40 



Provjncial Board of Horticulture. 



189Y 



the ground. This is a useful means of disposin}; of empty tomato and other cans. To 

 prepare these easily, they need only be thrown into a bonfire, when the tops and bottoms fall 

 out and the sides become unsoldered. The central piece nf tin can then be cut down the 

 centre with a pair of shears, and forms two tubes. 



(b) Wrapping a piece of paper round the stems of' plants when setting out will also save a 

 great many. 



(c.) Hand-picking or digging out the cut-worms whenever a plant is seen to be cut off 

 should, of course, always be practised. 



Prof. J. B. Smith says that plants such as tomatoes, cabbages, etc., can be protected when 

 set out by putting at the base of each plant a tablespoonful of poisoned bran, using lib. Paris 

 green to 50t)s. bran. This should be well mixed, dry, and then moistened with sweetened 

 water until the whole is thoroughly wet, but not sloppy. This mixture is very attractive to 

 cut-worms, being usually preferred to the plants. Against climbing cut-worms, which sometimes 

 injure fruit trees and bushes, dendrolene or the other preventative remedies advised for 

 canker-worms will afford protection. 



There are two enemies which deserve 

 special notice and from the good service 

 they do should be known 

 by sight to every culti- 

 vator. They are the 

 y"^^MHE?V fiery ground beetle or cut-worm lion 

 Jf H Ba \v (Calosoma calidum — Fab.) and the black 

 / fH iiB*) i wasp (Ammophila lucluosa). Both of 

 these are de.sperate enemies of the cut- 

 worms, the former feeding on them in 

 all of its stages ; the latter digging them 

 out and storing its nest with them as food 

 for its young grubs. 



Natural 

 Enemies. 



Cut-worm Lion. 



Black Ground Wasp. 



Grasshoppers and locusts {Acrididce) are reported from Kamloops, Lytton, Ashcroft, 



Columbia Valley, Fort Steele, Nicola, Tobacco Plains, East Kootenay, 



Grasshoppers. Louis Creek, Adams Valley, in the interior, and from Surrey Centre, Sardis, 



Agassiz and Vancouver Island, in the lower country. 



These grasshoppers, or locusts, are of several difierent varieties, the most common one in 



the interior probably being Melanoplus atlanis (Riley). Dr. Fletcher says: 



" The large amount of damage annually wrought by locusts is seldom appreciated. Their 

 habits are to frequent grass lands, where a large proportion of the crop may be consumed 

 without making much diflFerence in the appearance of the fields. It is only after hay is cut, 

 or in seasons of unusual drought, that locust injuries are much noticed. If, however their 

 numbers at all times and their voracity are considered, it will at once be seen that they' must 

 every year destroy much produce. They do not develop wings until July, and previous to 

 that they pass most of their lives low down among the stems of grasses. Besides locusts there 

 are many other forms of grass-feeding insects which every year levy a heavy toll unnoticed 

 The use of hot, ??^^'' ™'V' *^' ^® *° ^ ^^""S® measure controlled by the use of machines called 

 per-dozers. hopper-dozers, or 'tar-pans,' which were invented in the West some years 

 ago at the time of the so-called 'locust invasions.' Prof. Herbert Osborn of 

 Iowa, writing on means of destroying grasshoppers, says:— 'In meadows and pastures, 'we 

 believe the use of the hopper-dozer the most practical plan that can be recommended In 

 many cases It can be used to capture these and the leaf-hoppers at the same time, especially 

 If used when grashoppers are still quite small and can be held by a thin layer of coal-tar used 

 on the sirnple flat sheet of iron. When larger they need a deeper layer of coal-tar, or a pan of 

 water with a covering of coal oil on it. A cheap and simple plan for this purpose, costing 

 from $1.50 to $2, was described many years ago by Prof. Riley. It consists of a'strip of sheet- 

 iron 8 or 10 feeti long, turned up 1 inch in front and 1 foot behind, with pieces soldered in at 

 the ends (or made of wood), and hooks placed in front at the ends for the attachment of ropes 

 If to run on rough ground. It will be better to put runners ]| or 2 inches high underneath! 

 Into this put a layer of coal-tar half an inch deep, or water and kerosene. It can be drawn 

 by a boy at each end, or by horse-power if preferred. 



