No, 7. DEPARTMENT OF AG-RICUL.TURE. 141 



The tests of commercial insecticides are of very great importance 

 to the citizens of this State. We talce pleasure in stating that this 

 office has been instrumental in showing the evils or inefficiency of 

 at least three commercial insecticides, two of which were with- 

 drawn from the market during the past year. One of these was sold 

 under the trade name of ^'Con-Sol," and was very widely advertised, 

 bur after our tests proved its worthlessness, we did not hesitate 

 to make announcements to that effect. We had considerable corres- 

 pondence from the manufacturers and read their urgent claims that 

 their preparation would do the work they claimed for it. Even 

 after our being obliged to incur the displeasure of some agricultural 

 papers by protesting against the advertisement of such fraudulent 

 materials, it was finally proven that "Oon-Sol" was worthless as 

 a destroyer of scale insects, and during the past year the manu- 

 facturers finally acknowedged this, withdrew all advertisements 

 from the papers, and withdrew the substance from the market. 

 They are now making an entirely different material, which gives 

 promise of being a fairly good commercial insecticide when used at 

 sufficient strength. 



A second material, which we showed to be an imposition upon 

 the fruit growers and helped to force from the market, was made and 

 sold at Waynesboro, Pa., under the name of "Sea-Kill." We had 

 this analyzed, and found it to consist of sulphur, resin and gun 

 powder. It was to be applied by boring holes in the tree and 

 inserting this in the tree, and plugging them. Common sense 

 taught us that the sap of the trees would not take up sucn tnmgs 

 but to be sure to do no injustice to the makers and advertisers, 

 we tested this material thoroughly, after having obtained some of 

 it by strategy, as the manufacturers would send none to us, even 

 though we offered to pay for it. Our tests, as well as tlie practical 

 application of some of it in some rather extensive orchards in this 

 State, proved the material to be useless as an insecticide, and the 

 public was at once informed of this fact. The material has had an 

 extensive sale at fl.OO per pound, not only in this State, but also 

 in several other States of the Union. It is now announced for the 

 benefit of fruit growers in this State that this substance also has 

 been withdrawn from the market, and all advertisements of it are 

 canceled and withdrawn. This has been done after severe protest 

 and threats of the manufacturers, who now realize that materials 

 that are not meritorious can not stand a prolonged practical test 

 nor the honest scrutiny of the people. 



We believe that our new experiments are resulting in giving 

 satisfactory and definite information in controlling Peach-tree 

 Borers, Borers of Apple and Pear tree. Peach Rot, Grape Pests and 

 Disease, Cabbage Pests and other insects and plant diseases for 

 which more or less experiments have been made. The older or pre- 

 vious experiments gave us valuable and practical results in remedies 

 for the San Jos^ Scale and other Scale insects, Currant Worms, Cut 

 Worms, etc. 



Of course, the most important insect pest in this State in regard 

 to fruit production is the San Jos(^ Scale, and as our investigations 

 and experiments have been directed mostly toward that, we are 

 prepared to announce with certainty that the best and cheapest 



