14 THE REPORT OF THE [19 



be supplied with some good samples of the scale. Th : s action would be safe, because the San 

 Jose Scaks soon die, and are perfectly harmless on a twig which has been cut away from 

 the infested tree. Samples should be given to every school inspector so that he could 

 leave them with the teachers, aid give them an object lesson on the scale whenever 

 opportunity offered itself. The teachers could atk the parents to call at the school and 

 see the scale, and in this manner the public would be informed generally as to its appear- 

 ance. 



The Government has to rely upon the co-operation of the orchardmen themselves 

 for future acticn against the scale, and when they 6nd that no radical method of uprooting 

 trees or burning thtm down is going to be adopted by the Government, they will come 

 forward readily and report the presence of scale to the prcper authorities. It would not be 

 difficult for Mr. Fisher to cut dcwn a badly infested tree and cut it up into little pieces, 

 so that thousands of these cculd be distributed to the schools of the province. Even if the 

 orchardmen find something that was not the San Jose Scale, let them inform the proper 

 authorities and get information on the sur>j=ct. 



Prop. Lochbbad then read the following : 



NOTES ON THE ECONOMIC ASPECT OF THE SAN JOSE SCALE AND ITS 



ALLIES. 



The past year, 1899, has been a very eventful one in the history of Economic 

 Entomology in Ontario. Early in April the Legislature passed the Ftmigation Act, 

 which compelled all nursery stcck, with a few exceptions, to be fumigated with Hydro 

 cyanic Acid Gas. To carry out this process of fumigation special air-tight sheds and 

 buildings had to be erected by the nurseryman. 



The Minister of Agriculture placed the conduct of the whole affair in the hands of 

 myself, and I at once proceeded to make an inspection of all the nurseries for the purpose 

 of instructing the nurserymen how to build their fumigating houses and how to fumigate. 

 The chemicals were sent out frcm the Ontario Agricultural College in measured quantities 

 suited to the capacity of each house. Yery careful instructions were pasted on each 

 parcel so as to reduce the danger from poisoning to a minimum. The substances used 

 were Potassium Cyanide, 98% pure; Sulphuric Acid, sp. gr. 1.84, and water. The 

 quantities used per i 00 cubic feet of air space in the house were 25/28 of an ounce of 

 Potassium Cyanide, 1 1/3 fluid ounces of acid, and 2 fluid ounces of water. In this the 

 Johnson formula was followed. 



The work of inspecting the nurseries, of preparing the chemicals, and shipping them 

 to the different places required much careful work on the part of the College authorities, 

 for the shipping season of nursery stock was very short this year. » 



At the opening of the season many of the nurserymen were afraid the work of 

 fumigation would delay the despatch of their orders, but it is believed that all received 

 their chemicals in plenty of time, and that very few suffered from the anticipated delay 

 by fumigating their stock. 



From reports received from the nurserymen it must be acknowledged that the initial 

 series of fumigation experiments in Ontario has been a decided success so far as the 

 effects of gas upon the dormant nursery stock are concerned. Very few reported injury 

 to the stock, and these few do not state definitely whether the irjury was due to the 

 effects of the gas, or to the effects of the very severe winter upon young trees. 



It must be conceded that this successful initiation of gas treatment of nursery stock 

 to prevent the dissemination of the San Jose Scale is another victory for Economic 

 Entomology. The people are gradually being convinced that something can be done to 

 help them in fighting pernicious insect pests. 



Inspector Fisher : — I came here at the request of the Minister of Agriculture only 

 to answer any questions as to the condition of the country in regard to the San Jose Scale. 

 It has been pretty generally discussed through the Commission and their report so that 

 think that I can add very little to the information you have got from that source. 



