CORN AND GRASS. 



I know of, and I certainly never saw Mites in hay in October or later, 

 and in most years they disappear very much earher." 



The following notes, with which I was favoured by Mr. CoHn 

 Campbell, of Jiu-a, N.B., also point to method of saving the hay having 

 an efifect on the amount of Mite presence, and also (together with some 

 other observations) to the infestation being most noticed in Rye-grass 

 hay ; and further show that this infestation is one of long standing. 

 Mr. Colin Campbell, writing on the 30th of Sept., remarked : — "With 

 regard to Cheese Mites in hay," .... " I see them every year in the 

 Rye-grass hay in Jura, and they do stock no harm whatever. I see 

 Mr. Speir, in ' Farming World,' states they disappear when the cold 

 weather sets in ; I can't say as to this, but if so they certainly reappear 

 in summer again, as I noticed them falling on to the heads of the 

 horses from the lofts above, and that was last year's hay. I have 

 never noticed the Mites in meadow hay, but of course they might be 

 present." 



Mr, Campbell also wrote me, a few days later, relatively (amongst 

 other points) to this attack being most prevalent in the more northerly 

 parts of the island :— " There is no doubt that it is more of a northern 

 infestation, and in Scotland it is not the practice to allow hay to heat, 

 which may account for them being present. It is generally the case 

 that good well-saved hay is most infested. I enclose a cutting of the 

 letter I addressed to ' Agricultural Gazette ' after reading your Report 

 of 1890." This was as follows : — 



" Mites in hay. — Some five-and-twenty years ago, when a lad going 

 about the home farm at Jura, N.B., I often used to wonder at the 

 quantity of light-coloured, dusty-looking material, that used to drop on 

 the window sills of a large hay-barn (stone and slated), which was 

 fitted with windows and louvre boards, and often in passing I used to 

 disturb it with my stick or hand, and was always puzzled on finding 

 that when next I passed the mass appeared level again and my marks 

 obliterated. One day I made a small heap of it, and then noticed for 

 the first time that it moved about and was a mass of insect life, corre- 

 sponding with the Mite mentioned in Miss Ormerod's last Report on 

 Injurious Insects, &c. The hay stored in this barn was always first and 

 second year's Rye-grass hay, which never heated, as it was allowed to 

 stand a considerable time in tramp ricks in the field to season, as it 

 had to go into this built barn. The Mites appeared to me to give off 

 a sweet smell, rather like honey. 



" I have never noticed these Mites in meadow hay, of which a 

 quantity was stored in other lofts, but they may have been present 

 without attracting ray attention. 



" For the information of your readers I may state that this hay was 

 fed to a large fold of in-calf Highland cows, young cattle, horses, and 



