64 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



roots or planted seed of corn, cotton, and otlier plants. During June and 

 July tlie pupal stage, which is found from 3 to 5 in. below the surface, is said 

 to last from 10 to 12 days. The life cycle of a specimen reared from an egg 

 deposited July 28, 1913, required 330 days— 12 for the egg, 305 for the larva, 

 and 13 for the pupa. To this may be added 10 days from emergence to ovi- 

 position, which represents the maximum period. 



A night hawk, probably Chordeiles virginiamis, is said to feed upon the 

 adult beetles. Since the larva seldom burrows deeper than 4 in., fall and 

 winter plowing are recommended as an aid in its control. In a rotation of 

 cotton, corn, and oats, the oat stubble should be left undisturbed after harvest 

 until September 15, as the adults do not frequent such fields for egg laying. 

 Where the species is injurious to tobacco, it is recommended that a handful 

 of cotton seed be placed halfway between plants to attract the wireworms 

 away from the young plants until the young tobacco is sufficiently strong to 

 withstand the attack. 



FOODS— HUMAN NUTRITION. 



Acidity in wheat flour, L. A. Fitz {Oper. MiUer, 20 {1915), No. 1, pp. 36- 

 3S). —Analyses made by J. W. Calvin and Leila Duuton at the Kansas Exi>eri- 

 ment Station are reported. Judging by the results with different millings of 

 the same grain, high acidity is apparently an unreliable test for unsoundness in 

 flour. The acidity is in part at least attributed to phosphates and amino acids 

 normally occurring in flour. 



Accidental poisoning due to flour containing barium carbonate, L. Hu- 

 GOUNENQ (Ann. FalKif., 7 {191If), No. 63, pp. 5Jf-56). — Several cases of poisoning 

 are reported in which the cause was stated to be flour which contained barium 

 carbonate. 



Feterita, J. C. Summers (Oper. Miller, 20 (1915), No. 1, pp. Jt2-U, figs. 4).— 

 Some baking tests are reported which were made upon doughs prepared with 

 feterita flour alone ; a mixture of feterita flour and soft wheat flour 1:1; 

 feterita flour and hard spring wheat flour 1:1; soft wheat flour alone ; and 

 hard spring wheat flour alone. 



It is .stated that the feterita flour is soft and breaks up badly in scouring 

 and milling. The flour is of a dark red color and contains no gluten, which 

 accounts for the poor volume of the loaves made from it. The bread made 

 from feterita flour alone was heavy and had a poor texture and color. The 

 bread made from feterita and wheat was somewhat better in quality, but 

 also somewhat heavy and poor in texture. Pancakes and gems made from 

 feterita flour alone were heavy and had a flat taste, while those made from 

 the feterita flour and wheat flour were of good quality and had only a slightly 

 flat taste, which was easily overcome by the use of sirup and spices. 



Some data on peanut butter, C. A. A. Utt (Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 

 6 (191Jf). No. 9, pp. 7Jf6, 7.)7). — Chemical and microscopical examinations were 

 made of a number of samples to determine whether oils other than peanut oil 

 were incorporated in the product. In the samples examined no foreign starch 

 or oil was detected. 



[The utilization of prickly pears as human food]. Report of the Prickly- 

 pear Traveling Commission, 1st November, 1912-30th April, 1914, T. H. 

 Johnston and II. Tryon (Brisbane: Govt., 1911, PP- XX+131, figs. 66).— In- 

 formation is given regarding the use of the fresh ripe fruit of- the prickly 

 pear as food in South Africa, the INIeditorranean regions, Central and South 

 America, and Alexico. To a slight extent it is also used in the United States 

 as food. In countries where this fruit forms an important part of the food 



