1910 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 67 



appreciably reduce the swarms. Scarlet mites, the red parasites referred to, are 

 also commonly to be found clinging to their hosts and. helping to destroy them. 

 The destruction of the egg masses by breaking up the soil in which they are laid 

 is by far the best method of getting permanently rid of the pests. 



INJUEIOUS INSECTS OF QUEBEC, 1909. 



By William Lochhead, Macdonald College, Que. 



The season of 1909 was in many respects abnormal. Spring was tardy 

 throughout the Province and the crops were sown later than usual, on account 

 of the cold rains. Summer weather conditions also differed in different parts. On 

 the Island of Montreal there were timely showers throughout the summer, so that 

 the crops at no time suffered from drought. Over a large part of the Eastern 

 Townships, however, little or no rain fell during June, July and August, and the 

 late sown crops suffered from lack of water. In the latter part of August rains 

 fell which interfered with and delayed the harvesting of the crops. The autumn 

 has been unusually free from frost. Very few of the outside flowers were nipped 

 by the frost until the 20th of October. 



Orchaed Pests. 



Orchards in Quebec are not well looked after as a rule. The majority of them 

 are not pruned regularly, and as a result, the trees have too many twigs and 

 branches, and the excessive foliage does not allow of the proper access of sun- 

 light. Such conditions are congenial for the development of Apple Scab and 

 the Brown Rot of Plums. Spraying is a practice indulged in by but few, and 

 these are the up-to-date fruit growers, usually active members of the Quebec Pomo- 

 logical Society, who make money out of their Fameuse and St. Lawrence apples. 



Cultivation of the orchard is sadly neglected, consequently there is ample op- 

 portunity for the safe hibernation of the more injurious insects, such as the cur- 

 culio and the codling moth. 



The Codling Moth. — This is undoubtedly the worst insect pest of the apple. 

 It causes an enormous loss in orchards over the entire Province, and one sees no 

 hope of abatement until the people learn to take better care of their orchards; by 

 pruning, spraying, cultivation and destruction of the rubbish. Much good could 

 be done if practical demonstrations w^ere carried on by the Government to show 

 how and when to spray and the value of spraying. I believe the time is fast ap- 

 proaching when the people will be ready to profit greatly by such demonstrations, 

 for Quebec is well adapted climatically for the growing of apples of superior 

 quality. Its Fameuse apple is known most favourably in all the great markets. 



In spite of all that has been written, the life-history of the codling moth is 

 not Avell enough known to the average farmer and fruit-grower. We entomologists 

 must keep hammering away year after year until the fruit-grower can fight this 

 enemy successfully by taking advantage of the weak spots in its life-history. 



In Southern Quebec, including the border counties, there is in all prob- 

 ability a partial second brood; and it is the worms of this second brood that 

 produce the wormy apples late in the season. The fruit may be entered at any 

 point, and often an ugly scar is made on the surface, by the larvse. A thorough 



