Vt.C. l<]xT():\i()L()i;icAr, Societv. 



Mr. Ciiiuiiiii,'liaiii, reim-dial uicasiires in tiie t'urm iif soaij-emulsion siirayw were 

 applied wlu'ix'vev deemed advisalile, Imt it lias lu lie aekuowledsed tliat a part of 

 the spray, at any rate, was applied too late for liest results. Most of the in.Uiry 

 had been caused, and the thrips were naturally leaving the trees during the first 

 days of Ma.y. The fruit-growers were therefore advised fully as to their danger 

 and the .serious nature of the inseet, and strongly urged tn lake eltiiaent steps to 

 safeguard their interests for the coining spring of lOlG. 



Tlie lifediistory of Ilic tliriiis. according lo Cnlironiiaii reporls, is such tliat the 

 nymplis. after leaving tlii> trees in Jlay, penetrate into Ihe soil and do imt appear 

 until the blossoming period of tlie fnllowiiig year, 'i'lie safest spray to apply under 

 our present knowledge of coiiditioiis around Victoria is a mixture of whale-oil soaji 

 and nicotine sulpliate. 



The following forniula is recommended until mir kn 

 by experimeiilal data: Xicoline sul]iliate (H.r.. 4o ) . ■ 

 whale-oil soap, r, lb. .\ pressure of at least 200 lb. is 

 possible three, early-spring applications are re(piired. 



There is no ex|ilanatioii of an exact nature wliicli c 

 oullireak of these lhri|is .iroiiiid \i<tnria. 



-Mr. Brydon, wbo is responsililc in the tirst plaie to 

 Ihe insects, believes them lo liave been present in bis orchard at least six or seven 

 years jirevioiis. The bliglited comlitiou of blossoms in Ihe s]iring bad been noted 

 in bis orchard for that lengtli of time, but the cause was usually attributed to some 

 slight frost at a critical period. There seems little doubt that the thrip has been 

 l^reseut in the district for several .years, and that with the unusually mild winters 

 and early springs that have been experienced in that locality during the past two 

 years, conditions were suitable for optimum develoimieut. It is possible that the 

 jiasl winter (l'.il."i-l(>), which has been somewhal unusually cold, may have the 

 (b'sin'd effect of checking the outbreak, but it is well to be on thi' safe side and 

 preiiare for a continuance of the outbreak. I am pleased to inl\u-m you that. L>r. 

 C. Gordon Hewitt is making arrangements for a complete study of this insect in 

 respect to its biolog.y and control, and the initial steiis in this connection will be 

 begun this spring (lOlO). 



The Black OrKR.VKT I'iu-mitk (i:ii<iiili i/is riliis \iilriiii). 



This mite has freipiently been taken at iiispeclion stations in Canada, arriving 

 in consignments of black (airranls from Europe. It is only this jiast spring, however, 

 that we are forced to record its presence in the open Held plantations in British 

 Columbia. 



On the evening of April Ttli. T.il.'i. I was accorded the pleasuri^ of delivering an 

 address before the Natural History .^oi'iety of Duncan. \.l. In the discussion that 

 followed. Mr. IJ. Gleudenning, fiecretary of the Society, asked whether or not the 

 black currant bud-mite was known to occur in Canada, I was forced to admit that 

 the mite was not known to infest our field plantations in Canada, He thereupon 

 stated that some in.iury very similar to that of the bud-mite, as he knew it in 

 England, was present on some currant-bushes he had in his garden, which be had, 

 in the first place, bought from a local nursery, and which had m-iginated in England. 



Mr. Glendennlng aceordiugl.v, the following morning, on my request, produced 

 some supposedl,v infested twigs. There was no doubt that the biuls were infested 

 by Erioiilnics riliix. My determination was later supported by Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt. 

 Dominion I'hitoniologist. who was satisfied that the species was identical with the 

 bud or gall mite of Europe. 



On incpiiry it was found tliat Ibis mite must have been working in the field 

 plantations to some extent for the past five or six years. The bushes found infested 

 at Duncan had been sold by the "Vancouver Island Nursery Company." .Somenos. 

 V.I. As far as could be learned, approximately ."i,0()0 currant-bushes had been dis- 

 posed of by this firm between the years of ]!>]0-i:!. and all these biisbes apparently 



