ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY ENTOMOLOGY. 353 



Control of the brown ant ( Solenopsis geminata) and the mealy bug 

 (Pseudococcus citri) in pineapple plantations, W. V. Tower {I'orto Rico St a. 

 ('ire. 7, pp. -'/). — This is the Spanish edition of this circnhir. The English edi- 

 tion has boi'n itreviously noted ( E. S. K., 10, p. HOT). 



The fight ag-ainst phylloxera in Algiers, Tkabut {Bill. Af/r. .Ugifie ct 

 Tunifiic, 15 (1909), Xo. 1, pp. 5-21; Rci: Vit., 3 J {1909), Nos. 7 HI, pp. //3-.'/7; 

 788, pp. 65-71). — This is largely a discussion of the life history and habits 

 r.f the phylloxera as related to methods for its control. I'ai't of an address 

 upon the problem presented by Grassl at a congress of Italian agriculturists, 

 held in February, 1908, is given. It is considered necessary that a further 

 kuowletlge be gained of the life liistory and habits of the pest, particularly 

 as relating to dissemination, in order that its distribution, pai'ticularly in 

 Algiers, may be more intelligently guarded against. 



[Tests of scale remedies and summer sprays], L. R. Taft and F. A. Wil- 

 KEN {Micliigun Sta. Spec. Bill. .'/S, pp. 20-2J/). — The authors briefly report the 

 results obtained from tests made of several remedies for the San Jose scale. 

 The Rex lime-sulphur and Niagara brand lime-sulpluir solutions gave very 

 similar results, both doing very effective work or about equal to that obtained 

 with tlie homemade lime-sulphur. Target brand scale destroyer and Cooper's 

 fluid y 1 gave very poor results, neither seeming to have very much effect on 

 the scale. Water-soluble oil gave quite good results, although not so good 

 as those obtained with the lime-sulphur solution. Suggestions are given for 

 the preparation of concentrated homemade mixtures. 



Tests were made of several materials as substitutes for the Bordeaux mix- 

 ture. The Rex and Niagara brands at 1 : 25, as recommended by the manu- 

 facturers, burned the foliage of apples, pears, cherries, and plums. Home- 

 made lime-sulphur made by the 12 : 15 : 50 formula and reduced one-fifth that 

 strength for summer use did practically no harm to the foliage. The results 

 from the lime-sulphur tests showed that it had some value as a fungicide, 

 although the foliage on the trees sprayed with it did not appear as healthy 

 or as large as that on trees s])rayed with the Bordeaux mixture. Tlie lime- 

 .'^uljjhur was of little value as a remedy for the codling moth, 20 per cent of 

 the apples being wormy, as compared with only 6 iier cent on trees sprayed 

 with arsenate of lead. A combination of Bordeaux mixture and caicium- 

 benzoate was tested, but the results did not indicate that it would control 

 the scale, and in a general way it was inferior to the regular Bordeaux mix- 

 ture. Grasselli's Bordeaux paste was found to mix with water about as well 

 as arsenate of lead but did not stay in suspension nearly as well as a prop- 

 erly prepared homemade Bordeaux mixture, and the results were not equal 

 to the homemade Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of lead. The results 

 obtained from Cooper's fluid Y 2, which is recommended as a summer spray 

 for fruit trees, were quite unsatisfactory. 



Lime-sulphur washes, R. Harcourt {Ann. Rpi. Ontario Agr. CUil. and E.rpt. 

 Farm. 'S.'i {1908), pp. 72-76). — The author has made analyses of commercial 

 lime-sulphur solutions and finds that some of the manufacturers have over- 

 estimated the strength of the preparation and have given directions for a 

 greater dilution than the product will warrant. From analyses made of 4 sam- 

 ples of one particular brand, it was found that when diluted according to direc- 

 tions they contained 113.3, 50.:]. 02.0, and 92.4 gm. of combined sulphur per 

 gallon, respectively, as compared with 153.5 (boiled * hour) and 101.0 gm. 

 (boiled .1 hour) in homemade wash of the 20:15:40 fornnda. 



Washes were made of 3 different kinds of Wmo. but it was found that while 

 analyses showed a variation of from 80.4 to 99.4 per cent in the content of 



