of dealing with it is the application of Persian Insect Powder (Pyrethrum.) This may 

 be used in its pure state or mixed with four times its weight of common flour. The 

 powder should be puffed with a small bellows into the heads of the infested cabbages as 

 soon as the caterpillars are observed, and at diff"erent times during the season. A few 

 applications usually suffice to destroy the insect. 



Another serious enemy to the cabbage is the Root Maggot {Anthomyia brassic.ce 

 Bouche) which is reported as being specially injurious this year in the neighbourhood of 

 Ottawa. In 1885 Mr. Saunders stated that the cabbage crop had been materially in- 

 jured by it, and in 1890 Mr. Fletcher gave an account of it in his annual report, and 

 mentioned that " in most parts of Canada it was the insect which gave the greatest 

 trouble to the cabbage grower." Like most of our i)ests it has been imported into this 

 country from Europe, but has long been naturalized amongst us. The perfect insect is a 

 small two-winged fly, of a grayish colour. It lays its eggs in the spring upon the young 

 plants, depositing them beneath the surface of the ground as far down as it can reach its 

 ovipositor, or creep in some convenient crevice. In a few days the young maggots hatch 

 out, feeding at first upon the outside, and subsequently as they grow larger boring into 

 the stem. When there are many about the same plant, as is commonly the case, only 

 a few of them penetrate the root, while the remainder live in the soil upon the exuding 

 juices of the injured plant. The effect of the attack is the death of the plant as soon as 

 dry weather sets in. Mr. Fletcher has found that the maggots can be destroyed by the 

 application of a decoction of white hellebore. He used two ounces to three gallons of 

 water, and after drawing away some of the surface soil forced the liquid about the roots of 

 the plant with a garden syringe and then replaced the soil. The results of this treatment 

 have, so far, been very satisfactory. Nitrate of soda as a surface dressing and watering 

 with lime water have also been recommended as effective remedies. 



The Pear-leaf blister [Phytoptus pyri, Sheuten) has been spreading over Ontario and 

 the Maritime Provinces during the present season. It is a tiny mite which forms a gall 

 ,on the leaf, and from the parent gall the young mites spread and form new ones, which 

 soon give a blistered appearance to the leaf. In the autumn they remove to the leaf 

 buds at the ends of the twigs and jjass the winter beneath the leafy scales. Spraying with 

 kerosene emulsion in the spring when the buds first open is recommended as a remedy, 

 hut nothing has as yet been found to exterminate the creature. It should be watched 

 by our fruit growers and experimeuts made for its destruction. 



The Fall Web-worm {Ilyphantria textor, Harris) Fig. 7, to which I find it necessary 



to make an annual allusion, is this year more 

 abundant and wide-spread than ever. Though 

 so conspicuous and so easily dealt with, I find 

 that few people will take the trouble to destroy 

 it, and consequently it is rapidly becoming a 

 iBost serious pest. It attacks deciduous trees 

 of every description and also shrubs and herba- 

 ceous plants. It is especially injurious to 

 , I, ,,ni 1,1,1, Ml ,11 1 ill///,/ S— 1 young trees, which it soon strips of every 



%P^^M0Wr^^ y vestile of foliage. Several you.^ elm trei 



pliinted along the streets of Port Hope were 



rendered quite bare a few weeks ago by this 



" caterpillar, who-e work was done in a few days 



Fig. 7. . and thus escaped notice at first. These trees 



have put out a fresh crop of leaves, but I fear 



that they will be seriously exhausted of their strength, if not finally killed. Mr. Fletcher 



drew attention recently in the OilavM Fidd Naturalist to the ravages of this insect, with 



very good results, as many people were led by his remarks to destroy the webs and their 



inmates wherever they found them. It is to be hoped that all the members of this Society 



will use their influence in the same way in any part of the country where they may be. 



