14 THE REPORT OF THE No. It) 



these counties have been so great that the growmg of peas has been largely reduced during the 

 past two or three years. Amherst Island, which was formerly a great pea-growing district, 

 ■has scarcely a farmer this year who is growing peas. Throughout Wentworth, Wellington, 

 Waterloo and Oxford the growing of the common cultivated pea has been abandoned, and the 

 grass pea has been substituted to some extent. This latter variety does not suflFer from the 

 weevil, but it Avas attacked this past summer in the counties of Halton and Wentworth by a 

 oreen louse, the exact nature of which I have not yet determined. 



This summer I had the pleasure of visiting the Manitoulins and St. Joseph Island. 

 There the pea-bug or weevil is unknown. Further west, around Fort William and Port 

 Arthur, it is also unknown, and it is the duty of the farmers of these districts to initiate strict 

 measures to prevent the importation of the weevil. 



To give an idea of the diminution in the growing of peas during the last 10 years, it may 

 ibe stated that in 1891 the yield of peas in Ontario was about 18| million bushels. In 1902 the 

 jield was nearly 11^ million — a decrease of over 7 million bushels in 11 years. The decrease 

 would have been still greater if it had not been for the introduction of the grass pea variety. 



The question of treatment is a very important one, and is not a difficult one to put into 

 practice. Unlike many other pests, the pea weevil confines its attention to the cultivated and 

 garden pea almost entirely. It attacks no wild varieties, hence there is no danger from re 

 infestation through those sources. The usual method of treatment is that of fumigation with 

 ■carbon bisulphide. For several years the pea-growers of Prince Edward and other Lake 

 Ontario counties practiced this method, but there was no wide-spread co-operation in this line 

 oi treatment among the farmers. The result was that the weevil thrived in spite of the efTorts 

 of many of the largest pea-growers. 



The weevil is capable of flight, and it is possible that it may fly comparatively long dis- 

 tances. The first essential in a plan of campaign against the pea weevil is co-operation in the 

 treatment of infested seed, and, without this, the campaign would be useless. 



The method of treatment which has been recommended is to fumigate the seed peas in air- 

 tight barrels or bins immediately after threshing. It is usual to use a pound or a pound and a 

 half of carbon bisulphide for every 100 bushels of peas. For smaller amounts, the quantity is 

 proportionately slightly increased. The peas are subjected to this treatment for 48 hours. 



The question naturally arises : What is the best time for the treatment of the peas ? To 

 answer this question, a study of the development of the grub is necessary to ascertain at what 

 stage the grub ceases eating the pea. Mr. Elmer Lick, of Oshawa, who is a careful, accurate 

 observer, found that in every infested pod he examined that not more than one-half the dam- 

 age to the pea was done until after the crop was ready to harvest. In many cases he found 

 not more than one-third the damage which the weevil would do before reaching maturity. 

 This was true of both late and early varieties, which were growing side by side. He found, 

 however, that a larger percentage of the early crop were " buggy." Mr. Lick naturally comes 

 to the conclusion that it is highly advisable to treat the peas immediately after harvest, and not 

 to wait until the grub has become full grown. 



Mr. Lick's conclusions regarding the treatment of peas are as follows : — 



1. Do not sow buggy peas without treating the weevil. 



2. Harvest the crop as soon as ripe, and thresh at once. 



3. For seed peas, treat at once ; but if for feed close up the concave of the machine tight ; 

 use full speed, and thus crack the peas and kill every weevil ; or, if it is not desired to cut np 

 the straw, run the peas, after threshing, through a crusher. (Mr. Lick would not care to risk 

 grinding fine, for fear of heating). 



"You must quit growing peas, unless there is co-operation in someway." 



