242 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA. A. 1901 



The Squash Bug (Anasa tristis, DeG.)- — This troublesome enemy of the gourd 

 family is a regular pest in western Ontario, but is seldom heard of 

 in the eastern counties. In the last week of June specimens were 

 sent from Inverary (Frontenac Co.), Ont., by Mr. Alex. Ritchie, with 

 the complaint that they were destroying his squash, pumpkin and 

 cucumber vines. The remedies recommended for this insect are : — 



1. Hand-picking, which is claimed to be the most practical remedy. 

 This is done early in the morning, during the cooler hours of the 

 day, while the bugs are sluggish. 



2. Traps. If shingles or short pieces of board are placed among 

 — Squash Bug. the plants, the bugs will hide beneath them at night, and can be 



destroyed before they become active and leave these retreats the next 

 morning. 



3. The young bugs can be destroyed by spraying with kerosene emulsion or whale- 

 oil soap. 



Army Worms in Winter. — A rather curious occurrence of the Army Worm in 

 'winter took place at Alberton, in Prince Edward Island, last February. This was 

 reported to me by my esteemed con-espondent, the Rev. Father Burke, of Alberton, 

 >vho also sent specimen^; for iJentirication from the farm of Mr. -Tohn T. Weeks, of 

 the same place. The occurrence is described by Mr. Weeks, as follows : — 



' Alberton, P.E.I., February 17. — I am in receipt of your letter of 8th instant, 

 and am surprised to know that we have such a pest in our midst. The specimens I 

 sent were supplied by my brother. He is going to try and get you some more specimens, 

 ^nd if he is successful he will forward them in the way you suggest. He says he saw 

 them as he drove across several farms, and they were quite a long distance from bare 

 .ground.'— J. T. W. 



' February 19. — This morning my brother came in with some more of the army 

 ^worms. I am sending them in a tin box with some moist earth and some grass. These 

 are much larger than the first I sent, but among the lot arc several very small ones, 

 ■which are apparently dead ; but I send them so that you may see the different stages 

 ^o£ -development. My brother tells me he saw them on at least half a dozen farms, 

 .and would have had no difficulty in picking up a hundred. We had an easterly snow- 

 storm all day yesterday, which will probably cover them up again. I fear they seem 

 to be pretty well distributed. To what extent ai-e they known in Canada ? What is 

 ;the remedy ? ' — John T. Weeks. 



In reply to these letters it was explained that the Army Worm passed the winter 

 partially grown, in a torpid condition, near the surface of the ground, and that there 

 were previous instances where they had appeared suddenly on the surface of snow 

 <iuring winter. It was suggested that this appearance in winter might prove beneficial, 

 Isecause many thus disturbed in winter perished. The distribution of the species in 

 ^Danada was given and reports of this Division were sent, in which the usual remedies 

 vare stated. 



In a report on the insect injuries of the year, Father Burke informs me that no 

 injury whatever by the Army Worm was noticed during the past season. 



The Black Blister Beetle (Epicauta Pennsylvanica, DeG.). — Injuries to 

 potatoes by the Black Blister Beetle are reported from Dugald, Man., by Mr. Kenneth 

 McLeod, from different parts of Ontario by Mr. C. W. Nash, of Toronto, and from 

 Inverary, Ont., by Mr. W. T. McClement, who had also found them on the farm of 

 Mr. John Guthrie, of Perth Road (Frontenac Co.) Ont., where, he says, they ate 

 the tops of potatoes very cleanly, and were very active. If plentiful in a district, 

 they would be worse than the Colorado beetle, for they are much more active. They 

 flew ahead of the poison-can and ate the tops which were not poisoned, avoiding those 

 •dusted or sprinkled, and clustered thickly on the clean tops. They were plentiful 

 ■-about July 25. They were not widespread, but troubled only a few fields, and these 

 aaear together. 



