THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



cultivation, viz., Hibismis suhviolaceus and 

 Pilea serpaefolia. 



(tKO. Wood, Erasmus. 



Hibiscus violaceus is one of the culti- 

 vated varieties of the well known althaea 

 frutex, or Hibiscus syriacus of Botanists, 

 introduced from Syria in 1896. It is a 

 hardy deciduous shrub of the hollyhock 

 family, and in the latter part of the sum- 

 mer is one of the finest of lawn shrubs, 

 with large showy flowers, single and 

 double flowers. 



Pilea serpaefolia is another name for 

 Pilea mycrophylla, a small leaved Pilea> 

 the Artillery or Pistol plant of South 

 America, a species of the Nettle family 

 ( Urticaceae) named from the explosive 

 discharge of the pollen from the an- 

 thers. 



be added to one of these making it a 

 penal offense for any orchardist to allow 

 the tent caterpillar to breed in his or- 

 chard, and thus endanger the orchards 

 of his neighbors. Mr. Saunders in his 

 " Insects injurious to fruits," says ' Gov- 

 ernments might well enforce under pen- 

 alties the destruction of these (tent; cat- 

 erpillars, as their nests are so conspicu- 

 ous that there can be no excuse for 

 neglecting to destroy them, and it is un- 

 fair that a careful and vigilant fruit 

 grower should be compelled to suffer 

 from year to year from the neglect of a 

 careless or indolent neighbor." We 

 think this a subject worthy of the atten- 

 tion of our Association at its next An- 

 nual meeting. 



The Tent Caterpillar. 



10L->. Sir, — Is there any law compelling 

 persons to spray fruit trees for the destruction 

 of Tent caterpillars ? I have fought the pest 

 for years, but others have let them go, and as 

 a result 1 have had terrible work this year. 

 These caterpillars were never so destructive 

 in this part of the country as this year. Wild 

 cherry trees seem to be the natural breeding 

 places of the pests, and ought all to be cut 

 down. Can the Ontario Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation do anything in the matter ? 



Wm. Gorsline, 

 Secy. Durham Horticultural Society. 



Our Association can and will use its 

 influence with the Government to have 

 something done to aid in the destruc- 

 tion of this pest. It is certainly not fair 

 that those who, like Mr. Gorsline, are 

 using every endeavor to keep their or- 

 chards clear of insects should have them 

 overrun by those from their neighbors' 

 orchards. Indeed, the reports from the 

 Lake Huron district indicate that the 

 tent caterpillar is so numerous as to 

 constitute a public plague, in some in- 

 stances even to stop the railway trains. 



We have already acts providing for 

 the destruction of noxious weeds, fun- 

 gous diseases and certain insects, and we 

 see no reason why a section may not 



The extent of the evil is reported as 

 follows by The Sun : — 



From dififerent sections of the Province 

 come reports of a plague of caterpillars. 

 They stopped two trains near Oltiwa last 

 week, and forced, a'j reported lower down, 

 the postponement of a picnic near Uunvegan. 

 Now comes the report that the insects are 

 swarming about Owen Sound. On the grade 

 that extends outside of Owen Sound for 2") 

 miles the rails have become so greasy from 

 the crushing of the insects by the car wheels, 

 that long freight trains have to be cat in two 

 in order to permit of the engines hauling 

 them. 



The people about Dunvegan, Ont., had ar- 

 ranged for a picnic at McGillivray's Grove, 

 but before the day for the picnic arrived a 

 plague of caterpillars took possession of the 

 bush and forced the abandonment of the out- 

 ing arranged for. 



288 



The Toronto Globe calls attention to 

 the birds as insect destroyers and the 

 importance of their protection as fol- 

 lows : — 



The reports from northern districts of the 

 Province in regard to a plague of caterpillars 

 and the temporary stoppage of C. P. R. trains 

 as a result of crushing myriads of the pests 

 on the rails should induce all who have any 

 authority to strictly enforce the provisions of 

 the law for the protection of insectivorous 

 birds. The only eflfective means of fighting 

 insect pests is by sparing their natural enemy. 

 If school teachers and school inspectors would 

 warn their pupils against robbing birds' 



