Ontario, Spraying and leader clipping were carried out on almost 3>000 

 acres for control of the white-pine weevil, and over 1,500 acres were 

 sprayed for control of various species of sawflies. The sawfly spraying 

 included the use of a virus, as well as DDT, on the European pine sawfly. 



Now that new, effective control chemicals have been developed, it 

 has become apparent that increased attention must be paid to damage done 

 by the white grub where trees are being planted on abandoned agricultural 

 lands, and to the mouse problem in young plantations where sod is prevalent. 

 A start on the control of these pests was made in I960. 



The disease control programme was confined almost entirely to the 

 white-pine blister rust. The chemical 2,^■,5-T is used to eradicate the al- 

 ternate host plants, wild currants and gooseberries, from the immediate 

 vicinity of the pines. Each year a portion of a long-term control programme 

 is completed, and in i960 about 6,800 acres were protected against blister 

 rust in important pine producing areas in the North Bay, Pembroke, Tweed 

 and Kempt ville Districts. 



Dormant spraying with DDT to restrict the Dutch elm disease was 

 conducted in a provincial park in the Lake Slmcoe District. 



Radio Communications 



There wad a slight increase in the number of radiograms transmit- 

 ted and received over the Department's province-wide radio communication 

 system for the year; 91*552 messages were transmitted over the network 

 totalling 2,322,001 words, the increase over the previous year being one 

 half of 1^. Satisfactory communication was provided with all radio equipped 

 vehicles, patrol vessels, aircraft, portable and fixed radio stations using 

 the currently assigned 10 H.F. and 6 V.H.F. frequencies. 



Obsolete lookout tower radio equipment was replaced with new dry 



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