332 



(90 per cent strength), 5 to 6 volumes of sulphuric acid (specific gravity 

 1.83), and about 2 per cent of this mixture (by volume) of rectified 

 methyl alcohol (wood spirit) ; in testing preserved milk 2 to 3 cubic 

 centimeters of anhydrous sulphate of soda are to be ailded. " If three 

 dozen or more tests are to be made at once the operators time is spent 

 almost entirely jn the acts of charging tubes and reading results." 



Graduated vs. ungradtiated tubes. — "As stated in Bulletin Ko. 8, the 

 greatest difficulty is met in obtaining from the makers tubes with ac- 

 curate graduations. * * * a large number of tubes have been 

 found jjerfect, but these comprise only a small part of the entire num- 

 ber tested ; by far the larger part have ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 per cent 

 too large or too small." The author is led from this to favor the un- 

 graduated tube, to be calibrated and marked with the number express- 

 ing either the caliber or the cubic contents for a given length, the actual 

 measuring of the fat being done with' a millimeter rule, and the per- 

 centage found by reference to a table. " Such tubes have been cali- 

 brated under my supervision for the past six months." 



Losses of fat in huttermWc. — Analyses of four samples of buttermilk 

 from ripened cream which had been churned in an ordinary box churn 

 showed an average of 0.6 per cent of fat ; and sixteen analyses of but- 

 termilk from another source, but also from ripened cream, averaged 0.49 

 per cent of fat. " These analyses indicate a loss of butter fat in churn- 

 ing which in general practice would amount to from 18 to 24 pounds in 

 the first case, and in the second from 15 to 20 jiouuds for every 1,000 

 pounds of butter made. 



Potato stalk- weevil, apple curculio, and a new currant 

 BORER, C. P. Gillette, M. S. (pp. 490-495, illustrated). — The potato 

 stalk-weevil {Trichoharis trlnotata, Say) was discovered by Mr. F. A. 

 Sirrine, assistant botanist of the station, August 23, 1890, on the sta- 

 tion grounds. As far as the author can learn this is the first time the 

 insect has been observed in Iowa. Subsequent observations and in- 

 quiries indicated that it is generally distributed over the State. The 

 insect in different stages is illustrated and its life history is briefly de- 

 scribed. " The only remedy at present known is to pull the vines as 

 soon as they are found wilting and drying and burn them. * * * 

 As the potato stalk-weevil promises to be one of the worst insect pests 

 of the State, it will be a subject of special study next summer." 



Notes on the apple curculio [Anthonomus A-gibhus, Say) are given, 

 including an account of observations by the author on the oviposition 

 of the insect, read before the Iowa Academy of Science, September, 1890. 



" June 13, 1890, I was fortunate enough to see a female perform the 

 entire operation, which was done as follows : First, a cavity was eaten 

 in the apple as deep as the beak was long, the bottom being much en- 

 larged and subtriangular in outline. The walls of the cavity converge 

 to the opening, which is only large enough to admit the slender beak. 

 It was thirty minutes before the egg cavity was completed. The beetle, 



