228 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



"Doe Lake, Muskoka, Ont., August 18. — The wheat is very much shrunk 

 here. This was not from rust, as the straw was bright, but the heads while green were 

 covered with lice." — F. C. Judd. 



No special treatment can be recommended for the grain plant-louse, nor, as a rule, 

 is any remedy necessary, for the natural parasites suffice to keep it in check. 



The Amputating Brocade moth (Zfac^ena arc^ica, Boisd.). — In the summer of 1895, 

 the moths of this species were so abundant in some parts of Western Ontario as to 

 attract the attention of many people, and complaints were received of their swarming 

 into houses where they gave annoyance by soiling clothes and curtains and also by dying 

 in large numbers in shop windows. As might have been expected, the caterpillars were 

 last summer destructive in the same districts to wheat, oats, corn, &c., complaints coming 

 in from the counties of Middlesex, Grey and Carleton. Writing from Granton, Mid- 

 dlesex Co., Ont., Mr. J. Dearness, President of the Entomological Society of Ontario, on 

 15th of May, says : — " I am sending you herewith samples of a cutworm that in 

 innumerable force is ravaging spring crops sown on sod. The drill rows are followed, 

 and every blade of grass is cut off, leaving large areas of the field perfectly bare. In 

 this neighbourhood last year, — and from reports, I judge it was pretty general through 

 this part of Ontario, — the Amputating Brocade moth was very troublebome, filling lamps 

 soiling clothes and pestiferous in other ways. I inclose one of these moths. Is it the 

 same species as the cut, worm sent V 



Reply: — "The cutworm and moth sent are both the same species. I am soriy 

 to say that the only measure I can suggest by which infested fields can be turned 

 to good use this year, is to plough up the portions worst affected and plant some 

 crop which can be put in as late as possible, so as to give the caterpillars time 

 to mature before the crop appears. It would be better to use some other crop 

 than a plant belonging to the grass family. As far as my own observation goes, //. 

 arctica feeds on grasses, although there are many records of the caterpillars feeding on 

 other plants, such as root crops and even orchard trees ; but I have never seen this. 

 They are large whitish cutworms nearly two inches long, with bright chestnut red heads, 

 which exist a long time in the larval form, continuing their ravages almost to the middle 

 of June. They have every appearance of caterpillars which feed normally beneath the 

 surface of the soil." 



Serious injury to corn fields, which was probably by the same species, was reported 

 by Dr. T. Sproule, M.P,, as occurring in the county of Grey. 



The Pea Moth (^Semasia sp.) has again this year attracted a good deal of attention 

 by the extent of its injuries. Many of the accounts differ somewhat on important parti- 

 culars, and it is much to be regretted that, so far, all efforts to breed the perfect insect 

 have failed, so that the exact identity of the moth cannot as yet be given. The 

 following interesting letter adds to our knowledge of its life history : — 



" Clifton, King's Co., N.B., February 24. — I have been greatly interested in your 

 report on the Pea Moth. This insect is very destructive here, especially late in the 

 season. Late pease are so damaged by it that they are quite unfit for use as seed unless 

 hand picked. Indeed I have had about all my late seed repeatedl}' destroyed. Last 

 season, the late garden pease when picked and being prepared for the table were found 

 to be so affected as to be unfit for market, fully three-quarters of them being destroyed 

 by the worm. Late varieties of pease such as Stratagem were so injured that it was 

 almost impossible to get any that were fit for seed, 



"The pea pod is always attacked at the upper end first, and, when the pease are badly 

 eaten up a quantity of granular excrement and silken threads unites the whole. The 

 pods on the under side of vines lying on the ground seem to be most badly affected, and 

 the damage is greater on ground planted in pease the y( ar before, in garden plots, in 

 damp positions and when the weather has been damp. 



'■I notice in your report that Mr. Cowdry says he found caterpillars only in pods- 

 quite matured. I have repeatedly found them in very young pods, toa young for table^ 



