134 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



tlie pith of the cane, which soon withers and dies above the girdling, and 

 is checked in its growth. All affected canes should be cut of! an inch or 

 two below the place attacked and the prunings burnt in order to destroy 

 the grubs within them, 



A Leaf-miner (Scholioneura capitalis) has been very prevalent this 

 year at St. Catharines, Oakville and in Prince Edward County, injuring 

 the leaves of Blackberry bushes; in some cases a large proportion of the 

 leaves were attacked and became prematurely withered. 



Insects of the Vegetable and Flower Garden. 



There has been no special outbreak during the past season, but many 

 of our familiar pests have been more or less abundant and destructive. The 

 Asparagus beetles, which came to us across the Niagara river and spread 

 westerly and northerly, are now travelling eastward along the shore of Lake 

 Ontario as well; the latest reports have come from Oshawa. Wherever 

 they go they establish permanent colonies and will require to be dealt 

 with every year. 



Plant-lice (Aphids), as already mentioned, have been unusually abun- 

 dant this year, and have not only attacked turnips and cabbage, but also 

 lettuce, peas, potatoes, roses, and most other garden plants, a variety of 

 species being present. 



Tomatoes have in several places been attacked by the large caterpillars 

 of the Sphinx moth; where these voracious feeders are numerous they devour 

 a large amount of foliage and sometimes strip the plants of their leaves. 

 Being so large and conspicuous they can easily be picked off by hand and 

 crushed under foot. Owing probably to the very hot weather in September 

 a number of moths emerged from the chrysalids that we had in a breeding 

 cage, instead of remaining buried in the ground all winter. 



Miscellaneous. 



The Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephestia Kuhniella) has made its 

 unwelcome appearance in several mills in this part of Ontario. In one 

 situated in Guelph, an annual fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas is 

 made with excellent results ; it would probably be better, how<ever, to repeat 

 the operation at an interval of a few weeks when another brood may be 

 developed, as it is doubtful whether the gas will kill the eggs of the insect. 

 All sacks and packing material brought from other places should be steamed, 

 or otherwise treated, as the insect is evidently in this way introduced into 

 mills previously free from it. 



The Indian-meal Moth (^lodia interpunctella) has been found in num- 

 bers infesting a mill, and the caterpillars in another place were discovered 

 devouring seed wheat, of which they eat the germs and thus spoil a larger 

 quantity than they actually consume. If a whole building should be 

 infested by them it would be advisable to fumigate with hydrocyanic acid 

 gas, but where they are confined to the grain bins they may be destroyed 

 with bisulphide of carbon. 



Grain Weevils (Calandra granuria and oryzce) have also been found 

 infesting stored grain. These small snout beetles will continue for years 

 breeding and devouring the grain in the same receptacle if left undisturbed. 

 Bisulphide of carbon may also be used as a remedy for these as well as any 

 other granary insect. One great means of preventing injury from all these 

 insects is cleanliness ; all bins and other places where grain is stored should 

 be thoroughly cleaned out at least once a year, and fresh grain should not 



