REPORT OF No. 19 



Canada, it is necessary to know its life history. In my own observations I 

 have foun'd that east of Toronto, or about Toronto, there is practically only 

 one brood in the year, while west of Toronto there are two. This means that 

 in Western Ontario the fruit grower has a different and harder task before 

 him. In Eastern Ontario, having only one brood to deal with, it can be 

 practically controlled by the spring spraying, which everybody seems to 

 have energy enough to carry out. West of Toronto, it seems necessary to 

 supplement the work of spraying by banding the trees with burlap, or other 

 material, giving the caterpillars a shelter in which to spin their cocoons, and 

 then destroying them before the moths emerge. Where spraying and ban- 

 daging the trees are faithfully carried out, the Codling-moth is very materi- 

 ally reduced in numbers. But notwithstanding all that is done, the apples 

 going to market every year are to a large extent damaged by this insect, 

 and the unsightly appearance of the apple with injury on the side or at the 

 calyx end reduces its selling value. We thought, therefore, that it would 

 be advisable to have a discussion this afternoon upon this important insect 

 pest, as in every conference of this kind some fresh points of value are sure 

 to be brought out. It is no exaggeration to say that at least one-quarter of 

 the loss sustained by fruit-growers every year is caused by the Codling-worm, 

 and therefore it is a matter of great financial importance that we should learn 

 the best and most effective methods of dealing with this pest. 



Dr. Fletcher then described the proper methods of spraying fruit trees 

 and applying bandages, and stated that, if fruit-growers would faithfully 

 adopt this cheap means of dealing with the insect, they would save a very 

 large amount of their income derived from orchards. 



He next referred to the parasites which, in many instances, effectually 

 keep down the insect enemies of crops. It often happens that a particular 

 insect is extremely abundant one year while the next year few are to be 

 found. This reduction in numbers is largely due to the work of parasites. 

 Dr. Brodie, of Toronto, has for many years made a special study of the Cod- 

 ling-moth and of the parasites which affect it and a number of other injur- 

 inous insects. He will tell us this afternoon what he has done in this direc- 

 tion and the results of his investigations. The introduction of a new 

 parasite from some other part of the world is a very difficult matter and 

 requires long continued efforts in order to secure satisfactory results. The 

 introduction of the Vedalia cardinalis into California to destroy the Cottony- 

 cushion scale is probably the only marked instance of successful work of this 

 kind which has ever been brought about. It is hoped that the efforts now 

 being made to establish a parasite of the Codling-worm in California will 

 be successful ; there are great difficulties to be overcome, and it will be some 

 time before the parasite will become sufficiently numerous to control this 

 enemy of the fruit. The study of parasites covers a field of very excellent 

 and useful work, but up to the present time there have not been many prac- 

 tical results. 



Dr. Brodie, before reading his paper, stated that he was a firm believer 

 in the good results to be obtained through parasites. Dr. Bethune was the 

 first person in North America to advocate the introduction of parasites to 

 keep in check the imported insects that ravaged our wheat fields. His own 

 recollections went back to sixty years ago when the Codling-woi^m was utterly 

 unknown in Ontario; apple trees were then very large and productive. It 

 was not till somewhere about 1858-1860 that it made its appearance. During 

 the last ten years he had been pursuing rather carefully the study of this 

 insect, taking m the larvae, breeding them through the winter and discov- 

 ering to what extent they were attacked by parasites. He found it a very 



