1902 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. II 



but I can emphasize what they have said regarding its extent. I think the evil of the Pea 

 Weevil is co-extensive with the crop. I do not mean that it is co-extensive with the possibili- 

 ties of the crop, yet there are very few sections where the pea is grown where you do not find 

 the weevil. There are sections where the pea Can be grown where you probably will not find 

 the weevil for some time. We have been told about Manitoulin and St. Joseph Islands. 

 Their contributions of peas to our general crops are very small, and I think at least ninety per 

 cent, of the peas that are grown to-day are grown in weevil-afi"ected sections. When you get 

 to the remote sections, where peas play an unimportant part, you do not find any weevil, and 

 I may say the finest peas I have seen in this Province came from the Temiskaming section 

 They were beautiful, perfectly grown peas, and there is no doubt we have, away in the east 

 and up the Ottawa valley, sections where peas can be grown extensively for a time. The- 

 trouble is that where the great bulk of our peas are grown we have the weevil to an enormous 

 extent, and if we give up growing peas because the weevil is here, it would mean that we have- 

 been beaten. We have never yet been brought to that position, and if we give up the fight of 

 the weevil, we might as well retire practically from Agriculture in this Province. The weevil 

 can be kept in check, and the whole question now is, how are we going to convince the farmers. 

 tliat they ought to help us in checking this evil. This is the problem that is before us, not 

 only in connection with the Pea Weevil, but in connection with very many other things ; to try 

 and prove to the farmers, and a great many others in the Province, that they ought to do- 

 certain things in their own interest. On the face of it, it appears to be a very easy matter to 

 say to the farmer, here is a way you can get good seed peas, and then to expect them all to- 

 drop into line and do it at once. But that is the greatest difficulty we have to contend with. 

 There is very little use passing a law, that they must do so and so, because you cannot enforce 

 a law unless you have public opinion at the back of it. Something must be done, and some- 

 thing is going to be done, and I hope we shall get here to-day some practical suggestions that 

 will help us to solve this problem. It is certain that both the departments at Ottawa and 

 Toronto will spend what money is necessary to fight this evil, if we can only see some possi- 

 bility of success ahead. 



The pea crop is a unique crop in the Province of Ontario. It is one that we cannot dis- 

 pense with. It cannot be measured by the number of bushels we produce, because along with 

 it is another great industry, that is the pork and bacon business, which to a great extent 

 depends upon the pea crop ; for to the pea crop and to the dairy industry of this Province we- 

 owe to a large extent our success in the pork and bacon industry. 



Dr. Fletchek said that there are large districts still in Ontario where there is no danger 

 from the weevil. Peas have been sown from Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, and 

 occasionally these peas have, to a very small degree, been infested, but not to any extent. I 

 think that in the case of the San Jose scale it will spread from its centre. The San Jose scale- 

 atarted in California, was then introduced in the Eastern States, gradually spreading from its 

 centre, and if it had not been for the active measures adopted by the Ontario Government it 

 would have spread throughout the Province more than it has, and the people of the Dominion 

 ought to recognize what has been done by the Province to save them. They grow magnificent 

 peas in Quebec, and they stopped because the crop fell off. They had been in the habit of 

 .specially treating their land to put back what they had taken from it. They stopped this and 

 then their pea crop fell off. Some people connected with the trade find it necessary now to 

 send to Europe to have their seed grown, and we shall lose our trade unless we wake up. 



The Chairman : I think the way to reach the people would be for the Government ta 

 issue bulletins. 



Prof. James ; They have had the information a dozen times through bulletins ; they get it 

 year after year. 



