218 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



diseases, standing up strong and stocky, 

 as if well able to do its great work of 

 producing the very largest berries." 



The Fruit Growers' Association ex- 

 pects that every one who received plants 

 of the Ontario last spring will report 

 through the Canadian Horticulturist, 

 after they have fruited it, how far they 

 find it to accord with the results given 

 by Mr. Little. 



NOTICE. 



All communications and correspon- 

 dence in connection with this journal 

 are henceforth to be addressed 



L. WOOLVERTON, M.A., 

 Editor of the Canadian Horticulturist, 

 GRIMSBY, ONT. 



THE HARDINESS OF BLACKBERRIES. 



We learn from replies given to the 

 Minnesota Farmer by fruit growers in 

 Minnesota, Dakota and Wisconsin, that 

 none of the Blackberries known to cul- 

 tivators are hardy in that region, that 

 unless they are protected in winter they 

 are never profitable, not even those 

 esteemed the most hardy with us, such 

 as Snyder, Taylor or Stone's Hardy can 

 be relied upon without protection. One 

 gentleman who had tried to grow black- 

 berries without protection says that he 

 raised two crops of Kittatinny in ten 

 years, and one of Snyder in three years. 

 Most of those who had succeeded in 

 raising crops of fruit recommended re- 

 moving the earth from one side of the 

 stalks, bending them over and covering 

 with earth sufficient to hold the stalks 

 in place, and doing this late in the sea- 

 son so as not not to injure the buds by 

 too much moisture before the ground 

 freezes. They also advise mulching the 

 surface with manure. When protected 

 in this way the Wilson and Lawton 

 yield large crops. 



QUESTION DRAWER. 



THE GREEN GRAPE VINE SPHINX 

 AND ITS PARASITE. 



Dear Sir, — With this I mail a cater- 

 pillar I found on a grape vine this even- 

 ing covered with what appeared to be 

 eggs. Never having met with one be- 

 fore, I send it that you may give us 

 information concerning it, and as to 

 what those eggs (?) are, how they came 

 there, and for what purpose, and what 

 will they produce, friend or foe to grape 

 vine. I hope this will be in time for 

 the October Number. 



Yours truly, G. HalteN. 



OakviUe, 7th Sept., 1886. 



Reply. — The caterpillar is known as 

 the Green Grape Vine Sphinx, Darapsa 

 Migron. You will find a full descrip- 

 tion of it in "Insects Injurious to 

 Fruits," by Wm. Saunders, President 

 of the Entomological Society of Ontario, 

 a book that ought to be in the library 

 of every fruit grower. It is a very com- 

 mon insect, and the most destructive 

 grape-leaf eater we have. The little 

 white oval substance covering the body 

 of the caterpillar, which look like eggs, 

 are the cocoons of a small two- winged 

 parasite, a species of Ichneumon. This 

 Ichneumon punctures the skin of the 

 caterpillar, and lays its eggs in these 

 punctures. From these eggs the larva, 

 or worms, are hatched. These feed on 

 the caterpillar, and, when full grown, 

 eat through the skin and spin them- 

 selves up within these little white 

 cocoons, from which, in a few days, the 

 little Ichneumon flies emerge, soon 

 ready to lay eggs in other like cater- 

 pillars. The catterpillar that has thus 



