79 



The year just passed seems to have been very favourable for the 

 development of aphides on our garden flowers but, on the other hand, there 

 seemed to be few cut-worms. 



During the early part of July there were great numbers of the little' 

 moths of the Spruce-tortrix (T. fumiferana) throughout the city, evidently 

 attracted by the electric lights from swarms bred somewhere at a distance 

 where the spruce is more abundant. The insect has appeared simultan- 

 eously in enormous numbers, both in Eastern Canada and New England, 

 and in British Columbia the last two years, and if it should continue to 

 increase, might prove a very serious pest indeed to one of our most valuable 

 assets, the spruce tree ; so far, it looks as if the injury were only temporary 

 loss of the leaves and that the next season's growth would replace these. 



Between Montreal and Montreal West, in July, a great many apple 

 trees were noticed, with whole branches whose leaves were- of a sickly 

 lemon yellow colour. I was in the car at the time and was unable to make 

 out the cause and did not have another opportunity to visit and inspect any 

 of the trees. 



The typhoid fly (Musca domestica) is still as common as ever in our 

 midst, and in spite of the unusual prevalence of the disease, with the many 

 lamentable fatalities, no effort whatever has been made to guard against 

 this loathsome insect which is known to play a most important part in the 

 spread of the disease. How long shall we keep our eyes shut to such a 

 menace of health, happiness and life? 



"^ Mr. "Winn further remarked that the horticulturists of the Province 

 should be particularly careful about importing nursery stock from France 

 and Europe, on account of the Browntail-Moth. During the past year 

 several nurserymen had imported stock that was badly affected and that 

 in almost every case egg masses of the moth were found in the straw pack- 

 ing as well as the shrubs and trees. This is, indeed, an unfortunate source 

 of insect introduction, and (in the case Mr. Winn referred to) it was only 

 as a result of prompt action on the part of the Experimental Farms to 

 inspect all imported nursery stock, that plague has been prevented. In 

 almost every case the inspectors discovered egg masses of the moth. 



