18 B.C. Entomological Society. 



from pests would be small and the cost of pest-coutrol correspoudingly so. As a 

 matter of fact. I find that pest-coutrol is costing us a great deal. 



It has been a matter of considerable ditBcnlty to get anything definite on what 

 our efforts at pest-coutrol are really costing us, and I must ask you to taUe my figures 

 only as general estimates, which I have made, however, to the best of my ability. 

 For the Province, expenditures in lill.3 are estimated as follows: — 



Materials .1521,170 



Application 20,000 



25 per cent, of e(iuipment costs 12,500 



Total $53,G70 



Si,\ty per cent, of this, which is for the Interior, equals .$32,202. 



The total value of the fri'iit-crops of the Interior in 1912, about 1,000 cars at an 

 average of $500 apiece, both of which I think sufficiently high, was $500,000, and the 

 cost of pest-coutrol was therefore approximately G.4 of the total value packed. From 

 this total there is about $250,000, packing and selling charges, to be deducted. The 

 growers thus received $250,000 for their product, and pest-control, other than fire- 

 blight, costing them $32,202, took 12.8 per cent, of their returns; this was too much. 

 We may easily understand, then, the great drop in the use of lime-sulphur, the 

 principal item, this year to about 58 per cent, of the 1912 consumption. 



Tliere seems considerable evidence that growers feel less confidence in the lime- 

 sulphur spray, finding that it does not act as a tonic to the trees, and that it does 

 not destroy aphis-eggs. >Spraying each year with lime-sulphur is evidently declining 

 in popularity. Inspector Darlington writes me that in Wenatchee, where San Jose 

 .scale has to be controlled, about 50 per cent, of the orchards get lime-sulphur every 

 year, others once in two, and others once in three years. Non-bearing orchards, he 

 states, are sprayed even^le.ss. The tendency there seems to be to i-estrict spraying 

 almost altogether to bearing trees, neither codling-moth nor San Jose scale being of 

 much consequence until trees begin to fruit. In that district, which much resembles 

 the Okanagan, the spraying is confined almost altogether to bearing trees. For this 

 reason, I consider it proper to charge the great part of the cost of spraying to the 

 fruit produced. 



I might note that, coincident with the decrease of 41.7 per cent, in the amount 

 of lime-sulphur used in British Columbia in 1913 from that used iu 1912, there is 

 an increase of 24 per cent, iu the sales of Black Leaf 40, indicating that growers 

 consider aphis the principal pest, and find control during the growing season most 

 satisfactory. 



It is possible that more lime-sulphur has been used than was required for most 

 economical pest-control. Wenatchee used one barrel to 25 acres ; British Columbia 

 used one barrel to 20 acres, and they have San Jose scale to control, which we have 

 not. A saving, then, might be effected by more judicious use. Sprayiug at a loss 

 occurs too commonly, and could be avoided If fruit-growers could be induced to study 

 their trees aud their needs, and to reason for themselves on how to care for them 

 economically. 



Fruit-growers from time to time raise the question of home manufacture of lime- 

 sulphur. I reported on the subject to several interested parties some time since, one 

 of whom has since taken it up successfully. The report is very short and is as 

 follows : — 



"Report on Cost of manufacturing Lime-sulphur at Okanagan Points. 



"Present Cost ii:hen produced on Coast. — The cost, f.o.b. Victoria, is $9 per 

 40-gallon barrel, which weighs 625 lb. approximately. The freight rate in car-load 

 lots to Vernon is 38 per cent, per 100 lb. The freight to Kelowna and Summerlaud is 

 slightly greater. Freight charges to Vernon are, therefore, about $2.44 per barrel, 

 making a total cost of, f.o.b. Vernon, $11.44 per barrel, wholesale rates in car-load 

 lots for cash or short terms. 



