260 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



Yellow Bellflower, Scott's Winter and Sutton Beauty, were practically uninjured. I 

 hear from some purchasers that many apples sold are injured by the maggot, which goes 

 to show that in some cases at least they are taking no care for next, year, as in late 

 picked specimens I found very few worms, but evidence of their having been in the 

 fruit." — Thos. a. Sharpe. 



" Victoria, B.C., Dec. 10. — Your valued favour of the 30th ult. to hand and contents 

 noted. In reply re Apple Fruit-miner, Mr. E A. C. Gibson has been making a special 

 study of this pest, and any information or specimens which I have obtained have been 

 turned over to him. As I know he intends sending you a full account of his work, I 

 do not wish to anticipate him, so will only say that the insect has been specially 

 destructive in the Chilliwack valley, and in the Mission City and Agassiz districts, but 

 to a lesser extent is widely distributed in the lower part of the province, as I have 

 received or observed specimens and their injuries at Ladner's Landing, Victoria, Gow- 

 ichan and the Islands, as well as the lower Fraser valley. I am of opinion that it is a 

 native insect. Its proper food is the fruit of the native crab apple. This Mr. Gibson's 

 observations will determine." — R. M. Palmer. 



"Victoria, B.C., Dec. 11. — I remember having seen these insects in the native crabs 

 for a long time, but apparently they did not attack cultivated apples until recently, or if 

 they did it was not noticeable. At Chilliwack, however, last summer I saw the effects 

 of their ravages on the orchards of that place." — J. R. Andkuson. 



"Victoria, B.C., Dec. 16. — This insect has certainly occurred and been noted 

 before this year, but I do not think it has till now caused any material damage. I 

 secured most of my infested fruit from M r. Kipp, of Chilliwack, who says : ' It is general 

 throughout the upper end of my district,* and I noticed it at Agassiz as well on August 

 8th.' Mr. Kipp also says, in answer to some questions I addressed to him ; ' I noticed 

 it first about June 20th, found the worm, which was very small at that time, with 

 blackish head, the other extremity the same, the body the same colour as the flesh of 

 the apple (Gravenstein). Later in August the worm was about one-eight of an inch 

 long ; body, brown. I found worms from time to time through September. In October 

 I could find no more worms, but late in October or about the first of November hundreds 

 of small moths (white) were flying about mostly all day. Gravenstein, Ben Davis, 

 Russets, Baldwin (slightly), Lady's Sweet, and various other varieties I cannot name, 

 were attacked. ^ ^ ^ Seventy-five per cent of my fruit was affected.' I 



myself have received specimens of fruit attacked by this insect from Hornby Island as 

 well as Chilliwack. I am sending you by the present opportunity under separate cover 

 specimens of wild crab apples which have been altogether spoilt, as I think, by this same 

 insect, and a piece of an apple, inside which I found the cocoon, which you say you 

 would like to have, I found cocoons in several others as well." — E. A. Carew-Gibson. 



Mr. Carew-Gibson has also kindly prepared the following interesting note on the 

 subject : — 



" Note on a New Apple Fruit Pest in British Columbia. 



" The new apple pest which has this summer more strongly forced itself upon our 

 notice than previously, owing to the loss it has occasioned to the fruit crop in some parts 

 of this province, is, I believe, an indigenous insect, as I have traced it back to what I 

 believe is its original home, i.e., the wild crab apple swamps. In the larval stage this 

 insect is very small, when full-grown only measuring a quarter of an inch in length. 

 The larvse are of a dullish white colour tinged with brownish green, excepting the head, 

 a broken line on the top of the first segment, thoracic feet and last segment with hind 

 pro-legs, all brown. These larvje diminish in size towards their extremities and can in 

 this way be easily distinguished from the larvse of the Codling Moth, which, besides, are 

 very much larger when full-grown. A nearly full-grown larva on being caged on the flesh 

 of a freshly cut apple soon disappeared from view ; it started by chewing the apple pulp 

 till it had a large mouthful, when it drew back its head from the hole thus made and 

 disgorged the pulp, thereby giving the body room to get farther into the apple, this 



* A rich district on the Fraser River extending from Sumas Lake to Popcum, a distance of about 20 

 miles, with the town of Chilliwack on the Fraser River situated almost centrally. 



