2(5 REPORT OF No. 19 



that 75 per cent, of the fruit brought into Toronto that came under his obser- 

 vation was aifected with scale. 'Che consumers of the fruit throw out the 

 peelings and the insects may thus be enabled to reach near-by trees, especi- 

 ally through the agency of sparrows and other birds. He noticed that the 

 apples sold by Italians in the streets of Toronto were badly covered with 

 scales. 



Dr. Fletcher contended that there was no danger of an introduction 

 of the insect by means of -scaly fruit, as the peel to which it is attached 

 would soon lose its moisture and the insect would die from want of food. 

 To be successful, the skin of the fruit must remain moist enough to sustain 

 the life of the insect; the female must be ready to produce her young; and 

 the young must be able to reach a fruit tree — a combination of difficulties 

 which it would be hard to overcome and which rendered infestation by this 

 means extremely improbable, if not impossible. He did not think that 

 many people would buy scaly fruit, and a grower would not venture to sell 

 it, if he valued his reputation. He considered that it would be unjust and 

 wrong to legislate against the sale of scaly fruit and thus injure a vast and 

 most important industry. 



Mr. Caesar stated that the scales ,were sometimes carried by ants, and 

 as ants were often attracted to fruit peelings, they might easily be the means 

 of transporting them to trees. tScales were sometimes attached to lady-bird 

 beetles also. 



Dr. Fletcher said that in Germany and in the United States there had 

 been legislative enactments forbidding the sale of any fruit infested with 

 scales, and much inconvenience and loss had been inflicted without any 

 compensating advantage. He considered that it would be wrong to legis- 

 late against the sale of such fruit until we are quite sure that such restric- 

 tions are necessary to prevent the spread of the insect. We must not be 

 alarmists and magnify the danger; the infested localities in Ontario are few 

 and small, and the spread of the scale is not by any means rapid. 



After some further discussion, in which others took part, the opinion 

 of the meeting at the close of the debate was unanimous that it would not 

 do at the present time to make any stringent regulations forbidding the sale 

 of scale-infested fruit and thus hamper a very important industry. As there 

 is so much doubt and difference of opinion regarding the danger from it, 

 and our information is so limited, it would be unwise to frame any regula- 

 tions till we are quite sure of the dangers to be guarded against. It was 

 thought highly advisable that an inspection should be made of infested trees 

 in Toronto and the origin of the scale upon them traced as far as possible. 

 Young trees might have come from infested nurseries, but old trees, if 

 attacked, must have received the insect in some other way. 



The rest of the morning was occupied with the reading of a paper by 

 Mr. Xyman on "A Search for a Borer," and an address on Gall Insects by 

 Mr. Jarvis. The latter was illustrated by a large number of original lantern 

 pictures and 'a profusion of specimens of a great variety of galls. 



In the afternoon the remainder of the papers on the programme were 

 read; they will be found in subsequent pages of this report. The election 

 of officers for the ensuing year, 1906-7, was proceeded with and resulted as 

 shewn on page 2. 



The following exhibits of specimens were made by members during the 

 meetings and attracted much attention : 



By Mr. J. D. Evans. — A series of Eucosma Scudderiana, with parasites 

 and super-parasites; some interesting Noctuids, and a •species of Saw-fly 

 which had been found injuring Virginia Creepers. 



