The aerial spraying project in the Port Arthur district, to 

 eliminate the developing spruce budworm epidemic, con- 

 stituted the largest, single insect control project ever under- 

 taken by the Department. Eighteen privately owned stear- 

 man spray planes, operating in four teams and guided by 

 Cessna aircraft, sprayed a single area of 275,000 acres. The 

 area received one application of fenitrothion of 6 oz. of 

 chemical in approximately one-fifth gallon of water per 

 acre, followed by a second application of phosphamidon at 

 4 oz. per acre. The rates were chosen carefully to give maxi- 

 mum control of the budworm, with an acceptable hazard to 

 wildlife. Special field studies, before, during and after the 

 spraying, confirmed that these rates did not kill fish or affect 

 bird population, and yet gave good control of the budworm. 



The year 1968 also saw the Department's first attempt to 

 control the jack-pine budworm. A total of 1,000 acres in 

 two parks in the Kenora district were sprayed by aircraft, 

 using fenitrothion. 



The regular program to control the white-pine weevil 

 continued in 1968, with approximately 6,000 acres being 

 treated with aerial and ground spraying equipment, and by 

 hand-clipping and burning infested leading shoots. About 

 two-thirds of the treated area was sprayed by aircraft using 

 the insecticide methoxychlor, which represents the first 

 such use In Canada. 



Approximately 5,200 acres of pine and spruce plantations 

 were sprayed for control of sawflies, principally the red- 

 headed pine sawfly, the yellow-headed spruce sawfly, 

 European pine sawfly, and the jack-pine sawfly. 



About 400 acres of sod-covered sites were treated for 

 control of white grubs, and a similar acreage on similar sites 

 for control of mice where these pests threaten the survival 

 of newly planted trees. 



The major tree-killing disease in the forests of Ontario is 

 the blister rust of white pine. A substantial disease-control 

 program has been in progress for several years in specific 

 areas managed for production of white pine. The disease is 

 controlled by using the herbicide 2,4, 5-T to kill the obligate 

 alternate host plants, wild currants and gooseberries, in the 

 immediate vicinity of the pines. In 1968, about 6,700 acres 

 of high-value young white pine stands were protected 

 against the rust in parts of the Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, 

 Pembroke, Lindsay, Tweed and Kemptville districts. 



The occurrence of Fomes annosus root rot in plantations 

 of southern Ontario is prevented by the application of 

 sodium nitrite to the freshly cut surface of stumps during 

 thinning operations. This program is increasing with the 

 aim of treating all stumps in southern areas with the 

 chemical. In 1968, more than 1,800 acres were treated. 



COMMUNICATIONS 



Resultant from favourable evaluation of Telex installations 

 at 10 district office points as well as at Head Office, in 1967, 

 all 21 district offices were installed during the 1968 season 

 and Telex became the main point-to-point communication 

 medium for the province. Both H.F. and V.H.F. radio con- 

 tinued in use throughout the field mainly for uses other 

 than the above service but, additionally, as a back-up for 

 the Telex. 



VHP radiotelephone installations were made at Christmas 

 Lake Park in the Sault Ste. Marie district and at Earl Rowe 

 Park and Vivian County Forest Headquarters, both in the 

 Lake Simcoe district. Total number of ground radio stations 

 in the system now numbers 176 headquarters, parks etc. 



Major radio purchases consisted of 10 aircraft VOR navi- 

 gation systems, six aircraft VHF communication transceivers, 

 seven aircraft Single Sideband transceivers, one aircraft 

 Transponder installation, two fifty watt VHF radiotele- 

 phones, three twenty-five-watt radiotelephones, 44 low 

 powered VHF radiotelephones, 24 fifty-watt VHF fire-base 

 camp portables, one 120-watt Single Sideband base station 

 transceiver, and six Single Sideband low powered portable 

 sets. 



1968 inventory by quantity and types of equipment used 

 was: 



352 Lookout tower VHF radiotelephones 



618 Mobile VHF radiotelephones 



16 Patrol vessel radiotelephones (H.F. and/or VHF) 



1344 Portable radiotelephones of all types and power out- 

 puts, both H.F. and VHF. 



339 Fixed location ground station radio-telephones of all 

 types and powers, both HF and VHF. 



41 Aircraft Radio Installations (5 systems per aircraft.) 



74 Portable VHF aircraft installations for installation in 

 other than Government aircraft. 



20 Aircraft Ground Hailers 



2804 Units in total. 



53 



