18 THE REPOKT OF THE No. 3G 



The apples worst attacked so far as I could discover by a very limited inspec- 

 tion were Golden Eiisset, Cranberry Pippin, Ben Davis and Snow. Spy and other- 

 varieties with very glossy surfaces seemed to escape. Some of the above mentioned 

 varieties had as many as twenty injuries on a single apple, the majority of them 

 usually being found near the calyx. Orchards that were not cultivated were, as 

 one would naturally expect, much worse damaged than cultivated ones. 



This sort of injury is done by the newly emerged beetles before they hide away 

 for the winter and seems to begin about the third week in August and continue to 

 the first week in October or possibly a little later. 



It is rather remarkable that there is not considerable loss from this cause in 

 the western counties of Ontario when it is so common in Prince Edward county 

 and, as I have lately been informed, in the counties further east. Prof. Crandal 

 states that in Illinois apples are often severely damaged by these feeding punctures, 

 and Prof. Quaintance says that this sort of injury is especially common in the 

 colder states and districts of North America. 



A few interesting cases of parasitism have been observed during the season. 

 For the previous two years the Shot-hole Borer {Scolytus rugulosus) has beep doing 

 great destruction to cherry, peach and plum trees in the Niagara district. Some 

 fruit-growers lost as high as sixty trees in a single year. Many were afraid that the 

 destruction would increase year by year and endanger the fruit industry. Very 

 fortunately this year the borers have not done nearly so much damage. The reason 

 for this seems to be solely the great increase in parasites. Early in the season, from 

 a small piece of branch only a few inches long, I reared fourteen parasites. In 

 September, while visiting St. Catharines and the surrounding district, numerous 

 parasites could be seen on trees that had been attacked by the borers. A number 

 of these were brought back and proved to be the same as most of those reared in 

 the spring. All the parasites obtained so far are Chalcids, and much the commoner 

 species is, so far as I have been able to determine it, Chiropachys colon. 



On the trip on which the parasites of the Shot-hole Borer were found in abund- 

 ance I was also requested to have a look at a maple tree that was said to be covered 

 with some species of scale. On examining it I saw that the insect was the much 

 dreaded Terrapin Scale {Eulecanium nigj-ofasciatum) . On first sight I felt sure 

 that the tree would have to be cut down and burned, but on closer evidence it 

 was seen that nearly all the adult scales had been parasitized and there were only 

 a comparatively small number of the living immature scales present. As it was 

 quite clear that the parasites were looking after the scale in a satisfactory manner 

 I informed the owner of the tree that he need not do anything except leave these 

 friends to fight the battle for him. 



One regrets to have to report that two of our worst insects have spread to 

 new districts. The San Jose Scale has been found in one orchard in Prince Edward 

 county and has come safely through the winter on nursery stock planted there last 

 year. Efforts are being made by the provincial authorities to stamp it out before 

 it can become well established and spread. 



The other insect is the Eailroad Worm. I have received specimens of apples 

 infested by it from Bowmanville and from Cobourg, the latter having arrived only 

 a week ago. 



One new pest, the Blackberry Miner (Scolioneura capitalis) is becoming very 

 abundant, especially in the Niagara district, and threatens to cause great loss to 

 growers of this fruit unless a remedy can soon oe found or parasites come to the 

 rescue. 



