106 THE REPORT OF THE [ No. 19 



THE xVORTH-WEST (CANADA) ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The second Annual Meetitg of the Ncrth-West (Canada) Entomological Society 

 was held at Lacombe, Alberta, on 16 th January, 1901. It was a meeting essentiaUy in 

 the interests of farmers. At the request of the President, the chair vas taken by Mr. 

 F. H. Wolley-Dod, of Calgary, who was supported by the vice President, Rev. M. 

 White, and several well-known farmers of the district. A number of letters in support 

 of the objects of the Society were read, including letters from Mr. C. W. Peterson, 

 Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, N.W.T. ; Prof. C. C. James, Deputy Minister of 

 Agriculture, Ontario ; Dr. James Fletcher, Dominion Entomologist, and the Right 

 Reverend the Bishop of Calgary and Saskatchewan, 



The President of the Society, Percy B. Gregson, on being called upon (after the 

 opening remarks by the Chairman) explained that the object of the Society was to 

 instruct and interest the farmers of the North-West regarding the insects that affact 

 them, — to bring home to them individually the principles which underlie the treatment 

 of insect and weed pests, so that they can deal with them in time, without waiting, as 

 so many do, till their crops are destroyed before applying for advice. Mr. Gregson stated 

 that farmers were beginning to appreciate the value of the study of insects, and this was 

 evidenced by the fact that a number of Agricultural Societies had during 1900 become 

 active supporting members of the North- West Entomological Society. Mr. Gregson im- 

 pressed on farmers the importance of careful observance of the habits of the insects 

 that came under their notice, such as their time of appearance, their method of feeding, 

 the nature of their food, etc. Some insects, such as beetles and caterpillars, feed by nib- 

 bling their food, and poison should therefore be placed on their food, so that the insects 

 when consuming the leaf will aho consume the poison with it. Other insects such as 

 lice, pierce through the outside of the leaf with their trunk-like beaks, and poison, 

 therefore will not reach them. As however, insects breathe through little openings in 

 their sides they 3an be suffocated by anything which cloga up their breathing valves, 

 such as coal oil emulsion, or the fumes of tobacco. 



The list of injurious insects in the North- West is already a long one, and as 

 insects always follow cultivation, we must, as the country gets cultivated, expect 

 arrivals of fresh insects. There are very many ways by which insects are always 

 liable to bo imported into a new country. They may come in clothes, lumber, do- 

 mestic animals, packing substances (such as hay, straw or grass). It was probably 

 in packing substances that all the grass stem maggots, common to Europe and Amer- 

 ica, have reached us, including the Hessian fly, the wheat stem mjdge, and wheat 

 stem saw-fly. 



In applying remedies there is a reason for each different remedy recommended, 

 and in the list of insects presently given the reason for each remedy can readily 

 be seen. 



The Principal Injurious Insects of the Northwest for 1900. 



The Red Turnip-beetle (^Entomoscelis adonidis). In many places from south of 

 Calgary to north of Edmonton, and in Saskatchewan and several districts in Assinihoia 

 this beetle has been more or less abundant — in some instances devastating entir ^ fields. 

 Around Beulah, in Manitoba, it has also been somewhat abundant, but chiefly confined 

 to mustards. Remedy : Spray the plants with Paris Green solution (1 lb. to 160 gallons 

 of water) and stir in also 1 lb. of quick-lime, or if in small quantity, ^ oz. of Paris Green, 

 ^ oz. of quicklime, and a pail full of water. In mixing Paris Green Dr. Fletcher recom- 

 mends that it should first be made into a paste with a small quantity of warm water, and 

 the paste afterwards mixed with the larger amount of water required. If it does not 

 adhere readily to the leaf, a little soap added to the water will overcome the ditficulty. 



The Turnip flea Beetle {Phyllotreta vittata) has been very general throughout the 

 North-west Territories, but the damage done was not great, owing to a counter-attraction 

 in the shape of mustards. Remedy : Dust the young turnips with dry Paris Green and land 

 plaster, or dry Paris Green and sifted ashes when the dew is on the young turnips. This 

 little beetle hatches in May — about the third week — and by deferring sowing the turnips 

 until June the beetle will have hatcJied and disappeared to native cruciferous plants 

 before the young turnips are up. 



