No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 43» 



demned because of imperfect methods, just as spraying is often con- 

 demned for exactly the same reason. 



Let me here pause to state that we have made a special study 

 of the causes of failure in spraying, and find that in almost all 

 cases this is due to lack of thorough application to absolutely all 

 parts of the infested trees and from all sides. 



It was found possible to control and kill the Canker Worm by 

 spraying with arsenical poisons, such as Paris Green, one pound in 

 a hundred gallons of water, or Arsenate of Lead, about three pounds 

 in a hundred gallons of water, being especially careful to apply all 

 these remedies as soon as the young hatched and commenced to feed. 

 After they become large, the}- are very difficult to kill. 



The Bag Worm is a common pest on fruit and shade trees in 

 the southern portions of this State, and is especially injurious to 

 cedar, arbor vitae, etc., where it often is not observed. It is easily 

 destroyed by picking by hand and burning, or by spraying with 

 arsenitcs at the proper time. It is interesting to know that we have 

 had specimens of this sent to us with the supposition that it might 

 be the San Jos^ Scale. 



The Mediterranean Flour Moth has proven exceedingly destructive 

 in mills and other places where it is stored, but has been effectively 

 destroyed by fumigating with Hydrocyanic Acid Gas. 



Within the past few weeks there have been unusual reports of 

 grain weevil of various kinds attacking wheat, corn, and other stored 

 grain, but especially wheat. These are to be controlled by fumiga- 

 tion with Carbon Bisulphide, in a closed vessel or bin, putting the 

 liquid into a shallow dish, using one pound to one hundred bushels 

 of the grain, and covering it with wet blankets to keep the fumes 

 down. These are heavier than air, and penetrate to the bottom of 

 the bin. We are pushing experiments at this time for detailed in- 

 formation on this very important subject. 



The Angumois Grain Moth has proven exceedingly destructive to 

 gi'ain, both in the sheaf and in the bin, especially in the southeastern 

 quarter of this State. It is best destroyed by threshing the grain 

 early, and then fumigating it. Reports have come of great destruc- 

 tion to grain which was threshed late, while other grain in the same 

 field, which was threshed early, was not injured. 



The Peach-tree Borer is a pest which has been the subject of our 

 experiments, and we have published how to destroy it without the 

 necessity of cutting, by the application of one quart of boiling hot 

 solution of concentrated lye, one ounce in a gallon of water. Pour 

 a quart of this around the base of each tree during the month of 

 August. 



The Chestnut Weevil is the one pest in the way of successful and 

 profitable chestnut production in this State. This becomes very 

 important. The larva and an adult beetle are here shown. W^e have 

 recently experimented in cold storage for this pest, and we found 

 that chestnuts stored at a temperature of twenty-four degrees were 

 ruined by freezing, but those at thirty-two degrees were in good 

 condition after two months of storage, and all the larvae were 

 killed. It is possible that we may find means of controlling these 

 pests, but scientists have not yet succeeded in this. It must be the 

 subject of further Investigation, both by the State and Federal 

 Government, 



