ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



59 



of the study of Practical or Economic Entomology is now widely recognized by all the 

 civilized nations of the world. This confidence in a branch of science not taken up by 

 many investigators is undoubtedly due to the fact that those concerned have found by 

 experience that they are able to receive useful advice from those who have made a 

 special sturly of the lives of insects, by which they are enabled to save a larger propor- 

 tion of their crops than would otherwise be the case, and thus increase their incomes. 



It rf quires many years of close study and constant observation before one can 

 become fauiilar with all the different attacks by insects which may demand the attention 

 of a farmer or gardener even in a single season; but the general principles upon which 

 remedies are applied can soon be learnt, so as to prevent foolish mistakes. A fact 

 which must never be forgotten is that all insects have their mouth parts formed after 

 one or other of tsvo plans only. In one class, solid food is eaten by means of jaws, with 

 which it is bitten off from the object attacked ; in the other class, liquid food, such as 

 the sap of planta or the blood of animals, is sucked by means of a hollow tube-like beak. 

 It is most necessary to remember these elementary facts, because in accordance with 

 them all active remedies are devised. For biting insects, some poisonous material is 

 placed on their food, so that when this food is eaten by the insects they may be des- 

 troyed. Fof sucking insects, this method would be useless, because, having no jaws, 

 they can feed only on liquids, for which they have to sink their sharp beak-like feeding 

 tubes beneath the surface of the object attacked. For this class of insects, substances 

 which will kill by simply coming in contact with their bodies must be used. 



Farm crops in Ontario during the past year have not suffered from any new pests, 

 but there has been as usual considerable loss, which might have been prevented, had the 

 attacks been promptly reported and the proper remedial measures adopted. The three 

 most striking infestations of the season were grasshoppers, army-worm and a local out- 

 break or rather increased abundance of the Tussock moth in Toronto. Under the head- 

 ings of the different classes of crops, attention is called here to those which have been 

 most frequently complained of. 



Cereals. The wheat crop of the Province has been little affected by insects, and 

 although different kinds have been mentioned by several correspondents, there has been 

 no serious outbreak. The Wheat-stem Maggot (Meromyza Americana, Fitch), was con- 

 spicuously less abundant and the American frit-fly (Oscinis variabilis, Loew) was not 

 only not mentioned, but it was impossible to obtain a single specimen for examination 

 even in localities which were badly infested in 1890 



crops 

 of the 



Grasshoppers were stated to be the cause of some injury to wheat, but the 

 most injured by these insects were oats and hay. It is well to make special mention 

 Hessian fly (Cecidomyia destrvctor, Say), fig. 58, 

 which has been present in several places, and farm- 

 ers must be prepared next year, if its injuries in- 

 crease, to adopt the well known remedies of 

 sowing their fall wheat later (about the third 

 week in September) and burning carefully all 

 screenings and dust, from threshing machines. 

 The Wheat Midge (Diplosis tritici, Kirby),fig. 59, 

 which has been heard little of for the past six 

 or seven years, again put in an appearance in 

 one or two localities. This, also, will be largely 

 controlled by the systematic burning of the rubbish from threshing machines. 



Oats have, perhaps, suffered from insects more than any other of the small grains 

 The Grain Aphis (Siphonophora avence, Fab.) was unusually abundant in some places. Oats 

 were also among the crops mentioned by sev-ral who wrote concerning the army-worm 

 (Leucania unipuncta, Haw.) One of the most notable outbreaks of the year 1896 was by the 



Fig. 58. 



