THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. -4> 



Mustard Control — We arc pleased to publish in this issue of the 

 .Monthly Bulletin a report of the mustard control demonstration which 

 was conducted this spring by the Yolo County horticultural commis- 

 sioner, Mr. William Gould, in conjunction with Mr. 0. W. Newman of 

 this office. 



We hope that the success of this demonstration will arouse an interest 

 among farmers in the control of weeds and that in the future the heavy 

 loss in crops due to their presence may be lessened by the adoption of 

 proper control measures. 



While we realize that spraying with iron sulphate is not a new thing, 

 it has been given very little attention in California, due to the fact that 

 prices of hay and grain have not been sufficiently high to warrant the 

 increased expense of control. Furthermore, production has been more 

 extensive than intensive heretofore, and less attention has been paid to 

 increasing the yield per acre than to increasing the acres of yield. 

 Weeds are a "national" menace now. They threaten the food supply 

 of the United States. With the present shortage of food and the 

 necessity for increasing production wherever possible, any measures 

 which may aid in the control of our weed pests are very timely. 

 Another season we hope that many farmers may take advantage of this 

 in formation. 



G. H. H. 



The Argentine Ant. — The Argentine ant problem is an interesting 

 example of how an insect may indirectly be responsible for serious 

 damage to agriculture, and well illustrates the complexity of some 

 phases of pest control. The present Bulletin contains a brief article 

 on this ant, bearing especially on its control in citrus groves. There 

 are certain restricted areas in the South where it should be possible to 

 eradicate or practically to eradicate these insects from the groves, if the 

 poisoning experiments carried on by this commission result successfully. 

 With the aid of the county horticultural commissioners and their 

 inspectors, an efficient organization could be had for this work, and the 

 legal authority we already have could if necessary be used to advantage. 

 It should not lie difficult, however, to convince anyone who has this ant 

 in his orchard that he i< harboring a serious menace to his own welfare 

 as well as to that of his neighbors. Its possibilities are already well 

 illustrated in certain places in California, and the observations of Newell 

 and Barber, as well as those of Lounsbury in South Africa, should serve 

 as a sufficient warning. 



G. H. II. 



