1904 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 55 



scalded or crushed between rollers, more harm than good may be done by 

 these bands being placed on the trees. Another point also which will require 

 attention is to see that the bark of the trees beneath the bands is scraped with 

 a wire brush, or other hard instrument, to destroy the cocoons of such cater- 

 pillars as have partially bored into the bark to pupate. These are extremely 

 difficult to see unless carefully looked for. 



The Squash Bug (Anasa tristis, DeG.). Another troublesome enemy of 

 the fruit grower and gardener which this year was less destructive than has 

 for many years been the case, was the large so-called "stinkbug" or "Bishop 

 bug" of western Ontario. 



Tent Caterpillars which some years ago stripped many orchards and 

 tracts of forest land were only noticed in a few districts in south-western On- 

 tario, and they were so thoroughly destroyed by parasites two years ago that 

 not a moth or caterpillar of either of the common species was seen at Ot- 

 tawa during the past year. There is no doubt that they will soon reappear 

 again; but, with ordinary case, no well kept orchard will ever suffer seriously 

 fiom these insects. Regular annual spraying will prevent injury by Tent 

 Caterpillars, Cankerworms, Eye-spotted Bud moth, leaf rollers, and all the 

 ordinary foliage-eating pests of the orchard. If spraying is supplemented 

 with the washing of the trunks in the beginning oi June and July, with alka- 

 line washes, most of the different kinds of borers which attack apple trees, 

 will be kept at bay. For the Peach Borer, special steps will have to be taken 

 and for the small Shot-borers and Bark Beetles, carbolic washes must be ap- 

 plied early in spring. If besides these precautions proper attention is given to 

 the fertilization of the soil and the pruning of the trees so as to allow a free 

 action of sun and wind, there will be little harm from injurious insects and 

 funarous diseases. There is nothing so manifest to the practical entomologist 

 as the fact that vigorous, well-cared for trees, are far less attractive to their 

 insect enemies than those trees which are stunted or in some other way in- 

 jured. 



House Plants. 



The insects which do injury in window gardens and upon house plants 

 generally, are few in number and may be treated in a wholesale manner. 

 For the satisfactory cultivation of house plants one of the prime principles 

 is to grow only such number of plants in a window as can be properly at- 

 tended to, and as can obtain a suitable amount of light, air and space for their 

 symetrical development. The number of insects which attack house plants 

 is small and the same treatment answers for most of them. There is a great 

 deal of trouble saved by choosing such plants as are seldom infested by in- 

 sects. To this class belong the different kinds of Geraniums, on the whole, 

 perhaps, the most valuable and satisfactory plants for house culture. They are 

 easily propagated, very resistant of neglect and most profuse bloomers. 

 Fuchsias, begonias and bulbs of various kinds are seldom attacked by insect 

 pests. On the other hand, palms, cacti, foliage plants and ferns are liable 

 to be much infested by different kinds of scale insects, Thrtpidce and the so- 

 called Eed Spiders; roses, by scale insects and plant lice. The first principle 

 of window gardening is to give the plants suitable soil, pots large enough but 

 noi too large, and good drainage with regular watering. The insects as 

 stated above may be easily controlled on general principles. The first of 

 these is to wash the foliage regularly to free it from dust and scale insects; 

 spraying plants of almost all kinds is very beneficial to them. Palms and 

 thick-leaved plants like the oleander, may be washed with a piece of soft flan- 



