QUESTION DRAWER, 



293 



way, for several years, work somewhat simi- 

 lar to that which has of late years been so 

 energetically taken up by the Board of 

 Trade. Through the work of the society, 

 the name of Orillia has been brought to the 

 notice of all the fruit growing and Horticul- 

 tural authorities in Canada and the neigh- 

 boring republic, in a most favorable man- 

 ner ; and if there be in Orillia one organiza- 



tion more than another which deserves the 

 kindly sympathy and co-operation of our 

 citizens, that organization is the Orillia 

 Horticultural Society. Much of the suc- 

 cess of the society, in the directions men- 

 tioned, is due to the unostentatious and un- 

 tiring services of Mr. C. L. Stephens, who 

 has been secretary of the society since it> 

 organization, and is this year its president. 



^u^sttou gratu^r 



WHITE GRUBS IN MANURE, AND SOME 

 GRAPE INSECTS. 



Sir, — I would like verj- much to hear through the 

 Horticulturist your opinion in reference to destroying 

 the white grub which infests manure piles at this 

 season of the j'ear. My exjjerience is that manure so 

 infested is unsafe to use both for vegetables and 

 young trees newly planted. I have had the young 

 tibres entirely destroj'ed on newly planted trees by 

 mulching \n ith manure in a dry seanson like the 

 present. The grub leaves the manure, burrows to 

 the roots of the tree, and eats the fine fiibres just as 

 the3' start and finely the tree dies. 



I send herewith two kinds of insects which I have 

 on grajje vines. Before the blossoms unfold the en- 

 tire bunch is stript, leaving nothing but the stem 

 but I fail to find the insect which is destroying the 

 grajjes in this way. Any information through the 

 Horticulturist will be gladly received. 



Stone\' Creek. W. C. Webster. 



Answered by Prof. Lochhead, O. A. C, 

 Guelph : 



Without seeing the actual specimens of 

 white grubs which Mr. Webster finds in the 

 manure, I venture to think that they are not 

 forms which are injurious. It is quite 

 likely that they are the grubs of dung bee- 

 tles, and not the white grubs which do in- 

 jury by eating the roots of plants. Of 

 course it is possible that if there is much 

 unrotted matter in the manure there may 

 be some of the root-eating grubs either hi- 

 bernating in comfortable quarters or feed- 

 ing on the vegetable matter. We do not 

 know enough about many of these forms to 

 make definite statements, for thev are diffi- 



cult of study. We would be glad to hear 

 from other orchardists on this point, and 

 have their experience. 



The cream colored caterpillars found eat- 

 ing the leaves of the grape are those of the 

 Yellow W^oolly Bear (Spilosonia Vir- 

 ginica). The moth of this insect is known 

 as the " white miller," and appears in early 

 May, when eggs. are deposited on the under 

 side of the leaf in clusters. For a time the 

 young caterpillars are gregarious, but later 

 they feed singly. Fortunately for us, these 

 insects are killed in large numbers by para- 

 sites. When numerous, in spite of the 

 parasites, they may be readily killed by the 

 combination Bordeaux and Paris green 

 mixture, which is so well known. 



The beetle, which was also found on the 

 grape in company with the caterpillars, :s 

 one of the ground beetles, and is beneficial, 

 as it kills caterpillars and grubs of manv 

 kinds. 



TOP DRESSING FOR LAWNS. 



Sir, — Will you kindly inform me what you recom- 

 mend as a manure or top dressing for lawns of gra.ss 

 and clover mixed and if land plaster is beneficial to 

 grass, as distinct from clover and oblige. 



St. Marys. C. Freem.\x. 



Answered by Prof. H. L. Hutt, O. A. C. 

 Guelph : 



