218 EXPKRIMEyTAL FARilS. 



4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 



Mr. J, D. Evans, President of the Entomological Society cf Ontario, who has 

 made inquiries for me in Prince Edward county, one of the most important districts 

 in Canada for the production of first-class seed and pease, writes on November 11 : ' The 

 Pea Weevil was not destructive at all this year; in fact, it seems to have entirely dis- 

 appeared. There were none found at Picton, Bloomfield, Wellington, Trenton or 

 Frankford. Mr. Cooper, of Bloomfield, and Mr. W. P. Niles, of Wellingtion, both well 

 known to you as first-class men, report its apparent disappearance in the above- 

 mentioned localities.' 



I draw special attention to the great diminution in the numbers of the Pea 

 Weevil at the present time, in the hope of inducing growers to avail themselves of this 

 exceptional opportunity of pressing home tlieir advantage now when the infestation is 

 so slight, and when, therefore, every insect killed is of much greater importance in 

 the conflict than when Pea Weevils are occurring in the incredible numbers in which 

 they existed in Canada only three years ago. I again repeat that I can see no reason 

 why the Pea Weevil should not be entirely wiped out in Ontario. 



There are special features about tlie attack of this insect which ren.der its con- 

 trol a simpler matter than is usually the case with injuries of an equal magnitude. 

 The Pea Weevil is not a native of North America, and has no other known food plant 

 than the cultivated pea, which, being an exotic plant, will not live over the winter in 

 our climate if seed is left in the open field; consequently, every seed sown for the pea 

 crop of the year must, before it is sown, have been under the control of some one by 

 whom it could have been treated before sowing to destroy the contained weevil if it 

 had one. Fumigation with bisulphide of carbon is a certain, effective, easy and cheap 

 remedy, which is well known and can be applied by any one. If all growers of pease, 

 will combine to do this this year, when on account of the cool season of 1904, it is not 

 likely that many of the weevils have left the seed, by far the greater number of the 

 Pea Weevils now remaining in the country can be destroyed before another season 

 cpens. This, however, alone will not be sufficient. The knowledge of the life history 

 of the insect must be made much more widely known to farmers than is the case; for, 

 notwithstanding all that has been written on the subject and the attention which has 

 been given to it at farmers' institute meetings, I have received during the past season 

 a great many inquiries as to the best means of treating pease before sowing; and fur- 

 ther steps must be taken at the proper time of the year to spread more widely a gene- 

 ral knowledge of the subject, so that those growing seed and sowing pease, may under- 

 stand the reason why certain steps are advised. My recommendations are : 



1. That all pease for seed should be treated before they are sown, whether the 

 weevil is thought to be present or not. and that seeding should be as early as can be, 

 so as to get the crop ripe and ready for treatment at the earliest possible season. 



3. That pea -growers should harvest their pease as much on the green side as is safe, 

 rather than, as is usually done, waiting until they are dead ripe. This has many 

 advantages; not only is the straw of much higher quality for feed, but the seed ia 

 h.eavier and better for every purpose. The pease should be threshed as soon as dry 

 enough, and then fumigated at once. The weevils will not have completed their growth 

 and will have destroyed a smaller proportion of the bulk of the seeds than if they were 

 left iiutll later in the winter. It is certain that weevils in all stages of growth may 

 be killed inside the pease by fumigating with bisulphide of carbon. Consequently, if 

 growers will sow early and harvest and thresh a little earlier than usual, and either 

 themselves treat their seed immediately or sell to the grain buyers, who for their own 

 sakes will do this, much good must surely result. When for any reason pease cannot be 

 treated at once or disposed of, they should be bagged up and the sacks tied up imme- 

 diately .so as to prevent the escape of any weevils which might emerge in the autumn. 

 When the grain is required for feeding, and therefore it is thought not necessary to 

 fumigate, pease should be ground as soon as they are dry enough; and, for the con- 

 venience of grinding and to prevent the meal from becoming musty, some old peaao 

 should be mixed with the new before passing them through the grain grinder. 



