18 B.C. Entojiological Society. 



together." Evidently eggs are " depositecl eliiefly lu the stem?, less seldom in the 

 midribs, and occasionally in the leaves." (3.) On mullein^'" eggs being inserted 

 in the petiole or leaf-stem and In the midrib." 



' From these notes it would appear that ovipositiou in the early spring takes 

 place in volunteer plants, weeds, and developing fruit. Yet a further reference is 

 found in the Journal of Economic Entumoloyij for 101.3'by Professor Ha.semtin, of 

 Missouri. He believed that the bug " does not deposit its eggs in the tissues of 

 plants, as some maintain, not even in the soft stems of weeds." He claims that the 

 ovipositor is not strong enough to drill into the. tissues of plants. In Missouri, he 

 claims, the bug " deposits its eggs in the fall of the year at least, only in the 

 blossoms of flowers such as daisies, asters, and particularly ' mare's-tail ' (Eriperon 

 canadensis)." Professor Haseman has further determined that the life-cycle may 

 be completed in about a month. 



We may judge, therefore, that, although this insect is among the commonest in 

 our entomological fauna, there still remains a doubt as to its oviposition period. 

 There seems little doubt that eggs are laid, as stated and observed, in the fall and 

 in the spring, and for the most part in weeds. While the actual points of oviposition 

 remain in doubt, yet it would seem that weeds act as the host-plants in the fall 

 and in the spring : consequently the net value of these records to the farmer and 

 fruit-grower remains the same. Destroy weeds. 



In the spring, in due course, the eggs hatch to nymphs or immature stages of 

 the bug. Probably four or five moults are undergone before the mature adult is 

 formed. The adult, of course, sucks its food, and it possesses a long beak fully 

 one-third the length of its body, which is folded beneath it when not in use. The 

 adults are very active, darting off immediately they are disturbed. The only hope 

 of capturing them is in the very early morning in spring, when they are partially 

 dormant. They may then be shaken off the plants. 



As Mr. Brittain noted last year, the chief injury at present is in the effect of 

 the attack on the terminal shoots, and especially noted in nurseries. Peaches, pears, 

 and apples are attacked, and no doubt also a variety of other plants, by the bugs, 

 which suck the juices from the buds, causing a cessation of growth, followed by a 

 twiggy formation or by a complete check. It may be noticed that there is a certain 

 difference in the growth of the various varieties of fruit-tree growing under like 

 conditions. Pear-trees develop most rapidly in midsummer ; apples a little later. 

 Furthermore, conditions of growth vary in accordance with climatic arrangements 

 for the year, and induced growth at periodic intervals may be forced under artificial 

 or irrigated conditions. All such conditions have an important place in our orchards, 

 when it is realized that a succulent condition of growth is a determining factor in 

 reference to the spread of fire-blight in certain varieties by such insects as the 

 tarnished plant-bug. Given a succulent growth, the presence of L. pratensis, and 

 the blight organism, it will be noted that the attack will be more severe than on a 

 growth hardening up or previous to sap activity with the same two agents present. 



For control measures may be recommended the destruction of all weeds and the 

 cleaning-up of fence corners in the orchard. The trapping by sticky shield or by 

 beating in the early morning and the application of kerosene emulsion in dilute 

 form to tlie leaves at the time when nymphs are present. Sprays of dilute nicotine 

 extracts may also be used, applications in this form being applied about every ten 

 days, especially under greenhouse conditions. 



THE PART PLAYED BY INSECTS IN THE SPREAD OF PLANT-DISEASES. 



Bv J. W. Easth.\m, Peovincial I'laki Pathologist, Yebnon, B.C. 



Plant-diseases are of two kinds. In the first place, we have the so-called 

 physiological or non-parasitic ones, which are due to some irregularity or disturb- 

 ance in the processes going on in the plant and induced bj' external conditions, such 

 as deficiency or excess of certain chemical substances in the soil, too much water. 



