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PUBLIC RECORD

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OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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see the laboratory work on the parasites and predaceous insects to advantage. This work is mostly carried out with the eggs and larvae of the gypsy moth, and the larval stage was finished before my arrival in the United States. I was able, however, to see the arrangement and equipment of the laboratory which enables this kind of work to be done on an extremely large scale. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. D. M. Rogers, an official of the Bureau of Entomology, who has charge of all the field work under the Federal Government. Through his courtesy I was enabled to see a great deal of what had been done in the field. On August 26, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Burgess, and myself made an all-day motor car trip through different parts of the infested district where extensive roadside clearing and spraying had been done. I saw also some of the high power spraying machines at work engaged in spraying for the summer brood of the brown-tail moth. These machines are a remarkable development resulting from the necessities of the gypsy moth and brown-tail moth Each machine consists of a gasolene pumping engine and a large tank mounted on a two-horse truck and is capable of spraying satisfactorily a strip of 100 feet wide along the roadside. This is accomplished by means of two nozzles- one at the end of a long tube balanced on a universal joint at a considerable height above the body of the waggon which sprays over the tops of the trees, the other is used for spraying the lower foliage between the trunks of the trees. The spraying gang consists of four men, a driver, two men operating the nozzles, and the engineer.

The tank has a capacity of about 500 gallons, and the engine With each maintains a pressure of about 200 lbs. to the square inch at the nozzle. spraying gang there is always a supply waggon carrying poisons, fuel, and sparo With such an outfit it is possible parts for necessary repairs to the pumping outfit.

work.

to spray about two miles of road on both sides in a day, and it is estimated to During 1909 about 360 miles of cost about $2 an acre for this kind of work.

Spraying, however, cannot be depended road was sprayed on both sides. upon to control the gypsy moth, and a very large proportion of the work consists in treating egg clusters of this insect and the winter nests of the brown-tail moth, both of which are expensive operations.

Both the gypsy moth and the brown-tail moth are attacked to some extent by fungoid natural enemies, but as these depend on weather conditions the beneficial results from their action has been very variable. The introduced natural enemies of these insects have been established in several localities, but it is too early to say how complete a control may be exercised by these insects. There is reason to believe that they are becoming well established and that eventually they may be depended upon to exercise a very large degree of control over these two important pests.

In addition to the method of spread of the gypsy moth which has already been mentioned, it may be stated that great danger exists of distributing the egg clusters Lumber and along with a great variety of merchandise and general supplies. firewood that is stacked in infested districts is a very suitable place for the female moths to deposit their eggs, and instances are on record where new colonies havo been established at considerable distances by the transportation of these commo- dities. Shipments of fruit and vegetables have also had an influence in this matter, especially where crates and packages that have been used for containing them have been accessible to the gypsy moth during the egg-laying season and have not been carefully inspected before being packed and shipped. Gypsy moth and brown-tail moth have been found in British Columbia by nursery inspectors in shipments of nursery stock. This means a transportation of more than 3,000 miles and shows how great the danger of infestation in any district is.

I desire to express thanks to Mr. Burgess and Mr. Rogers for their kindness in making it possible for me to see so much of the work that is being done in connexion with this crusade against these very important insect pests.

H. A. BALLOU,

Entomologist.

REPORT by the Entomologist on a visit to Amherst, Massachusetts. IMPERIAL COMMISSIONER,

I ARRIVED in Amherst on September 22, and on the following day called on Professor C. H. Fernald and Dr. H.T. Fernald at the new Zoology and Entomology Building which was just being completed. On account of the changes being made and the confusion which attended the transferring of collections and laboratory

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material from the old to the new quarters, I was unable to go over the insect material which I wished to have examined at Amherst, but I conferred with Dr. Fernald in regard to it, and he kindly arranged to have it examined and reported upon later by members of his staff or advanced students in the department of entomology.

I was very interested in the building, which is a modern structure of fire-proof material, and especially well arranged for the purpose for which it is intended. It is doubtful if there are better facilities for the study of entomology than are to be found in this building, both from the point of view of the conveniences which result from the structure of the building itself, and from the equipment. The record which has been made in teaching entomology by Professor Fernald and his son, Dr. Fernald, and the work that has been done by graduates of this institution would indicate that, with the new building and improved equipment, exceptionally good work in this line of study should be accomplished at this college in the future.

H. A. BALLOU,

Entomologist.

REPORT on Visit to Washington, D.C.; by Mr. H. A. Ballou, M.Sc., Entomologist to the Imperial Department of Agriculture, October, 1910.

IMPERIAL COMMISSIONER,

My visit to Washington extended from October 8-12 inclusive, during which time I had the pleasure of calling on several specialists in the Bureau of Entomology, and of meeting officers in other divisions of the Department of Agriculture.

I had previously written to Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of Bureau of Entomology, and was sorry to learn that he would be away from Washington on a long trip to the West for such a time that I could not possibly arrange my visit to meet him. Dr. Howard kindly referred me to the officers of his Bureau who would, he was kind enough to assure me, give me assistance with the insect specimens I wished to have identified.

Dr. Marlatt, Assistant Chief of the Bureau, was also absent on furlough, on account of illness. Dr. Chittenden was acting chief at the time of my visit. In addition to Dr. Chittenden I had an opportunity of conferring with the gentlemen named below. Opposite the name of each is given the branch of insect study in which he is a specialist:—

Mr. A. L. Quaintance, white flies.

Dr. H. G. Dyar, lepidoptera and mosquitoes. Mr. J. C. Crawford, parasitic hymenoptera.

Mr. N. Banks, ticks, mites, &c.

Mr. Coquillett, diptera.

Dr. A. D. Hopkins, forest insects.

Mr. E. A. Schwartz, coleoptera.

Mr. A. Busch, micro-lepidoptera.

Mr. Knab, mosquitoes.

Mr. H. L. Viereck, parasitic hymenoptera.

I discussed with them the specimens I had taken with me, and arranged to have them identified and returned, since the time for which I was to be in Washington was not sufficient for the purpose.

The thanks of the Imperial Department of Agriculture are due to Dr. Howard for permission to confer freely with the officers of the Bureau, and to the several officers themselves for kindly consenting to undertake the examination of the insects for the Department.

In addition to the officers of the Bureau of Entomology I may mention the following gentlemen whom I had the pleasure of meeting and conferring with:-

Mr. Evans, in charge of Insular Experiment Stations. Mr. Evans discussed the work being done in Porto Rico on the control of pests of citrus by means of natural enemies, and stated that a considerable degree of success had attended the experiments, and that a bulletin would soon be ready on the subject. He mentioned the work of the sugar planters in that island in organising an experiment station, with Mr. Crawley as Director, and also referred to the work in Hawaii on irrigated and non-irrigated canes, the latter yielding some 3-4 tons of sugar per annum. This last is of interest as showing that without irrigation the Hawaii yield of sugar is similar to that obtained in the West Indies.