REPORT 



OF THE 



ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



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



Dr. W. Saunders, 



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 OttMwa. 



Sir, — I have the hon(jur Lo hand you herewith a report on some of the most 

 important subjects which have been brought officially under my notice during tiie past 

 season. The correspondence of this division is now very large, which I trust may be 

 taken as an indication of the growing appreciation of the utility of the investigations 

 prosecuted. As heretofore, I have endeavoured to come into direct communication with 

 my many correspondents in all parts of Canada, so as to benefit as much as possible from 

 the observations of practical workers and actual eye-witnesses of the different matters 

 studied. It is of course impossible to treat in the annual report of all the subjects which 

 engage the attention of the Entomologist and Botanist during the year; but the many valu- 

 able data and records of observations in letters from correspondents are all carefully 

 preserved and classified for future use when the subjects to which they refer are treated of in 

 full. Included among these are references to various attacks upon crops, of more or less 

 importance by insects, the study of the life histories of which is as yet incomplete. As in 

 previous years, much time has been ta'.cen up in distributing information concerning 

 well known injurious insects and plants. Among the insects which cause much loss 

 every year and which are now being studied with the view of arriving at better remedies, 

 the following may be mentioned : — Wireworins, cutworms in grain, the pea moth, the 

 strawberry leaf-roller, the carrot rust-fly, the " fish-bug " (Silpha Lapponica, Hbst.), 

 which attacks codfish on the " flakes " during tlie process of being cured, root-maggots 

 of the onion and cabbage and white grubs. 



The experiments with grasses and fodder plants of all kinds have heen continupd 

 upon the Experimental Farm, and a large number of small samples of seeds have been dis- 

 tributed to farmers living in all parts of the Dominion for testing. The reports from these 

 correspondents are of great interest as proving the suitability of some of the valuable 

 varieties for cultivation over a far wider area in the Dominion than might liave been 

 anticipated. The experimental grass plots on the farm continue to be of i^reat inteiest 

 to visitors. In these plots may be seen growing nearly all the grasses, clovers au(J other 

 fodder plants suitable for cultivation at Ottawa, of v/hich the seeds are to be obtained 

 from seedsmen as well as a lar-e number of our native Canadian grasses. Seeds have 

 also been procured from botanists in Australia and in the United States. Among these 

 mention may be made of an erect variety of barn-yard grass [Panicum Crtis-galli) and 

 two early varieties of Soja beans from Japan received from Prof. W. P. Brooks, of the 

 Massachusetts Experiment Station. 



During the past year many entomologists and botanists in various parts of the 

 Dominion have availed themselves of the services of the oflicers of this division in 

 identifying specimens of insects and plants. A large number of collections have been 

 received for this purpose. From tliese collections several valuable additions have been 

 made to the farm musevmi The collections sent in for naming are always returned to 

 the senders with the names of the specimens, but many species which were found to be 

 desirable for our herbarium have been kindlv presented to us by their owners upon that 

 fact being made known to them. Through these collections valuable additional infor- 

 mation is acquired as to the known distribution of our native insects and plants, lists 

 of the names, localities and dates of all specimens rt ceived being carefully kept. 



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