32 ■ THE REPOET OF THE No. 36 



Avas very abundant on forest trees, but ]ias not been nearly so much in evidence 

 the last two years. 



CuTvroEMS and Army Worms. We have had the ordinary number of com- 

 plaints of damage from Cutworms. From Monteith, in New Ontario, and also 

 from Port Arthur and Parry Sound came complaints of countless? numbers of the 

 Black Army Worm {Noctua fennica). The correspondents said that they had 

 destroyed all kinds of vegetation for several miles in extent. According to their 

 reports poisoned bran was useless, as they would not eat it. Rolling the soil de- 

 stroyed great numbers. I was not informed whether they tried furrows or trenches 

 to check their progress. I had recommended these along with the poisoned bran 

 and rolling. 



Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynclius sulcatus). This large weevil has been 

 reported from several parts of Canada, and hias been known in a number of in- 

 stances to feed on Cyclamens in greenhouses, but, so far as I could find out, it has 

 not previously been reported in Ontario as feeding on strawberries, though it has 

 been reported as doing so in Nova Scotia, and frequently attacks them in Europe 

 and also in Tasmania. In the latter country it is reported as being one of the two 



Fig. 21. Cabbage Maggot, 

 puparium and fly — en- 

 larged. 



worst straw^berry pests. Its attacks in the strawberry plantations on the College 

 farm at Guelph became noticeable about the time the fruit was beginning to ripen 

 and continued until most of the berries had been picked. The injury was done by 

 the larvffi, which bored into the plant and devoured most of the crown, thus causing 

 the plants to die. If one attempted to pull up these plants they always broke of! 

 at the injured part. Many of the larvae, when my attention was called to the in- 

 jury, were full grown and had worked their way an inch or two into the rich soil. 

 A few had already transformed there into pupai. In a few weeks those that were 

 put into rearing cages emerged as adults. The larvsp are legless, stout, white to 

 flesh-colored, usually curved, with brown head, body thickened medianly and 

 slightly tapering towards each end. The length when fully grown is about two- 

 fifths of an inch. The insects did not occur in very large numbers, and conse- 

 quently the number of plants destroyed was probably not more than 100. The 

 attack began on the rows nearest to where an old plantation had been ploughed 

 up the previous year. Usually several plants near together would be attacked. 



EooT Maggots. As usual the Cabbage Root Maggot (Pegomya brassicae) 

 has been very destructive. At Guelph we had also this summer for the first time 

 in several years considerable loss from the Onion M.aggot (Pegomya cepetorum). 

 The Beet Leaf-miner (Pegomya vicina) was also fairly abundant. On the 



