14 



every day that the matter of food suppHes will play a prominent part in 

 bringing the war to an early close. The nations at war require food sup- 

 plies, and will continue to require them for many years on account of the 

 enormous number of agricultural labourers who have gone to the fighting 

 zones. Canada can do a great service to the Empire by increasing both 

 the areas devoted to the production of grain and the quantity of livestock. 

 While the present campaign — Patriotism and Production — will no doubt 

 result in stimulating farm production along every line there is a special 

 need Tor a strong movement to protect the crops grown from insects and 

 plant diseases. When it is realized that on an average one-tenth to one- 

 fifth of our farm crops is lost every year, by such agencies it is clear that if 

 the farmers would put into practice the methods which Societies such as 

 ours advocate, the net increase of crop yield would be millions of bushels. 

 There is no more feasible method of increasing production than the pre- 

 vention of losses. While, therefore, we give attention to increased acreage, 

 we should not forget to use all the means in our power to keep the insects 

 and fungous diseases in check. 



Some Important Insecticides. 



During the past season certain insect outbreaks of a threatening nature 

 occurred in the Province. I refer to the Army-Worm which did consider- 

 able damage in Pontiac and Portneuf counties. Fortunately the outbreak 

 was observed early, and preventive measures were taken. In connection 

 with the control of this pest in Ontario it was found that where the poison 

 bran-molasses bait was used, the addition of lemon juice increased its 

 attractiveness for the army-worms, with corresponding greater mortality 

 of the insects. As the poison bait is generally recognised as the best method 

 of preventing attacks of cutworms in spring the addition of lemon juice is 

 strongly advised. 



Again, in the case of onion maggots the usual treatment has been di- 

 rected against the egg and the maggot, but recent experiments carried out 

 in Wisconsin reveal the fact that a poison bait spray is effective against 

 the adult fly from the time it emerges until it lays its eggs, a period of 10 

 to 14 days. The poison bait spray used was composed of five grains of 

 sodium arsenite dissolved in a gallon of boiling water with which. is thor- 

 oughly mixed a pint of New Orleans molasses. This bait is applied as a 

 coarse spray of large drops once a week in strips across the onion field 

 throughout the summer. 



