244 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Miscellaneous. — In Louisiana, at the Baton Rouge station, con- 

 siderable work has been done on a root-aphis on cultivated crucifers. 

 The bean leaf -beetle has been the subject of tests with insecticides 

 from Louisiana to Maryland and Virginia. Poisoned baits have been 

 partially effective for slugs or shell-less snails. Cutworms were con- 

 trolled completely by the ordinary poisoned-bran mash. 



The zebra caterpillar occurred in such numbers tliat it fed upon 

 weeds in addition to beets and other vegetables, but it succumbed com- 

 pletely to control by its parasites. Experiments were made with 

 contact insecticides in different proportions on various forms of 

 plant-lice. 



The celery leaf-tyer was the subject of experiments at Smeltzer, 

 Cal. Good results were obtained in the plots sprayed at intervals of 

 10 days throughout the season. Plots sprayed only early or late were 

 badly damaged. 



Facilities have been secured for experimental fumigation of green- 

 house pests on truck crops and experiments have been performed 

 with a number of fumigants. 



Features of the work conducted in the District of Columbia have 

 been the rearing of the na-tural enemies of insect pests and the mak- 

 ing of maps showing the distribution of the more important truck- 

 crop insects. Eighty of these maps have been prepared. 



Because of war^conditions, farmers, truck growers, and other per- 

 sons having land for cultivation have endeavored to produce larger 

 yields of the principal crops, such as potatoes, beans, and peas, and 

 as a result a number of serial publications have been projected to 

 supply the need for information in regard to the control of the insects 

 most seriously affecting these crops. In addition to the publica- 

 tions previously mentioned are the following Farmers' Bulletins: 

 No. 762. The False Chinch Bug and Measures for Controlling It; 

 No. 766, The Common Cabbage Worm ; No. 856, Control of Diseases 

 and Insect Enemies of the Home Vegetable Garden (prepared in 

 collaboration Avith the Bureau of Plant Industry) ; No. 868, How to 

 increase the Potato Crop by Spraying (prepared in collaboration 

 with the Bureau of Plant Industry) ; No. 837, The Asparagus Beetles 

 and Their Control. Circular letters have been prepared covering 

 the use of arsenate of lead as a spray for truck crops; the use of nico- 

 tine sulphate for garden insects ; the control of bean and pea weevils ; 

 the control of the tarnished plant-bug; the preparation and use of 

 kerosene emulsion; remedies for sowbugs; and the control of the 

 stalk-borer. 



STORED-PRODUCT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS. 



Investigations of stored-product insects, as in former years, have 

 been under the direction of Dr. F. H. Chittenden. Some of the 

 projects mentioned in recent reports have been followed out and 

 new work has been done. One of these was a series of experiments 

 conducted in Louisiana to determine the value of metal cribs for the 

 proper ventilation and fumigation of stored corn. 



In Florida a special investigation has been made of the effect of 

 X rays on various forms of insects subsisting on stored products. 

 In so far as possible all stages of each insect have been tested. Work 

 has been done to find out the most effective (1) voltage, (2) milli- 



