40 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



Planting the rows as far apart as experience with the land shows to be feasible, and thin- 

 ning out the plants in the rows thoroughly. The boll weevil thrives best where there is shade ; 

 ■when the rows are well apart there is a minimum of shade. 



Finally, destroying by plowing up, windrowing and burning, all the cotton stalks in the 

 field as soon as possible after the crop has been gathered — this should be not later than the 

 first of October. The object of this is to kill all the weevils that are still about the plants and 

 to leave them no protection. 



By producing an early growth and maturity, the cotton may be harvested before the 

 weevils had done very much damage. In ordinary methods of cultivation, the gathering goes 

 on through all the autumn months and is only finished, perhaps, in December. The object 

 should be to have the work of gathering completed by the first of October ; then to burn up 

 the plants and thus reduce very largely the attack of the weevil during the following year. 



The experiments of the Division on this large scale attracted great attenti )n throughout 

 that region of Texas, and their success furnished an object lesson of great value to the 

 planters, which the majority of them will now follow in their own practice. 



Dr. Howard's clear and interesting address was listened to with great attention, and it 

 came home to the minds of many of those present that similar practical methods might with 

 advantage be adopted in the warfare against several other destructive insects. The thanks of 

 the meeting were very heartily accorded to him. 



Several of the members spoke of the very great disparity between the means furnished 

 by the United States Government and our own in the warfare against noxious insects. It was 

 agreed that every effort should be made to draw the attention of the Canadian Government 

 to the advisability and the necessity of providing Dr. Fletcher with a sufficient staft' of 

 assistants and adequate means for carrying out investigations all over the Dominion and pro- 

 viding the community with the fullest possible information regarding insect attacks and the 

 bes", methods of dealing with them. 



A MENACE TO THE SHADE TREES OF LONDON, OST. 

 By Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, London. 



The city of London, Ontario, owes its beauty and attractiveness to its broad streets lined 

 with double rows at trees and its well-kept lawns and boulevards. If any wide spread injury 

 Avere done to the trees it would be a very serious calamity indeed. It is well therefore to be 

 on the lookout and not allow an enemy to become established if measures can be taken to 

 prevent it. Unfortunately the great majority of the trees are maples ; here and there may be 

 seen a linden, a horse-chestnut, a honey-locust, a catalpa, and in the parks and gardens a few 

 otlier trees, but those that line the streets are virtually maples. Any insect, therefore, that 

 attacks these trees is likely to be found all over the city, and consequently the difliculty of 

 dealing with it would be very great ; wholesale measures would require to be resorted to and 

 the expense involved would no doubt alarm the ratepayers. Under these circumstances it is 

 well to sound a note of warning and draw attention to a menace which threatens the health, if 

 not the life of the trees. 



During the past summer anyone walking ia the tree shaded streets could hardly fail to 

 have noticed round stains upon the pavement, resembling large drops of rain, and in some 

 jilaces great patches of similar stains, blackened or dark brown in colour. These were caused 



