136 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



even diminisli rapidly in numbers during^ a wet season, while if the weather 

 were dry and their food nourishing they would increase steadily at a geome- 

 trical ratio. After a year or two or three of drouth the intelligent farmer 

 will be more watchful for the first appearances of insect outbreak than after a 

 series of unusually wet years." The Relation of Weather to Insect Life 

 is still a bafiling problem, but the economic importance of a satisfactory 

 solution warrants the spending of much time, money, energy, an.d ability. 



It is just as difficult to get reliable returns concerning insect pests from 

 Quebec as it is from Ontario. Many of our common injurious forms are 

 still known as worms, or hugs, vers or pucerons, and there are but few per- 

 sons who can name even the most common injurious insects. 



Insects Affecting Cereal Crops. No reports of the presence of the 

 Hessian Fly or Wheat Midge have been received from any part of Quebec. 

 The wheat grain aphis did considerably damage in certain localities. At 

 Macdonald College the experimental plots were badly infested, but towards 

 the end of the season it became very evident that the parasites were very 

 numerous, and that they were controlling the aphis, but they did not appear 

 soon enough to prevent serious damage. 



Insects Affecting Vegetables. The cabbage and turnip aphis was a 

 very common pest in late summer and autumn, but judging from reports 

 which have reached me, no very serious damage has resulted. Mr, Chapais 

 informs me that he has not found the Cabbage aphis in eastern Quebec. 

 The green cabbage worm has been prevalent over a large part of Quebec, 

 and considerable damage has been done. It is a very common pest in 

 eastern Quebec, but not plentiful. The Cabbage Root Maggot can usually 

 be found in most fields of vegetables where cabbage and rape are grown, 

 but for the last two or three years, this pest has not made itself manifest 

 to any extent. In some parts of the Province this insect is unknown, as 

 it occurs only at intervals of many years. The Squash Bug (Anasa tristis) 

 is not met with in Quebec. Mr. Chapais reports meeting with it now and 

 again, but he says it never causes much damage. I have not seen any 

 specimens of it at Macdonald College during the last two or three years. 

 The cucumber beetles, however, are very abundant and injurious. In 

 eastern Quebec they are not so abundant as in the western parts. The 

 melon aphis, although present, is not at all injurious, and has not been 

 found by Mr. Chapais east of Quebec. The Colorado potato beetle is keep- 

 ing up its reputation as being the most abundant and persistent pest we 

 have. In spite of all changes in temperature — hard winters and mild win- 

 ters, wet summers and dry summers, this pest continues to hold its own. 

 In fact, it seemed as if it required a stronger dose of Paris green to kill it 

 than it did a few years ago. 



Insects Affecting Large Fruits, The Codling Moth is reported as 

 being very abundant at Cowansville and at Chateauguay, Covey Hill, 

 Abbotsford, La Trappe and the lower St. Lawrence; in fact, all the reports 

 received emphasize the abundance of this pest of the apple as doing a great 

 deal of damage. The Apple Maggot was not observed at La Trappe, but 

 was very abundant at Como, just across the Ottawa River, and according 

 to Mr. Ileid of Chateauguay, is prevalent at Covey Hill. It is evident that 

 it is not prevalent throughout Quebec, else its presence would have been 

 reported by more of my correspondents. The Plum Curculio, which 

 injures both the apple and the plum was a very bad pest at Chateauguay. 

 Mr. Reid states that it is the worst pest the fruit growers have in his 

 district. Mr. Chapais reports it as abundant along the lower St. Lawrence. 

 It does not seem to affect the apples much at La Trappe, but it is very 

 severe on the plums. The green apple aphis is more or less prevalent in 



