190a 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



85 



Fig. 61. — Pear-tree Slug-; a. magnified. 



abundant. This is seldom the case in Ontario, although a regular thing in British Columbia, 

 where it is very destructive every year. Apples were seen during the past summer in Prince 

 Eaward Island, which were seriously injured by this insect ; where the fruit was punctured, 

 deep pits were left, giving the fruit a distorted and gnarled appearance, which rendered it 

 (juite unsaleable. This injury probably took place when the apples were very small. The 

 Cherry Aphis appeared in very large numbers early in the season in western Ontario ; but later 

 there was little sign of the insect upon the trees, and its injuries were hardly noticed. It i.s 

 significant that just before the disappearance of these plant-lice one of the severe frosts, already 

 referred to, occurred, and it seems possible that this may have been answerable for the disap- 

 pearance of the plant-lice. It was not, however, the only cause, for a week later many of th« 

 insects were found in some orchards in the same localities. 



The Pear Slug, Eriominp<i 

 cerasi, Ptck(Fig. 61), was abun- 

 dant in some places and did a 

 great deal of harm by destroy- 

 ing the foliage of plum, cherry 

 and pear trees. This pest seems 

 to be very generally ignored by 

 fruit growers and, as a consequence, it often levies heavy tribute. I'he 

 autumn brood, skeletonizing the leaves, prevents them from performing their 

 functions and thus the crop of the fillowing year suffers. 



White Grubs 'Lachnosterna) were complained of as troublesome in 

 strawberry beds, as well as in potato fields and pastures. There is no good 

 practical remedy for these insects when occurring on farm crops. Where 

 land can be ploughed up, this should be done in August, so as to disturb the 

 pupaj which in many species form at this time, and are very tender. The 

 life history, as generally accepted, is that the eggs are laid in June and the 

 young larvm feed until August of the following year, when they pupate and 

 assume the perfect form. The beetles, however, do not then emerge but 

 remain in their earthen cells until the following May. When strawberry beds 

 are attacked, undoubtedly the best remedy, which, I think, was first sug- 

 gested by Mr. P. C. Dempsey, of Trenton, is to adopt the one crop method ; 

 this consists simply of planting out the new strawberry sets in spring or the 

 previous August, and then taking the crop the next spring. As soon as such 

 runners as are required for propagation are secured, the beds should be 

 plowed up. White Grubs are most destruc ive in old beds, and, by adopt- 

 ing this method which also, horticulturists claim, gives the most paying 

 crops, the insects are prevented from making headway. 



Two interesting occurrences of the fungous parasite, Cordycepe meloion- 

 UuR (Fig. 62), came to my notice during the past season, one at Ottawa, 

 reported by Mrs. Brown and Miss Lees, the other at Renfrew, by Mr. W. J. 

 Kerr. These outbreaks of this beneficial fungus, although occurring rarely, 

 as a rule, reduce the numbers of the white grubs rapidly and perceptibly 

 where they occur. ' 



Two comparatively new fruit pests which require attention from fruit 

 growers, ^are the Blackberry Soft-scale (Lecathium Fltchi), which has ap- 

 peared in destructive numbers upon cultivated blackberries in western and central counties. 

 and the Rose Scale {Diaspis rosw), which attacks the rose and the blackberry. In the latter 

 case, it frequently occurs with the Blackberry Soft-scale. This latter has a conspicuous dark 



^y 



Fiji'. (32. —White- 

 Grub funffui?. 



