REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 115 



the seed ripens? The industrious farmers could then take up the h^attle 



at home. 



Insects 



I will mention only the white cabbage butterfly and the Colorado 

 beetle. North and east of Montreal the cabbage butterfl\- has been ex- 

 tremely abundant. An estimate of forty, fifty and ninety percent can be 

 made of the leaves devoured by the caterpillar in some gardens. In certain 

 places the butterfly could be counted by thousands about mid-August. 

 Many farmers do not wish to go to any trouble and thus allow their cab- 

 bages to be mercilessly laid waste. If spoken to about this they reply: 

 "These little beings must eat to live," or again: "You cannot prevent the 

 caterpillar from eating the cabbages." Between entirely preventing and 

 doing absolutely nothing there is room for neglect and ignorance. The 

 answers quoted above are but other ways of saying: "Don't bother me." 

 In reality the person questioned does not know what to do, but in order 

 to learn this it would be necessary to inquire or at least to listen with docility 

 to explanations; and when one has been a farmer or gardener during forty 

 years, is it possible to need instruction in any line? The only means of 

 conducting an effective compaign is by introducing elementary and indis- 

 pensable notions in the primary schools even if only in the shape of matter 

 for reading. 



Near Montreal and in the direction of Bouchers'ille, I have noticed a 

 prodigious increase of Colorado beetles. The unsprayed fields have been 

 completely laid waste. In fields twice sprayed in June and July, I found 

 an average of five larvae and four perfect insects per plant from the first 

 to the fifteenth of August. I questioned a large number of farmers as to the 

 advisability of August spraying. Some hold this to be useless under the 

 pretense that the potato has then ceased to grow. I believe that they are 

 mistaken. Assimilation is still abundant and consequently the leaves are 

 still necessary. Moreover, the number of insects destroyed would well 

 repay the outlay. The name of this insect (potato-bug) leads me to be- 

 lieve that the potato is its favourite plant. Many even believe that this 

 is the only plant which it attacks. On announcing its arrival in Canada, 

 in December, 1870, the abbe Provencher said: "The potato suits these 

 insects particularly, and it seems to be their almost exclusive food." The 

 tastes of this insect have since been better studied. The Colorado beetle 

 seems to prefer the egg-plant. I must confess that I have never seen the 

 two together, but the reason is that the Colorado beetle did not exist or 

 that the egg-plant was wanting where I conducted my researches. Some 

 perfectly trustworthy gardeners, men well-informed, have vouched for the 

 truth of this statement, and I have no reason to doubt their word. Thic 



