December, '08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 397 



THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY OF ONTARIO 



The forty-fifth annual meeting- of the Entomological Society of 

 Ontario was held at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, on 

 November 5 and 6. The meeting was most enthusiastic and inter- 

 esting, and was well attended. The late Dr. James Fletcher, the 

 President, had for some time been working to make this the best 

 meeting in the Society's history. His illness, which took an aggrav- 

 ated form just before the meeting, was the one disappointment in 

 connection with the gathering. The Society has always counted a 

 great deal on his genial presence and almost unfailing store of knowl- 

 edge on all matters under discussion. Apart from this, however, the 

 serious nature of his illness aroused grave apprehensions in the minds 

 of the members. 



The first afternoon was devoted almost entirely to a conference on 

 "Some of the Chief Insect Pests of the Season." The first of these 

 discussions was the Leaf -Blister Mite (Eriophyes pijri). This insect 

 was reported from most of the fruit-growing districts of Ontario and 

 in some localities was said to be very abundant. In discussing 

 methods of control it was stated that though present last year in the 

 College orchard, it had this year apparently disappeared entirely. 

 This result w^as thought to be due to a spring application of lime- 

 sulphur. Several speakers recommended the use of this wash or of 

 kerosene emulsion, either in the fall or spring, as satisfactory remedies. 



The Shot-hole Borer {Scolytus rugulosus) was the next pest dis- 

 cussed. Mr Ctesar gave an account of his observation last autunni 

 on the ravages of this pest in cherry orchards in the Niagara district. 

 He cited several cases where the beetles had attacked perfectly healthy 

 clierrj^ trees of both the sweet and sour varieties. Last year this 

 attack began in August. This year, when in the neighborhood of 

 St. Catherines, on June 10th, he discovered that the beetles were again 

 very abundant and were attacking both diseased and healthy trees. 

 The latter were already at this date thickly spotted with gum exuda- 

 tions and had evidently been attacked in May. Egg-laying, however, 

 was still to some extent going on in weakened and badly diseased 

 trees. Again this autumn the beetles have caused serious damage to 

 both cherry and plum trees, and to a lesser extent to peach. IMont- 

 morency cherries are, however, exempt. The attack this fall began 

 as last year in August, and continued for several Aveeks. The experi- 

 ence of the two seasons suggest : that the months of May and August 

 are probably the times when fruit-growers in infested districts should 



