REPORT OF THE ENIOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 199 
Remedy.—The only remedy which can be suggested for this insect when it attacks 
such plants as beetroots and mangels is to dust the young plants at the end of May and 
during the first part of June, when the grubs appear, with a poisonous mixture such as 
Paris green and some powdery diluent, e.g., flour, land plaster or ashes, one part to 50. 
In the case of spinach, it may be necessary to cover the plants with netting or cheese 
cloth for a time; or a more attractive food plant such as lamb’s quarters, or the native 
weed of the West, Monolepis, which is stated to be the favourite food plant of this insect, 
may be sown close to the spinach to draw off the attack. 
Hew EES. 
The fruit crop of Canada for the year 1897, although in no way comparable for 
quantity with that of last year, has been, on the whole, a good crop, and where spraying 
has been adopted good profits have been made. It is to be regretted, however, that 
some of our less progressive fruit growers have not yet adopted this most useful means 
of saving money. This is in some measure due to the ignorance of fruit buyers, who, it 
seems, cannot be taught that there is not the slightest danger from the use of fruit from 
trees which have been sprayed, and that, if sufficient poison were used to make the 
practice dangerous, the fruit grower would be the first to suffer, because the amount of 
poison necessary for that would cause both leaves and fruit to fall from the trees long 
before the fruit was ripe. 
It would take too much space to give extracts from letters of practical business men 
who have learnt from experience the value of the practice of spraying against injurious 
insects and fungous diseases ; but hundreds might be cited. 
Among fruit insects of the present season the San José Scale has been the subject 
of extensive correspondence ; but many other insects which, except for the anxiety 
thus aroused, would not have attracted notice, have also been inquired about. Some of 
those species which may be called the standard pests of the orchard and fruit garden, 
have been lessin evidence than usual. Next tothe San José Scale, Tenr CaTERPILLARS 
called for most information, and occurred in injurious numbers both in orchards and 
upon forest trees. In the Ottawa district basswoods (Zilia) were much injured and 
groves of aspen (Populus tremuloides, Michx.) for many miles along the Ottawa River were 
stripped perfectly bare of foliage in the month of June. At Bewdley, Northumberland 
Co., Ont., Mr. T. W. Ramm, says :—‘‘I never saw so many Tent Caterpillars as there 
x were here this spring.” Mr. Ramm also bred from the cocoons several 
specimens of the useful “ichneumon fly ” Pimpla pedalis, Cress. Mr. 
< F. W. Payne sent specimens of the Forest Tent Caterpillar from Hall’s 
Glen, Peterboro’ Co., Ont.:—‘ July 17. As I drove along the road 24 
miles from here, I noticed that the maple trees were defoliated to the 
extent of 4 to 3 of their foliage, and hundreds of moths were flitting 
through the branches. The cocoons hung in the maples, by hundreds, 
one to each leaf with the edges drawn together by a web.” 
Tent Caterpillar injuries are also reported from the Annapolis 
Valley, Nova Scotia, by Mr. 8. C, Parker, of Berwick, and Mr. M. G. 
DeWolfe, of Kentville, N.S.; and in Manitoba Mr. H. W. O. Boger 
found them unusually abundant at Brandon, attacking currant bushes, 
roses, choke cherries and the mountain ash. 
TelG! ores: Tent ~. In British Columbia these insects swarmed on every hedge and also 
Caterpillar. did much harm in orchards. 
“ Victoria, B.C., April 28.—Tent Caterpillars are hatching and are very 
numerous.—[R. M. Palmer. ] 
