5 6 6 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Lave cultivated their orchards thoroughly, both in the fall and spring, 

 for several years proves quite conclusively that cultivation has but 

 little, if any, effect in reducing the numbers of the cnrculio." Tests in 

 an insectary indicated that the unsuccessful cultivation is due to the 

 fact that the grabs bore back into the soil however often they may be 

 disturbed. The chances of poisoning the insect by spraying are small. 

 The egg is deposited in the flesh so that the larva? can not be reached. 

 The beetle can be poisoned only during the week or more spent in feed- 

 ing on the fruit at the egg-laying period, and it gets most of its food 

 in the flesh, eating only a minute hole through the skin. In the case 

 of an orchard at Lockport, New York, hogs seemed to keep the insect 

 in check. The author recommends the jarring method commonly used 

 against the plum curculio as the most successful remedy known at 

 present. A curculio catcher, especially adapted to the low-growing 

 habit of the quince, is illustrated. 



The San Jose scale in Missouri, J. M. Stedman {Missouri Sta. 

 Bui. 41, pp. 17-35, jigs. 8). — An inspection of the principal nurseries 

 and some of the larger commercial orchards of Missouri is reported. 

 The San Jose scale was not found in any nursery, but was present in 

 twenty orchards, some of which are already completely ruined. In 

 most cases the scale was introduced 7 years ago, one infection however 

 occurring only "2 years ago. The distribution of the scale in Missouri 

 as at present known is shown by a map. The scale is described and 

 figured. As a remedy for the scale in orchards whale-oil soap, applied 

 two or three times after the trees have beenseverely pruned, is strongly 

 recommended. 



Digestion in the larvae of the gypsy moth, A. II. Kirkland and 

 F. J. Smith (Agr. Massachusetts, 1897, pp. 394-401). — The article notes 

 the food materials of the gypsy moth, describes the moth's digestive 

 system, and discusses its digestive processes. 



"Microscopic examinations of the contents of different parts of the alimentary 

 canal show that the greater part of the food retains much of its original physical 

 character. The fibrous elements pass through the system practically unchanged. 

 The softer tissues undergo a partial disintegration, hut in general the cellular 

 structure can he recognized. In. the contents of the cells, however, there is a great 

 change; iu food removed from the anterior stomach the cell contents showed only 

 a partial destruction, while in samples from near the intestine the protoplasm had 

 nearly disappeared, only the chlorophyll granules remaining. From these exam- 

 inations it appears that the process of digestion in this larva is practically one of 

 solution or extraction; the digestive fluids dissolve the soluble proteids, carbo- 

 hydrates, fats, salts, etc., while the insoluble parts are eventually ejected." 



The alkalinity of the digestive fluids of the gypsy moth larvae is 

 ascribed to the presence of tri-potassium phosphate. Analyses of the 

 alimentary canals of a number of lepidopterous larvae showed that 

 "phosphate of potash, although varying in amount, is a constant 

 ingredient of the digestive fluids of leaf-eating Lepidoptera." The 

 author believes that the function of this compound is "to aid in the 

 osmosis of albuminoids through the walls of the alimentary canal into 



