26 THE REPORT OF THE No. i9 



to agriculture. We are indebted especially to the Division of Entomology, of which Dr. L. O. 

 Howard is Chief, for generous and timely supplies of their most valuable Bulletins. Would 

 that our Dominion could see its way clear to enlarge our working force ! 



It is the duty of the members of this Society not only to determine and announce the best 

 remedies for the troubles produced by injurious insects, but also to denounce in strong terms 

 the introduction of "fake" remedies, which occasionally come to our notice. Perhaps the 

 most flagrant piece of imposition of the year was a "Process to protect Fruit Trees, etc, 

 against Injury from Insect and Fungus Pests." This Process (according to the circular) con- 

 sists m administering into the growing tree certain ingredients, in a particular manner, which 

 the inventor has proved to be effective for the purpose above mentioned. It protects the trees 

 and fruit against damage by borers, codling moths, caterpillars, San Jose Scale, black-knot, 

 leaf-curl, yellows, scab, and other insect, parasite ai.d fungus enemies to trees ! 



This is a wondeiful remedy (according to the discoverer}, but I regret to state that in 

 those orchards where I have seen it tried the results have been far from satisfactory. The 

 codling worm was there ; the borers were there ; the San Jose Scale was there ; everything 

 HI fact except favorable results. A great many fruit-growers appeared willing to give the " Pro- 

 cess " a trial at a cost of 25 cents for every tree "plugged." The ingredients put into the hole 

 in the tree were it is believed, charcoal and sulphur, both insoluble in water, and in the sap 

 of the tree. Our knowledge of the movement of fluids \yithin a tree is not sufficiently accurate 

 to be able to state definitel> what becomes of the various solutions which enter by the root, 

 but we do know that charcoal and sulphur placed in a hole in the trunk of a tree w'ill not 

 affect the insect and fungus pests. One sometimes forgets that the circulatory system tf 

 plants is of the difl'use character, unlike that of the higher animals which have a definite en- 

 closed system of tubes. We sometimes talk of the upicard current (ind the downward current 

 as if they floived in well-defined channels, but the idea is not strictly correct. We should liken 

 the currents of sap rather to a great river in times of flood, when its waters are flowing irregu- 

 larly over the banks, and at the Siiuit; time flowing strongly in the main channel. 



Again, it is more than probable that any poison introduced into the plant would kill the 

 cells into which it entered, and therefore kill the plant. It is veiy doubtful also if the cells of 

 an active living plant would absorb substances in solution which would prove hurtful. Pro- 

 toplasm has the power of regulating the entrance of substances which pass through it into the 

 vacuoles of the cell. So long, however, as any part of the plant is a mystery, so long wiJl so- 

 called discoverers inflict their nostrums upon the unsuspecting public. To think also that this 

 process emanated from the Mecca of entomology, London ! 



THE TRANSMISSION OF YELLOW FEVER BY MOSQUITOES. 

 By Dr. L. O. Howard, United States Entomologist. 



The following is an abstract of Dr. Howard's able and most interesting address which was 

 listened to by those present with the utmost attention. 



The speaker began by mentioning some of the severe outbreaks of Y'^ellow Fever which are 

 especially memorable. Throughout the West Indies they have been frenuent virtually since 

 the discovery of America. In the United States there w^ere outbreaks as far north as Boston 

 in 1692 ; a century later there was a terrible epidemic in Philadelphia; in 1853,1878, and 1889 

 the disease raged in several of the Southern States and carried ofl" thousands of victims. In 

 consecpience of this liability to outbreaks of the fever, these States were greatly hindered in theij. 

 development and much injury was thus indirectly done to their interests and progress. Any 

 remedy therefore which could be effectively prescribed for this plague was of immense importance 

 to that whole region of country as well as to all the islands of the West Indies and some 

 parts of the Spanish Main. 



