40 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



©-10 EDWARD VII., A. 1910 



DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY AND BOTANY. 



THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH IN SHIPMENTS OF NURSERY STOCK FROM 



FRANCE, 1909. 



Early in January, 1909, the officers of the Bureau of Horticulture of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Albany, New York, discovered nests of the living larvae of the 

 Brown-tail Moth in nursery and seedling stocks imported from France. Mr. Geo. G. 

 Atwood, Chief of the Bureau of Horticulture, at once communicated this information 

 to the Division of Entomology and Botany of the Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 when the following circular was immediately prepared and sent to nurserymen and 

 others likely to be interested in this matter throughout Canada. Copies were also fur- 

 warded to newspapers and the agricultural press. 



Central Experimental Farm, 



Ottawa, January 19, 1909. 



It has recently come to our knowledge through the kindness of Mr. G. G. 

 Atwood, Ghief of the Bureau of Horticulture of the State of New York, that 

 about 75 nests of the young caterpillars of the Brown-tail Moth have been found 

 on apple, pear and cherry seedlings, and quince stocks, recently received in New 

 York State from France. The nests contained living caterpillars in the usual 

 winter form. 



The infested stock so far as examined was paeked in or near Angers, France, 

 and it is probable that some of the larva; of this terribly destructive insect may 

 find their way into different parts of Canada and become established there unless 

 the utmost care is taken to promptly destroy them. 



This insect has already done incalculable damage to orchards and woodlands 

 in some of the eastern States where many hundreds of thousands of dollars have 

 been spent during the past ten years in the endeavour to exterminate them, with 

 only partial success. The Brown-tail Moth has recently been found in consider- 

 able numbers in parts of Nova Scotia, where constant efforts are being made to 

 destroy them. It will be a great calamity to our fruit industry were this perni- 

 cious insect to become established in our important fruit districts, since this would 

 result in a heavy annual loss. 



Kindly inform me if you have or will be importing from France this season 

 any of the seedlings or stocks referred to, as in such case I shall be glad to advise 

 you as to the precautions which should be taken to prevent this pest from becom- 

 ing established in your nursery. In case you have facilities for fumigating 

 nursery stock with hydrocyanic acid gas on your premises, it would be well to 

 place all boxes of fruit seedlings and stock received in the fumigating chamber 

 for a sufficient length of time to ensure the destruction of all insect life. In case 

 no fumigating chamber is available the cuttings from such seedlings and stocks 

 should be carefully burned. 



I am mailing you with this a copy of the report of our late Entomologist, 

 Dr. James Fletcher, for 1906, in which you will And good illustrations of the 

 Brown-tail Moth in its different stages, including the winter nest of the young 

 caterpillars, the full grown larva and the male and female moths, and on pages 

 222 to 227 the life history and habits of this destructive species are given. 



