8 



the caterpillars appeared in hundreds upon the Virginia creeper (Ampelopsm 

 quinquefolia), which covers the front of our build- 

 ing at Port Hope with its graceful foliage. No 

 attention was paid to these creatures at first, but it 

 suddenly became apparent that they were rapidly 

 devouring the leaves, and rendering most unsightly 

 what was before a beautiful mass of green. They 

 began their work near the ground and proceeded 

 upwards, devouring the leaves as they went. On 

 the 9th of August I had the infested creepers 

 sprinkled with Paris green and water. One appli- 

 cation sufficed to exterminate the insects, and none 

 were afterwards to be seen. I have mentioned this 

 instance particularly in order to bring before you Fig. 5. 



the great advantage of using Paris green as a 



remedy for almost all leaf-eating insects — except, of course, those affecting 

 cabbage and similar vegetables which are used as food. A judicious applica- 

 tion of a very weak mixture will be found most efficacious. Proper care 

 must, of course, be exercised when dealing with so virulent a poison. Its 

 use as a remedy for the apple codling- worm and the plum curculio has now been 

 fully demonstrated, and any fruit grower who will carefully follow out the direc- 

 tions published in our annual reports will, we are confident, be amply rewarded. 

 It is a subject of no little gratification to us that fruit-growers in England have 

 been at last persuaded to try this remedy, and in every instance that we have 

 heard of the experiment has been crowned with success. It required two or three 

 years of persistent effort on the part of Miss Ormerod aided by Mr. Fletcher ta 

 overcome the insular prejudice against adopting anything new and seemingly 

 dangerous. Now that a beginning has been made, we hope for great results in 

 the immediate future. 



Before leaving this practical portion of my address, I wish to refer to a kin-- 

 dred, though not an entomological matter. I have noticed in many parts of 

 Ontario an alarming increase of the fungus growth on plum and other fruit trees, 

 commonly called the " black knot." An Act was passed by the Ontario Legisla- 

 ture a few years ago ordering the cutting down and burning of all infested trees^, 

 and imposing penalties for neglecting to do so ; but the law seems to be a dead 

 letter and no one apparently dreams of enforcing it. It would be well for our 

 municipal councils to irjstruct their path-masters and other officials to look after 

 the black-knot and enforce the law wherever its provisions are neglected. If 

 this is not done there will soon be no cherry or plum trees left in the country, as 

 the disease rapidly spreads, and when once it attacks a tree it is almost hopeless 

 to attempt a cure. 



Another fungus disease to which I may call your attention is the " downy 

 mildew " of the grape. It is exceedingly injurious and very prevalent. Fortu- 

 nately it may be readily checked by the use of the " Bordeaux mixture," and 

 other compounds which fruit-growers have employed with great success. 



Turning now to what I may call the non-economic aspect of entomology— 

 though all investigations into the habits and distribution of insects have their 

 practical bearing at some time or other — it is worthy of remark that butterflies 

 tave been extraordinarily scarce in Eastern Ontario this year. Whole days spent 

 in collecting in localities where they were usually abundant have resulted in the 

 capture of nothing worthy of mention. It is possible that the unwonted mild- 

 ness of the winter, with its frequent changes from freezing to thawing, and the 

 absence of snow, may have occasioned a great destruction among the hibernating 



