160 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



On a crane fly (Tipula parva), >S. Onuki (liiil. Imp. Cent. Af/r. E.ri)t. St a. 

 Japan, 1 {1905}, No. 1, pp. yo-O.'t, ph 1). — The larva^ of a supposed crane tly tem- 

 porarily referred by the author to Tipula parva is widely distributed in Japan 

 and is one of the worst pests of rice in that country. In some localities from 

 GO to 90 per cent of the seedlings are destroyed. There are two annual genera- 

 tions of the insect. The pest is described in its various stages. It appears 

 that the larvje can not exist in water for a long time and flooding for (5 to 3G 

 hours is therefore the easiest, cheapest, and most effective method of con- 

 trolling the insect. 



Ravages of the gypsy and brown-tail moths {McdfnnJ, Mass.: MerJford 

 yerciiri/. 1906. J. ctl.. pp. Id. pis. l.i.i\. — This volume contains a brief account 

 of the present distril)ution of the gypsy and brown-tail moths, with notes on 

 the injury caused by these pests and a copy of the act of the Massachusetts 

 legislature, approved May 5, 1905, providing for the suppression of the g.vpsy 

 and brown-tail moths. The major portion of the volume is occupied with a 

 series of reproductions of photographs showing the prevalence of the gypsy 

 and brown-tail moths in various j)arts of the infested district and the damage 

 done by these pests to trees. 



Spraying apples for the plum curculio, S. A. Forbes ( Illinois Sta. Bill. 108, 

 j)p. 26S-2S0, p!js. //). — The author first began his work on methods of controlling 

 the plum curculio on apples in 1885. 



Elaborate experiments were carried out in 1904, using arsenate of lead as 

 an insecticide. Different sets of trees were sprayed from 6 to 8 times, at in- 

 tervals of about 10 days, between May G and July 28. The apples obtained 

 from sprayed and unsprayed trees were collected, counted, and notes m;ide on 

 their condition. It appeared that the yield of the orchard was increased by about 

 one-half as the result of spraying, while the size of the fruit was increased 

 jibout one-fifth, thus making the value of the apple crop 2 to 3 times as 

 great as it would be without the spraying. 



The cost of spraying was IT cts. per tree for four applications; the work 

 costing 15 cts. and material 2 cts. Since arsenate of lead adheres quite firmly 

 to the skin of the apple a chemical analysis was made to determine whether 

 apples sprayed with this insecticide w(mld be injurious as food. According 

 to this analysis one grain of arsenic was found adhering to four pounds of apple 

 peelings, when the fruit was removed, one day after being sprayed with four 

 times the usual strength of the insecticide. 



The author also discusses the influence of sprayed and unsprayed blocks of 

 trees upon one another, particularly with reference to the conclusions to be 

 drawn from si)r;iying experiments. 



Spraying apples for the plum curculio, S. A. Forbes (Illinois sia. Iliil. lOS!, 

 ahs., pp. 3). — A brief sunnnary of Bulletin 108, noted above. 



Comparative experiments with various insecticides for the San Jose scale, 

 S. A. Forbes {Illinois Sta. Bill. 107. pp. 2-il-261). — In control w(n-k in orchards 

 infested with San Jose scale the author tested 11 insecticide mixtures, with par- 

 ticular reference to their effectiveness and cost. 



The results obtained in these experiments indicate that mixtures of lime and 

 sulphur, without any other ingredient, are cheapest and most efficient. In the 

 experiments in question these mixtures cost from .$0.84 to $1.03 per 100 gal., 

 while the California wash, containing salt, cost from $0.94 to $1.07 per 100 gal. ; 

 Oregon wash about the same, and self-boiled mixtures of lime and sulphur cost 

 considei-ably more. Some of the commercial insecticides, containing the same 

 ingredients, cost as much as $5 per 100 gal. 



In general the early spring appeared to be the best time for treating trees for 

 scale insects, while the midwinter treatments were far less effective. Propria- 



