656 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



has caused objectionable injury, and various methods of avoiding 

 this have been recommended. We have therefore attempted to de- 

 termine whether the recommendations for a weaker dilution for these 

 applications might be permissible, and whether other less injurious 

 fungicides might efficiently be substituted in part for the lime- 

 sulphur solution at this time. In this connection special tests are 

 being made of the efficiency of the so-called " dry mix," a mixture of 

 sulphur, lime, and casein spreader, combined with an arsenical where 

 necessary. Studies are also being made of the efficiency and pos- 

 sible benefit from the addition of various casein spreaders and stickers 

 found on the market as compared to the several standard types of 

 fungicides. 



For the guidance of the board in passing on directions given in 

 labels, an investigation is being made to determine what fungicides 

 may or may not safely be combined with calcium arsenate, and also 

 to determine the efl'ect of this combination on the efficiency of the 

 fungicides as compared with their combination with lead arsenate. 



Investigation of the fungicidal value of various dusting mixtures, 

 and also of the dry lime-sulphur products as compared with the liquid, 

 are being continued. 



The work on the effects of proprietary preparations and various 

 miscellaneous materials on the chicken mite has been completed and 

 submitted for publication. 



Tests with the dry substitutes for liquid lime-sulphur for San Jose 

 scale have been practically completed. 



The investigations of dusting mixtures containing various contact 

 insecticides have been continued, but the great variations due to the 

 different types now on the market have rendered the drawing of 

 general conclusions very difficult. It is planned to carry on this 

 work very extensively during the summer of 1924. 



Special attention "has been given to the value of hypochlorite 

 solutions, chlorinated lime, and the ordinary coal-tar disinfectant 

 as remedies against house flies, and considerable progress has been 

 made in this investigation. 



The scientific workers of the Bureau of Animal Industry branch 

 of the board have made investigations to determine the active in- 

 gredients of sabadilla seed. A series of tests has been made to de- 

 termine the penetration of certain insecticides into the skin of ani- 

 mals. Investigations have been made upon capsules of carbon tetra- 

 chloride taken from lots from which capsules had been used on foxes 

 as anthelmintics and which were thought to have caused the death 

 of many valuable animals. Investigations have been started to find 

 out how to differentiate between certain hydrocarbons normallj^ ap- 

 pearing in low-temperature coal-tar creosote and similar hydrocar- 

 bons appearing in petroleum. The efficiencj' of these hydrocarbons 

 as insecticides is under investigation. 



