1921 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 61 



make field observations and prepare for next season's investigations. He made 

 estimates of the percentage of larvse in the stubble, and also treated stubble in 

 various ways to see the effect of the winter on the larvae under different conditions. 

 All the District Eepresentatives of the western portion of the province were 

 called together, and a field meeting was held in some of the worst infested fields 

 near St. Thomas. The life history of the insect was explained, and means of 

 control outlined. Later in the season a similar meeting was held with the Dis- 

 trict Eepresentatives in the eastern portion of the province. 



He realized that the European Corn Borer was a serious pest, and that the 

 handling of the situation was a serious problem, (but he was optimist enough to be- 

 lieve that the combined efforts of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology, the Entomo- 

 logical Branch and the Ontario Department of Entomology, would result in the 

 discovery of a practical method of control and that the corn industry would he 

 saved- 



Mr. Worthley (in charge of the corn 'borer field work) of the U.S. Bureau of 

 Entomology stated that in 1919 the state of Massachusetts appropriated $100,0'0(\ 

 for corn borer control. This was the first large appropriation for the control of 

 this pest. On July 1st of the same year the U.S. Federal appropriation of $250,000 

 was made available. 



At the present time a total of 5,651 square miles are infested by the pes I in 

 the United States. 



The New England infestation covers 3,350 square miles. 

 " eastern New York " " 1,365 " 

 " western New York " " 936 " 



Mr. Worthley pointed out the difficulty of handling the corn borer situation 

 in Massachusetts, particularly in the vicinity of the market gardens. It was found 

 that the weed infestation was very heavy in certain market garden sections and i+ 

 was stated that in a ten acre weed patch adjacent to some celery fields the number 

 of corn borer larvae probably averaged two million to the acre. In order to over- 

 come this difficulty extensive operations were carried on in burning over these 

 districts. When the burning was first started fuel oil was used but this grade 

 of material deteriorated so that it was necessary to replace it with kerosene oil 

 which was purchased in 50,000 gallon lots. 



In addition to burning, extensive experiments were carried on with weed killers 

 and in some localities were found to be generally satisfactory. 



As regards the control work in western New York extensive experiments were 

 carried on in the mowing of corn stubble close to the ground. The stubble after 

 being cut was collected and thrown into a machine for crushing. 



Potato diggers have also been experimented with for the purpose of taking out 

 stubble but these were not found practicable in all cases on account of the fact that 

 whereas they work satisfactorily in sandy soil a great deal of trouble is encountered 

 if the soil is at all heavy or wet. 



In addition to the control work the quarantine of the infested territory has 

 to be maintained. This necessitates the inspection of all plants liable to harbour 

 the corn borer consigned to points outside the area infested bv the pest. Eighty 

 inspectors are now engaged on this inspection work and up to the present time 

 500,000 inspections have been made. 



European corn borer egg clusters have been found on celery, beans, rhubarb 

 and spinach. Chrysanthemums have also been found to be infested with the borer 

 in the greenhouses and markets. 



