22 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 36 



The work lias been delayed somewhat owing to the enormous amount of stock 

 that is being grown and is ready for sale at the present time. According to last 

 year's Fruit Branch Eeport, there were well over two million fruit trees growing 

 in the nursery rows, to say nothing of grape and small fruit cuttings and the 

 various ornamental shrubs that are being propagated. This year, I believe, the 

 amount is still larger when all saleable stock is computed. 



It is the duty of the inspectors to make a tree to tree inspection, locate the 

 scale and dig up and destroy affected plants; and since a single man can only 

 examine 15,000 to 20,000 trees a day, according to the nature of the stock and 

 the care it has received, it can be imagined that the work is assuming great pro- 

 portions. But it is work along the right line, and the nurserymen realize this. 



Here it might be desirable to lay greater stress on the work of the local inspec- 

 tors, w^hose duty it is to examine and enforce the law on those orchards found to 

 he infested by scale throughout the country, but specially in the neighborhood of 

 nurseries. For it is only by destroying the root of an evil that we can hope to 

 accomplish results, and so long as infested orchards remain, just so long will the 

 scale be found in the nursery. 



From observation this summer it appears that the orchardist in very many 

 cases neglects his duty to the Peninsula, and that the nurseryman in nearly every 

 case is anxious to reduce the scale to a minus quantity. 



Speaking generally, the San Jose Scale has been found in nearly all the nur- 

 series ihus far examined, and is found to be present in greater or less quantities, 

 varying from one tree to several hundred, dependent on the locality. Bul little- 

 scale was found in the nurseries of the Stoney Creek District, but a considerable 

 amount was found in the old Niagara District. A varying quantity was found 

 between these two districts with a gradual tendency to increase from the former 

 towards the latter. Scale is also very prevalent in the Fonthill District — greater 

 infestation being to the north and north-west of the village. , • 



Birds, nut] the procuring of scaly bud-sticks appear to be the principal means 

 of the distribution within the nursery, while shipment after faulty fumigation seems 

 to increase the area of infestation outside. It is peculiar that sometimes a three 

 year old tree literally encrusted from the twigs to the ground, will be the only tree 

 in a row affected, thus proving the necessity of a tree to tree inspection. 



Eemedial measures most commonly in use in the nursery are the Lime Sulphur 

 Spray, Whale Oil Wash and the Carlson Mixture. 



Besides the San Jose Scale, there is a long list of insects found on nursery 

 stock. The most important, the most frequent and the most evenly distributed 

 being Pear-Tree Slug, Leaf-Hopper, Eed Spider, Oyster-shell Bark Louse, Blister 

 Mite, Woolly Aphis, Bucculatrix, and the Trumpet Leaf-Miner. 



From the botanical standpoint, the Cherry Mildew, Black Eot of Grape, Fire 

 Blight, Bear Scab, Black Knot, Crown Gall and Hairy Eoot, are the most fre- 

 quently observed fungous diseases. 



It is hoped that future years will see this scheme of summer inspection con- 

 tinued. A fuller and more complete account of this year's work will probably be 

 published in the Eeport of the Fruit Branch, Department of Agriculture. 



During the discussion that followed, attention was drawn to Clause 2 of the 

 Nursery Inspection Act, which states that: 



''The Council of any city, town, township, or incorporated village may, and 

 upon the petition of 15 or more ratepayers shall, by by-law, appoint at least one 

 inspector to enforce the provisions of this Act in the municipality." 



