carrots, to do this late in the day, and then 

 spray the rows at once with a deterrent preparation, such as kerosene emul- 

 sion or a carbolic wash. The time when most injury is done, is in June 

 and July, so that two or three sprayings, a week apart, will generally have 

 the effect of protecting the crop. The late sowing of seed has been fre- 

 quently attended with good results, and carrots should never be planted 

 in the same spot as they were grown the previous year. Should maggots 

 be found in stored carrots, the sand in which these roots are kept for the 

 winter, should be treated in spring so that the puparia therein contained 

 may not give forth their flies. This may be done either by burying it in a 

 deep hole or by throwing it into a pond or into a barnyard where it will 

 be trampled by stock. 



Fruit Crops. 



The fruit crops of the province may be said, on the whole, to have been 

 very good in quality, although in some localities the yield was rather light. 



