416 



the author to believe that ua|)hthaliue will prove a valuable insecticide 

 for some purposes. Fish-oil soaps. — A commercial brand of whale-oil 

 soap and a fish-oil soa^) prepared at the station (foriiuda: Hirsch's 

 crystal potash lye 1 pound, fish oil 3 pints, soft water 3 gallons) was 

 successfully used for plant lice. For ordinary purposes a mixture of 1 

 pound of soap to 8 gallons of water is sufficiently strong. Gas-tar and 

 tar water. — Tar- water (1 gallon of tar to 2 gallons of water) was unsuc- 

 cessfully tried "on all kinds of plant-lice and on various larvic, 

 including the cabbage-worm." In the light of his own experience 

 and that of others the author believes that gas-tar is valueless as an 

 insecticide. Carbonate of lime. — Experiments indicated that this is not 

 of much value as an insecticide, but "has a considerable advantage over 

 plaster for mixing with Paris green or London purple." Eurelia insecti- 

 cide. — This is a preparation of sulphur and was tried "on all sorts of 

 insects without success,. except in the case of the red spider," for which 

 it seems to be a specific. Sludge-oil soap. — A few experiments indicated 

 that this is "a powerful insecticide and not injurious to plants." Paris 

 green or London purple for squash borers. — Brief reports on exi)eriments 

 by several i)ersons who applied Paris green or London purple to the 

 stems of squash vines, as recommended by Dr. Lintner of Kew York. 

 The results are inconclusive and further experiments are necessary. 



The article also contains brief general notes on the use of the arsen- 

 ites, kerosene emulsion, pyrethrum, lime, and hellebore as insecticides. 



New Jersey Stations, Bulletin No. 76, November 28, 1890 (pp. 31). 



Some fungous diseases of the sweet-potato, B. D. Halsted, 

 D. Sc. (illustrated). — In this bulletin are given the results of recent 

 investigations of certain fungous diseases of the sweet-potato at the 

 New Jersey College Station. The descrii)tions of the diseases and of 

 the fungi which cause them are clearly made in untechnical language 

 and are illustrated with nineteen figures. More detailed accounts of 

 the investigations in this line will be given in the annual report of the 

 station for 1890. 



The diseases described aTi.l illustrated are the soft rot {Rhisopns nigri- ■ 

 cans, Ehr,), black rot {Ceratocystis fimbriata, E. and Hals.), soil rot 

 {Acrocystis batatw, E. and Hals.), stem rot, white rot, dry rot [Phoma 

 batatcc, E. and Hals.), sw eet-i^ota,to sciivf {Monilochcetes infuscans, E. and 

 Hals.), leaf blight {Phyllosficta bataticola, E. and M.), leaf mold {Cys- 

 topus iponucwpanduranw, Farl.). The following summary is taken from 

 the bulletin : 



Soft rot is caused by a mold tbat tijrows with great rajjidity in the roots, .and is 

 usually most destrnctive to the sweet-potatoes sliortl.v after digging time, while the 

 roots are passing through the condition known as " sweating." The chief and effect- 

 ive pr<3ventive is at this time to keep the potatoes in a well-ventilated, dry room, 

 maintained at the temperature of about 70° by means of artificial heat; Avatch for 

 and remove anj' decaying roots, as the fuugiis qnicklj' passes from one potato to 



