OF WASHINGTON. 281 



logical rooms was made. The whole museum was being thor 

 oughly repaired and refurnished, and the collections were not in 

 shape to be seen to advantage. In the biological and economic 

 series the display was not especially remarkable, and the syste 

 matic collections are also not of great interest, though containing 

 Rondani's types of Italian Diptera. The practical experimental 

 work is conducted by Dr. Giacomo del Guercio, who is Jhe chief 

 assistant in the entomological work of the Royal Station, and is 

 also charged with the experimental work as well as the instruc 

 tion in entomology, vegetable pathology, etc., which is carried 

 on at the Royal School of Pomology and Horticulture, at Flor 

 ence. This school, which was established in 1882, and has for 

 its object the training of young men as experts in pomology and 

 horticulture, was in session at the time of my visit, and was inter 

 esting as an Italian analogue, in a way, of our State experiment 

 stations. A large tract of land, devoted to fruit and vegetable 

 cultures of all sorts, is attached to the school building, and 

 the students, some thirty in number, combine, in a three years' 

 course, the study in the school-room of the practical and theoret 

 ical subjects relating to pomology and horticulture, with experi 

 mental and practical work in the garden and orchard. These 

 students become experts in horticultural and allied matters, in 

 cluding entomology, and, on graduation, scatter throughout Italy 

 to assume charge of work in the lines covered in the different 

 provinces. This station, with its extensive grounds, affords a 

 splendid opportunity for experimental work in entomology, and 

 Doctor del Guercio has accomplished as much, if not more, work 

 in this line than any other Italian investigator. One of the char 

 acteristics of this school farm is that all field operations are 

 designed to be self-supporting, and are made to yield a reasonable 

 profit, which gives it a decidedly practical character. 



In the entomological work soap washes are most highly es 

 teemed, and are used against nearly all insects, and particularly 

 for the scale-insects and plant-lice. The usual time of application 

 is in the spring, Doctor del Guercio stating that at other seasons the 

 leaves are apt to be killed by the mixtures. To an American 

 entomologist the soap solutions employed by Doctor Guercio 

 appear very weak and inadequate. His principal wash is pre 

 pared by dissolving three parts of soap in one hundred parts of 



