the caterpillars appeared in hundreds upon the Virginia creeper (Ampelopsis 
quinquefolia), which covers the front of our build- 
Coli i 
ing at Port Hope with its graceful foliage. No 
attention was paid to these creatures at first, but it 
suddenly became apparent that they were rapidly 
devouring the leaves, and rendering most unsightly 
what was before a beautiful mass of green. They 
began their work near the ground and proceeded 
upwards, devouring the leaves as they went. On ‘ 
the 9th of August I had the infested creepers 
sprinkled with Paris green and water. One appli- 
cation sufficed to exterminate the insects, and none 
were afterwards to be seen. I have mentioned this 
instance particularly in order to bring before you Fie. 5. 
the great advantage of using Paris green as a . 
remedy for almost all leaf-eating insects—except, of course, those affecting 
cabbage and similar vegetables which are used as food. A judicious applica- 
tion of a very weak mixture will be found most efficacious. Proper care 
must, of course, be exercised when dealing with so virulent a poison. Its 
use as a remedy for the apple codling-worm and the plum curculio has now been 
fully demonstrated, and any fruit grower who will carefully follow out the direc- 
tions published in our annual reports will, we are confident, be amply rewarded. 
It is a subject of no little gratification to us that fruit-growers in England have 
been at last persuaded to try this remedy, and in every instance that we have 
heard of the experiment has been crowned with success. It required two or three 
years of persistent effort on the part of Miss Ormerod aided by Mr. Fletcher to 
overcome the insular prejudice against adopting anything new and seemingly 
dangerous. Now that a beginning has been made, we hope for great results in 
the immediate future. 
Before leaving this practical portion of my address, I wish to refer to a kin- 
dred, though not an entomological matter. I have noticed in many parts of 
Ontario an alarming increase of the fungus growth on plum and other fruit trees, 
commonly called the “black knot.” An Act was passed by the Ontario Legisla- 
ture a few years ago ordering the cutting down and burning of all infested trees, 
and imposing penalties for neglecting to do so; but the law seems to be a dead 
letter and no one apparently dreams of enforcing it. It would be well for our 
municipal councils to instruct their path-masters and other officials to look after 
the black-knot and enforce the Jaw wherever its provisions are neglected. If 
this is not done there will soon be no cherry or plum trees left in the country, as 
the disease rapidly spreads, and when once it attacks a tree it is almost hopeless 
to attempt a cure. 
Another fungus disease to which I may call your attention is the “ downy 
mildew” of the grape. It is exceedingly injurious and very prevalent. Fortu- 
nately it may be readily checked by the use of the “Bordeaux mixture,” and 
other compounds which fruit-growers have employed with great success. 
Turning now to what I may call the non-economic aspect of entomology— 
though all investigations into the habits and distribution of insects have their 
practical bearing at some time or other—it is worthy of remark that butterflies 
have been extraordinarily scarce in Eastern Ontario this year. Whole days spent 
in collecting in localities where they were usually abundant have resulted in the 
capture of nothing worthy of mention. It is possible that the unwonted mild- 
ness of the winter, with its frequent changes from freezing to thawing, and the 
absence of snow, may have occasioned a great destruction among the hibernating 
