Knotty Growth. 



8«'5»'5. Sir, — I enclose a growth that grew in the ba'k of young winter St. Lawrence 

 trees. Will you please tell me the cause, nmedy, and if it is injurious to the trees ? 



A. S. Crosby, Compton, Que. 



Reply by Horticulturist Craig, of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 



I find that they are not of fungus or parasitic origin, but appear to be an 

 extraneous knotty growth made up of woody fibre. The httle tubercles seem to 

 contain an extra amount of starchy matter, and in this way may possibly serve 

 the purpose of storehouses for this food material. I do not think that these little 

 outgrowths are characteristic of Winter St. Lawrence, as I have frequently seen 

 them OP other varieties of apples, but usually at or near a terminal bud, or 

 what was a terminal point of growth. 



Spraying. 



^56. Sir, — Please give me some information on this subject. I have been using 

 Anderson's Double Action Spray Pump, spraying for others at five cents per tree for three 

 applications. I used Bordeaux as recommended in your annual report, and a barrel 

 covered from eighty to one hundred trees ? One person has a blighted tree, and he claims 

 it was due to the spraying and wants damages. 



VVm. Leonard, 'Woodstock, Ont. 



Our correspondent has evidently done his work properly, following the 

 directions given in our report. Nothing but good could possibly result, so that 

 he is justly entitled to be paid for his work, instead of paying for damages by 

 the blight, which has no connection whatever with the spraying. 



The apple twig blight is very serious in many parts of Ontario, especially 

 about Hamilton and west. It is as mysterious in its origin and cause as the 

 pear blight, and thus far no certain remedy has been discovered. The affected 

 parts should be cut off and burned. 



Rose Beetle. 



857. Sir, — There is (to me) a new insect doing a good deal of damage in pear and 

 apple orchards here, it is a small beetle about one-third of an inch long, fawn or drab 

 culor, M'ith a bronze cast about the head. It is exceedingly active dropping and flying off 

 when disturbed. It is eating the small apples, seems to prefer "Kings," I saw as many 

 as a dozen on one apple at Mr. Freel's one day recently, he says spraying does not check 

 them. What remedj' would you advise ? 



Wm. H. Wvlie, Niagara, Ont. 



Mr. James Fletcher says it must be the rose beetle (Macrodactylus sub- 

 spinosus) an insect which so far seems to bafifle the entomologists as far as an 

 effective remedy is concerned. 



