166 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



3-4 EDWARD VII., A. 1904 



portance is tlie Rhubarb Weevil (Lixus concavus, Say), which was found injuring rhu- 

 barb at Harrietsville, Ont. There was, however, been considerable loss in various parts 

 of the Dominion from regularly occurring insect enemies; and, where fanners have 

 applied promptly the remedies recommended, great saving has been effected. The season, 

 on the whole, has not been quite as propitious as usual for good crops. Until the middle 

 of June, the exceptional drought which prevailed through eastern Canada, prevented 

 the germination of seed of all kinds, which retarded the development of many crops and 

 exposed them to attacks from insect enemies. Later in the year, cool damp weather 

 prevailed, which again delayed maturity and was the cause of some loss. Some of 

 the leading features of insect presence during the year were the following : — 



Among cereal crops there were no widespread or very serious losses. Hessian Ely 

 was reported as the cause of some loss in Prince Edward Island, at one place in west- 

 ern Ontario and in restricted localities in Manitoba and the North-west Territories. 

 The "WTieat-stem Sawfly was abundant and destructive, although little observed, in 

 south-western Manitoba. The Grain Aphis appeared suddenly during July and August 

 in enormous numbers throughout Ontario, in Manitoba and in the North-west Ter- 

 ritories and was the cause of considerable alarm; happily, however, the parasites which 

 usually control this species, appeared soon afterwards and eventually, owing to the 

 excellent weather for the grain to fill which prevailed last autumn, the injury was un- 

 important. In Manitoba locusts did some harm, but this was far less than in pre- 

 vious years. Farmers throughout the district, assisted by the provincial government, 

 applied the standard remedy, the Griddle mixture, and in every instance with most 

 satisfactory results. Experiments undertaken with a view to destroying these insects 

 in a wholesale manner with the fungous disease which has been used in other parts of 

 the world, were without avail, and this, I find, has been the general outcome of most 

 experiments of this nature. Occasional successes which have been reported, seem to 

 liave besn largely due to exceptionally advantag-eous atmospheric conditions at the time 

 of the experiments. An outbreak which caused widespread alarm in Manitoba, was by 

 the caterpillars of two broods of a common prairie moth, which this year appeared in 

 vast numbers and, having consumed all of their natural food plant, the common weed 

 known as Lamb's Quarters, ate many other plants, aniongst which were some kinds of 

 garden plants. This insect was the pyralid known as the Sugar-beet Web-worm (Loxo- 

 stege siiciicalis, Linn.). 



Root crops and vegetables were diminished to a certain extent by the ordinary pesta 

 of the field and garden. Gutworms of various kinds were reported during the dry 

 spring weather from all parts of the Dominion, and where not controlled did much 

 damage. Root maggots, as usual, were irregular in their appearance, but in most 

 places were the cause of great loss amongst onions, radishes, cabbages and turnips. The 

 Golorado Potato Beetle was noticeably less abundant in most places. The Asparagus 

 Beetle, a recent importation into Ganada, although not a cause of much loss, has 

 gradually extended its field of destructiveness, and last summer was reported as far 

 east as Toronto. 



Fruit crops generally have been good and remunerative, growers in all districts 

 are seeing more and more the advantage of practising such common sense factors of 

 success as spraying for the prevention of insect enemies and fungous diseases. The 

 San Jose Scale has been held in check to a satisfactory extent wherever instructions of 

 specialists have been followed, and although this insect has not spread beyond the 

 limits of the previous year's infestation, the injury done and the future danger from its 

 work are very great. The work of the Oyster-shell Bark-louse has been much com- 

 plained of in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario. The Pear-tree Elea-louse has 

 been locally in Ontario the cause of considerable loss and has for the first time this 

 year been recorded from Nova Scotia. The Pear-leaf Blister-mite is abundant in 

 British Golumbia and occurs now in every province of the Dominion. Wlien trees have 

 been sprayed just before the buds burst, with the lime, sulphur and salt wash, good 

 results have followed. Plant-lice of various kinds were rather more abundant than 



