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care of the Provincial Government, had issued nineteen most useful annual reports. 

 The Canadian Entomologist, the organ of the society, under the able editorship 

 of the Eev. Dr. Bethune, is acknowledged to be one of the best publications of its 

 kind. It is not too much to say that the society in spreading informa- 

 tion concerning insecticides, &c., has saved the Dominion millions of 

 dollars. One of the fathers of Canadian Entomology, Mr. "William Saunders, has 

 written for the Canadian fruit-grower, on "Insects Injurions to Fruits," that I 

 know is most valuable, and the Department of Agriculture, in appointing Mr. James 

 Fletcher as Dominion Entomologist, in connection with the Experimental Farms, has 

 made a wise and judicious choice. Fruit-growers will find in Mr. Fletcher a safe 

 entomological guide. Under most favourable circumstances then, those who have 

 not already done so may, if they will, take up the study of entomology, and find it 

 both pleasant and advantageous. 



The President. — Before calling for a discussion on this very valuable paper, I 

 will call for a paper on a similar subject from Mr. James Fletcher, of the Experi- 

 mental Farm. 



Injurious Insects affecting Fruits — Eemedies to Prevent their Eavages : by 

 James Fletcher, Dobiinion Entomologist, Ottawa. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen, — When the secretary of the Convention 

 honoured me with an invitation to write a paper upon " The Injurious Insects which 

 affect Fruits, and the Best Eemedies to prevent their Eavages," I felt very thankful 

 for the opportunity thus afforded of drawing your attention to a subject which my 

 studies have convinced me are of enormous importance to all of you, as well as to 

 the whole Dominion. 



I am perfectly well aware that, in a meeting like the present, where the most 

 advanced fruit-growers of the country are met together, much of what I am about 

 to lay before you is well-known, but the poor condition (due to the preventible 

 attacks of insects) of some of the fruit offered for sale in the Canadian market, as 

 well as the frequent complaints of serious injury from well-known pests have 

 induced me to occupy a portion of your time in trying to induce you to pay more 

 attention to this part of your work of fruit growing. 



The annual diminution of all crops grown through the agency of insects is 

 enormous, and it is claimed averages at least 10 per cent, of all vegetable products. 

 This percentage would in many cases be far too low, but even this is much higher 

 than it ought and might be, if horticulturists and agriculturists would only awake 

 from their indifference and make use of available and easily accessible information. 

 All intelligent thinking people recognise the fact that insects play a most important 

 role in the economy of nature ; but owing to the prevailing ignorance upon these 

 matters, which pervades all ranks of society, these small forms of animal life, so 

 exquisitely beautified, to those whose eyes have been opened by the golden key of 

 observation and knowledge, are by the generality of mankind regarded only with 

 feeline's of repugnance or disgust, and the study of their lives and habits is merely 

 an object of ridicule and contempt for the simple. 



The fruit-grower is brought into very close contact with his friends and foes 

 of the insect world, and it is of paramount importance that he should be able to 

 recognise which are which. The actual benefits derived from insects are consider- 

 able; perhaps the most important of these is in their capacity as Nature's scavengers 



the means always at hand of removing from the face of the earth anything useless 



or objectionable. To the fruit-grower they are important as parasites of other 

 insects which are injurious, and as pollenizers of his fruits, direct connection having 

 been traced between bad fruit harvests and the occurrence of cold, wet periods, 

 durinff which insects are inactive, at the time the fruit trees were in blossom. In 

 addition to the above direct benefits derivable from insects, mention may be made 

 of such useful products as honey, wax, silk, ink galls, cochineal and shellac; but the 

 benefits which we receive from insects must always appear insignificant as compared 

 with the injuries they infiict upon our crops. It will probably never be possible to 



