REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 255 



Remedy. — A very complete series of experiments was conducted, not only at 

 \Vashington, but also in many other parts of the Eastern United Stat«s, in which every 

 material known as an insecticide for scale insects was tried, and Dr. Howai'd's final 

 conclusions are now of value to us. He says : " With the San Jose Scale the most 

 satisfactory work can be done only with a winter wash ; for this species may be found 

 in various stages of develop nent at any time through the summer months, and an 

 emulsion spray at any given time will kill only a small proportion. Moreover, the young 

 larva of the San Jose Scale settles almo>t at once and immeJiately begins secreting a 

 dense scale which after 48 hours is practically impervious to the ordinary emulsion 

 diluted so as not to injure the foliage." 



As stated above, the only satisfactory treatment for this insect is a winter wash, 

 and the question naturally arises. Which is the best 1 Dr. Howard answers this for 

 us : " But one absolutely satisfactory winter wash has been found. This is whale-oil 

 soap (not containing more than 20 per cent of water) a pound and a half or two pounds 

 to a gallon of water. This mixture killed every insect upon the trees to which it was 

 applied, as was proved by a very thorough examination. Good whale-oil soap can hardly 

 be bought for less than four cents a pound by the ban-el, and this makes a thorough 

 winter treatment an expensive matter. The best recommendation that can be made 

 from the present outlook, however, is to use this mixture soon after the leaves fall in 

 the autumn, and then, if examination reveals any survivors, to repeat it shortly before 

 the buds open in spring." 



The San Jos^ Scale is one of the most injurious insects which have been found 

 on fruit trees, and, should it be allowed to establish itself in our Canadian orchards, it 

 will be the cause of great loss to our fruit growers. It is, therefore, imperative that all 

 should exercise the utmost care in examining their trees if they have been lately 

 imported, and in buying trees only from nurserymen whose stock is known to be free of 

 infestation. The home-grown trees of all of our Canadian nurseries are certainly much 

 safer in this respect than those of any in the United States. 



The San Jose Scale is a small Hat scale insect, only about -^ of an inch in diameter 

 and so hard to detect on the bark of trees that it can hardly be recognized without a 

 magnifying glass. The best indication of its presence is the dirty grayish appearance 

 of the bark as if ashes had been dusted over the trees. 



The Plum Curculio {Conotrachelus nenuphar, Hbst.). — Many reports from all parts 

 of Eastern Canada referred to the Plum Curculio as abundant, but the injury was not 

 appreciable this year, owing to the enormous crop. Mr. L. Wolverton says : " The Plum 

 Curculio has not been quite as troublesome this season, perhaps because of the abundant 

 crop in this section, which made its attacks less noticeable." Mr. S. C. Parker, of 

 Berwick, N.S., also says : "The Plum Curculios were plentiful, but could not destroy 

 enough to lessen materially the enormous crop of plums. Some of our plum growers pick 

 up carefully all the dropped plums, and claim that they can thereby keep their plum 

 orchards free from the Curculio." 



The Grape Phylloxera (Phylloxera vastatrix. Planch.). — This insect, so well known 

 by name from its enormous injuries to the vineyards in Europe, is seldom the cause of 

 serious injury in Canada. It, however, attracted mucli attention in the Grimsby district last 

 summer. Mr. Wolverton reported it as " unusually abundant on the leaves of grape 

 vines throughout this district. In many cases hundreds of vines on one plantation had 

 their foliage covered with the galls of this louse. I examined some sections of these 

 galls under the microscope and could see gr^ at numbers of the eggs and several fully 

 developed insects. I have not recommended any special remedy, because I note what 

 you say that the Phylloxera is not to be looked upon as an important enemy in our 

 Canadian vineyards, as, although a native, it has not in the past caused serious loss. I 

 have never observed any of the variety which affects the roots, nor have I had any one 

 report it lo me." 



The Peach-bark Borer (Fhlceotribus liminaris, Harris). — I have referred in 

 previous reports to the extensive injuries due to this minute insect in the peach orchards 

 of the Niagara district, and also to some successful experiments carried out by Mr. Carl 

 E. Fisher, of Queenston, Ont., with an alkaline wash, to which Paris green, lime and 



