50 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



Fodder Plants. 



Grass and hay crops in eastern Ontario were of exceptionally good qual- 

 ity. Corn in most places was late, and in many places was caught by the 

 frost. Clover seed was on the whole a poor crop. The severe winter of 1903 

 injured the roots considerably in the best seed-growing districts and the sec- 

 ond growth from which the seed is reaped ripened slowly on account of dull, 

 cool weather. The Clover Seed Midge was exceedingly active in nearly 

 every part of the province. The well known remedy of feeding off seed-clover 

 fields up to the 20th June so as to destroy the larvae of the first brood before 

 they mature, does not seem to be practised nearly as much as it ought to be 

 by seed growers. This has been proved by constant experiment to be a very 

 useful remedy and again indicates a means by which the members of the En- 

 tomological Society of Ontario may by giving timely advice in their various 

 divisions, do much good for the province. 



Roots and Vegetables. 



The attacks on these crops were all by well-known insects, and were severe 

 in some instances. Undoubtedly the first place must be given, from the extent 

 of injury, to the Eoot Maggots of cabbages, cauliflowers, radishes, turnips and 

 onions, and 1904 was perhaps, signalized by wider-spread and more excessive 

 injury by these troublesome insects than has ever been recorded. From the 

 Atlantic coast right through to the Pacific, serious injury was wrought and 

 from many places which had never previously been visited, reports of injury 

 were received. All the usually recommended remedies were experimented 

 with, but it must still be acknowledged that in some places and in years of 

 very severe infestation no infallible remedy has yet been discovered. A rem- 

 edy which sometimes, and in some places, answers satisfactorily and saves a 

 crop, will in another year, or in a different locality, be useless. These dif- 

 ferences cannot yet be explained and it is imperative that entomologists 

 should give attention to this matter, so as to discover as soon as possible a 

 practical remedy for these insects which every year do so much harm. It 

 may not be amiss to repeat again the remedies which have given the best re- 

 sults. In early cauliflower or cabbage beds, surrounding the stems of the 

 plants when first set out with discs of tarred paper, gave with us at Ottawa, 

 excellent results, but at Nappan in Nova Scotia, they were found by Mr. W. 

 S. Blair, the Horticulturist of the Experimental Farm for the Maritime Prov- 

 inces, to bo almost worthless. Where the bauds have not been put on early, 

 pouring around each plant a small quantity, not more than half a small tea- 

 cupful, of a strong decoction of pyrethrum insect powder (4 ounces to the gal- 

 lon of water), will frequently save the crop and among many experiments 

 tried by Mr. Blair at Nappan, was the remedy which gave the best results. 

 To apply the liquid the earth should be removed from the stems of the plants 

 to the depth of an inch and a half, the liquid poured in and the earth replaced. 

 In onion beds dusting white hellebore along the rows once a week as soon as 

 the young plants appeared gave good results in years of a light infestation, 

 but, when, as in 1904, onion maggots could be found throughout the season, 

 this was comparatively useless and l)ecame impracticable on account of cost. 

 Crook's carbolic wash, the manufacture of which was mentioned in our last re- 

 port at page 65, proved a useful remedy and enabled radishes to come to per- 

 fect development without injury by the maggot. In our last report a method 

 was mentioned of growing radishes, cauliflowers and some other vegetables un- 



4 a ENT. 



