244 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



In the North-west Territories and Western Manitoba the Red Turnip Bettle 

 {Entomoscelis adonidis, Fab.) did some harm to cabbages and turnips, but the beetles were 

 easily disposed of where Paris green was applied. 



The Striped Cucumber Beetle (Diairo^icam^ato, Fab.) was the cause of much loss 

 on melons, squashes and cucumbers in seveial parts of Ontario. The injur}' is done by 

 the perfect beetles to the flowers and leaves, and by the grubs to the roots in which they 

 burrow. The remedies which have given the greatest satisfaction are dusting the plant 

 with Paris green and dry ashes (1 to 50) or covering them, until the runners are produced 

 and the plants become too large, with a piece of gauze or cheese cloth, supported by two 

 or three sticks stuck into the ground, and with the edges held down by a handful of 

 earth on each side. This means of protection was first suggested by Dr. Clarence Weed 

 in a bulletin of the Ohio Experiment Station for September, 1889, and has been used 

 with much success by some of my correspondents, particularly in garden culture. For 

 preventing egg-laying and also for killing the young larvae, putting a small quantity of 

 tobacco dust or sand, impregnated with coal oil, close round the base of the stems, is useful 

 if the gauze covers above mentioned are not used. 



The Clover Cut-worm {Mamestra trifolii, Esp.). — During the month of August I 

 received from a few localities in Peterborough county, Ont., specimens of caterpillars 

 of the Clover Cut-worm, with the information that they were damaging pease and turnips 

 severely, and some other crops. They were so numerous that they had assumed the 

 Army-worm habit of marching from field to field in search of food. The Clover Cut-worm 

 is a thick, green, smooth caterpillar with black or gray markings extremely variable 

 both in the depth of the ground colour and the shape and extent of the markings, some 

 specimens appearing to be all green, while others have the dark markings so extensive 

 as to cover the whole of the upper surface. Length, about one and a half inches. A 

 more exact description of the full-grown caterpillar is as follows : — 



" A dark -green noctuid caterpillar with a very narrow dorsal stripe, a broken sub- 

 dorsal stripe of yellow, edged above by velvety black blotches (the black line not quite 

 as continuous as the yellow); below the breathing pores, a broad pink band, narrowly 

 edged with white above and below. Abov^e the upper white line is a black one which 

 spreads out into a black blotch around each spiracle. The whole body mottled Avith 

 white on a smooth green surface, giving a somewhat glaucous shade to the green. The 

 narrow dorsal stripe consists of an aggregation of these mottlings, and the dorsal space 

 has them shadowed with black, giving that area a darker appearance than the rest of 

 the body. Legs and pro-legs green, like the body. Head green, bearing on the upper 

 part of the face and on the cheeks clouds of white mottlings. Some of these cater- 

 pillars were simply pale green with fuscous markings, others were green, with clear 

 brownish or black markings, some had the mottling all over the body so shaded with 

 brown as to suggest the appearance of the Army- worm. Specimens intermediately tinted 

 between all these colours occurred." 



" Birdsall, Peterborough Co., Ont., August 10. — By this day's mail I send you a 

 box with half a dozen worms that have neaily destroyed a field of pease for me. Kindly 

 tell me the name of them, and if it would be safe to sow the field with fall wheat next 

 month, or would they be apt to come and destroy it next year or this fall 1 The ground 

 is nearly covered with them. They first appeared about two weeks ago. They have 

 destroyed several patches of turnips in the neighbourhood. I also send you a sample of 

 the pea vine as partially eaten by them. 



'' August 1 7. — Thanks for your prompt answer to my letter in regard to the cater- 

 pillar. It may be as you state, that the damage to tlie pease will not be as great as I at 

 first expected, as they hardened up so quickly that the worms had to leave. They all 

 started off in a south-eastern direction and will by this time have all fallen into the river 

 or lake. They have not attacked my turnips, as they are to the west of the field, but 

 many of my neighbours to the north and west are having their turnips destroyed by 

 them." — F. Birdsall. 



"Birdsall, Peterborough Co., Ont., November 25. — The turnips injured grew right 

 besides a field of pease, and for a time we thought some new insect pest had made its 

 appearance, but when we came to cut the pease the mystery was explained, as they were 



