12 THE REPORT OF TBE No 19 



Dr Fletchkr : Mr. Carruthers has written me as follows : — " One of our largest buyera 

 •writes us that they are getting shipments from Calcutta and the quality is very fine, being free 

 from bugs, and better than any we are shipping him from Canada. They also say they are 

 buying them at one shilling per quarter, which is equal to 3c. per bushel, less than we are ask- 

 ing for our No. 2 grade of the present crop." 



Dr. Fletchek then moved the following resolution, seconded by Prof. Lochhead : — 



Resolved, That the Entomological Society of Ontario T' quest that the Superintendent of 

 Farmers' Institutes have the matter of the Pea Weevil brought prominently before all meetings 

 •of Farmers' Institutes during the winter ; that from the discussion held this afternoon, the 

 ■cessation in the cultivation of peas for two years is not the best remedy for preventing injury 

 by the Pea Weevil, but rather the making known as widely as possible the nature of the pest, 

 the extent of its injuries and the best remedies, and that if object lessons could be given 

 throughout the country showing the way to fumigate peas and the advantage of doin'? so, it 

 would materially help to reduce the injury by the weevil. — Carried 'unanimously. 



Dr. Bethune : I should like to ask if it would be practicable to have some Legislative 

 enactment to compel seedsmen to fumigate their peas. I do not think there would be the 

 slightest use to pass an Act of the Legislature with regard to the general public, but we might 

 get at a large proportion of the seed peas by rendering it compulsory on the part of the seedsmen 

 to fumigate them. I know that not many years ago, ia the neighborhood of Port Hope and 

 Cobourg, and all through Prince Edward County, where all kinds of fancy peas were grown by 

 the acre, that every seedsman had his " bug house" and fumigated all the seed, but it seems 

 that some have discontinued that laudable practice. I was intending, before this resolution 

 was read, to suggest that the Ontario Department of Agriculture might issue a mandate to 

 those who attend Farmers' Institutes to make this a point of their proceedings during the 

 coming winter, and if that were done, then if not only the Agricultural press, but the press 

 generally, would take up this subject, and bring home to the whole country the seriousness of 

 it, and the ease with which it really might be dealt, and if in addition to that some experiment 

 were made upon the line Professor Lochhead has mentioned of object lessons, I believe it would 

 have good results. 



I remember when not many years ago it was impossible to get good butter in this 

 country in the winter time. When we got butter made from our own cows in the summer 

 time it was all right, but you could not buy butter fit to eat in the winter. That has all 

 he n remedied by this object lesson system, the travelling dairies showing the farmers' wives 

 how to make good butter. It has been a great success, and now we can always get good 

 butter, and if that experiment succeeded so well, I think it would be quite worth while to 

 ai.(opt a similar system to teach the farmers how to deal with this terribly destructive pest. 



The other day I happened to notice in the market reports from the port of Montreal 

 that the shipment of peas from Montreal up to the first of October last year amounted to 

 458,000 bushels. This year up to the same date it amounted to 269,000 bushels showing a 

 decrease in one single year in that port, up to the first of October, of 189,000 bushels. 

 'I'his shows what the weevil has done in reducing our exports from one port alone. 



I wish to ask Dr. Fletcher if there is any connection between the mildewing of peas 

 and tho Pea-Weevil. I mean in this way ; is it the case that if the pea plant is not healthy 

 and strong and vigorous, it is far more subject to mildew than it would be if the nourish- 

 ment of the plant had not been taken by the Pea- Weevil ? Would it be more subject to 

 mildew than one grown from perfect seed ? 



Dr. Fletcheh : I do not know from actual observation that that is the case but I can 

 quite understand that the weakened plant would be more likely to be affected. Weevily 

 seeds grow a weak plant which matures later and that would make it more liable to mildew. 



