io8 Ayinals of Horticulhcre. 



in many directions, but particularly in the great advance which 

 her sons have made in insecticides and fungicides and in con- 

 venient, portable insecticide and fungicide appliances. It 

 has often been said of the French that they are not an origin- 

 ating people ; however that may be, they are very quick at 

 adopting and improving ideas and discoveries once brought to 

 their notice, and no nation is more appreciative of the im- 

 mense practical benefits to be received by the adoption of the 

 most scientific methods. In fact no nation has given greater 

 government incentive to the pursuit of science in its bearings 

 upon the welfare of mankind, and we may stud}^ with profit 

 what she has of late years done in our own line. 



'' I had a delightful visit last August from John West, who 

 came to this country as a delegate from Victoria to ascertain 

 all he could of our methods ; also from W. Catton Gasby, of 

 Adelaide, who came to this country in a similar capacity. 

 Economic entomology in their part of the world is extremely 

 interesting to us ; for while the seasons are reversed as com- 

 pared with ours many of the same injurious insects occur in 

 both countries. Thus, I was glad to get perfect confirmation 

 from Mr. West of the fact that the Northern Spy and the 

 Winter Majetin are found to protect the apple, grafted upon 

 them, from the woolly aphis. A great deal has been published 

 of late years in the New Zealand and Australian papers on 

 'blight proof apple stock, and they have had an important 

 experience, the outcome of sore necessity, for ScIiizo?ietira lan- 

 igera has there been one of the most serious drawbacks to 

 apple culture. 



''There can be no question but that this experience will 

 prove of value to our apple-growers wherever these varieties 

 grow well and the woolly aphis abounds. The use, as stocks, 

 of such varieties as enjoy immunity from the woolty aphis has 

 occurred to our own people, but no such extended experience 

 has been had in regard to any particular resistant varieties. 

 Some of our injurious insects are often worse in Australia 

 than they are with us, and we may expect to reap the benefit 

 of the experience had there with regard to them. This will 

 doubtless be true not only of the codlin moth but of their 

 peach aphis, which, from all that I can learn, is substantially 

 the same species as that which does so much damage in our 

 lighter soils along the Atlantic coast, and which Dr. Erwin F. 



