REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 181 
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 8a 
closely that of another Lyda which has been found in southern Manitoba upon plum 
trees (Lyda rufipes, Marl.) and was treated of in my report for 1896 at page 253. 
Upon rearing the perfect insects, which emerged at Ottawa from the middle to the 
end of June, specimens were sent to Miss Raymond, and she subsequently wrote saying 
that she had often seen these flies upon the raspberry bushes about the middle of June. 
She also stated it was about six years since the insect had appeared in troublesome 
numbers, and it had been worse during the past four. 
Remedies.—As these caterpillars appear on the raspberry bushes at the time the 
berries are forming, it is inadvisable to use Paris green and similar poisons. Moreover, 
Paris green has been found to be more injurious to raspberry foliage than to some other 
plants ; if therefore poisons are used, the vegetable poison, white hellebore, is preferable, 
because, although very fatal to many insects and particularly to all kinds of sawfly 
larvee, the poisonous principles, being very soluble, are soon washed away by rain and 
dew, and there is little danger in using the fruit a week after an application of white 
hellebore. As, however, the tent-like webs are very conspicuous and this is certainly 
a very uncommon insect, the method of handpicking which has been successfully adopted 
by Miss Raymond, will probably in most outbreaks answer all purposes. 
ELE AvP TP Aree 
The following report has been handed in by Mr. John Fixter upon the Apiary, at 
the Central Experimental Farm, the management of which as heretofore has been 
left entirely in his hands. 
REPORT OF MR. JOHN FIXTER. 
Tue Season oF 1899. 
April 1.—Eighteen colonies were removed from the winter quarters: six were 
placed in the House Apiary, six in the sheltered apiary, and the other six in the exposed 
apiary. In the case of the two last there was a considerable depth of snow on the ground, 
from 1 foot to 18 inches, The hives had to be watched as the snow melted to prevent 
them from toppling over. From April to 4, there was scarcely any flying, but from the 
15th to the 17th, there was much more. The hives in the exposed apiary were covered 
with coarse sacks as a protection, leaving a very small entrance for the bees. In the 
sheltered apiary and House Apiary no such protection was given. The bees in these 
apiaries appeared to work better than those which were exposed. On many days 
when the weather was cool, with cold winds, those that were sheltered were flying 
well, while none of the others were. 
The balance of the colonies were taken from their winter quarters on April 17. 
All began to fly at once and no mixing appeared to take place. The colonies that were 
set out early were flying as well as is usual in the month of May. From April 17 to 
93, many of the bees were flying every day, when the first pollen was noticed, being 
brought in off the swamp maples and willows. From April 20 to 30, the bees were seen 
gathering sap off hard maples that were running, and also off hard maple stumps where 
- trees had been lately cut. 
From May 1 to 15 the bees gathered a great amount of pollen, but very little new 
honey, and nearly every hive was full of brood and young bees—the first drones were 
noticed May 24. A considerable amount of honey was fed from May 15 to June 1, so 
as to keep up brood rearing and to prevent starving. 
