5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1906 



REI^OIIT 



OF THE 



ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 



(James Fletcher, LL.D., F.L.S., F.E.S.C.) 



1905. 



Ottawa^ December 1, 1905. 

 Dr. Willum Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director of Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to hand you herewith a report on some of the most im- 

 portant subjects which have been brought officially under my notice during the past 

 season. 



There is a satisfactory and ever increasing evidence of the appreciation of the 

 value of the investigations carried on by the officers of the Division. This is indicated 

 by the large number of letters received from farmers, fruit gi'owers and others in all 

 parts of Canada and by the constant demand for the services of the officers at various 

 meetings. 



The work of the Division has been during the past year of the same nature as that 

 of previous years. Investigations have been continued of the life-hiistories of various 

 insect pests, together with practical tests of the most effective remedies. In the bo- 

 tanical branch, the experiments with fodder plants of all kinds have been carried on 

 as heretofore and have proved of great interest to visitors. The past season in the 

 Ottawa district was particularly propitious for the development of grasses, clovers and 

 other fodder plants. As some of the old plots had gradually become unjjroductive, it 

 was thought well to plough up one-third of the exsperimental grass garden and clean it 

 by sowing to rape. This was done early in July, and at four successive dates portions 

 were sown and notes kept upon the crops. Next year another third of the grass garden 

 will be treated in the same way and that part cleaned this year will be again used for 

 grass plots. The following year the remainder will be treated. 



Correspondence. — The correspondence of the Division has again during 1905 shown 

 a considerable increase in the number of letters both received and despatched. From 

 December 1, 1904, to November 30, 1905, the number of letters, exclusive of circulars, 

 registered as received was 3,406 and the number despatched 3,291. 



Meetings attended. — Meetings of farmers' institutes and agricultural associations 

 of various kinds have been attended whenever other official duties would allow of ab- 

 sence from Ottawa. 



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