780 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



<lt']irt'catinfr sensational or unauthorized reports regarding the occurrence of the boll 

 wfcvii in any new localities. Conunittees were appointed to investigate the subjects 

 of holl-wei'vil legislation and hinl legislation. 



The Mexican cotton-boll weevil, L. O. IIowaud {Ainer. Md. Urr. of licvievst, 29 

 (1!)04), No. l()9,]>i>. 1S8-I9I, Jii/s. 4). — An outline is given of the econoniic importance 

 of the pest, its habits, life history, and ravages in Texas, and the work of this Depart- 

 ment and the State of Texas in cond)ating it. Considerable advantage has been 

 found in the cultivation of an early crop of cotton from northern seed and grown in 

 rows farther apart than has heretofore been the custom. In the author's oi)inion it 

 will be iini)ossil)le to stoj) the distribution of the i)est into various parts of tiie coun- 

 try where cotton is grown, but the hojie is expressed that its ravages may be largely 

 (•ontroll('<l l)v proper insecticide and cultural methods. 



The cotton-boll worm (Heliothis armig-era), F. Shekma.x, Jr., (Xorth C((niliri(( 

 J)' pi. Agr., Eld. CIrc. 2, pp. 6, fig. 1). — Notes on the habits, life liistory, injuries, 

 and means of combating this species. 



The Hessian fly, F. Siierm.xn, Jr. {North Carolina Dept. Ac/r., Ent. Circ. 1, pp. 4, 

 fiq. 1). — In North Carolina there are said to be 2 complete annual generations of this 

 insect. The remedies recommended consist in late planting, burning or i)lowing 

 under the stubble, and the use of a trap crop of early wheat. 



Locusts and grasslioppers, W. W. Froggatt {Agr. Gaz. Neir South Wales, 14 

 {190.1), No. 11, pp. 1102-1110, pi. 1). — Descriptive and economic notes on a number 

 of locusts l)elonging to the genera Locusta, Acridium, Cyrtacanthacris, etc. 



The present condition of the San Jose scale in Ontario, W. Lochhead 

 {Ontario Agr. Col. and E.rpt. Farm Bui. 1.33, ])p. 8, figi>. 5). — This pest first appeared 

 in Ontario about 7 years ago and has been fought assiduously with the result that 

 the problem of controlling it appears simpler at the j^resent time than ever before. 

 Good results have been obtained from the use of various insecticides, and the author 

 recommends these insecticides in the following order of effectiveness: Lime-sulphur- 

 salt mixture, crude petroleum, crude petroleum and whale-oil soap emulsion, whale- 

 oil soap solution, carbolic wash. While these remedies are all effective they are not 

 all eijually inexpensive. The whale-oil soap solution proved to l)e too expensive for 

 large orchards. The liine-sulphur-salt solution apparently killed all the San Jose scale 

 and was also effective against scurfy bark-louse and oyster-shell bark-louse. Two 

 preparations of carbolic wash were used, one for winter and one for summer appli- 

 cations. This wash appears to be valuable in controlling the plant lice on apple, 

 plum, cherry trees, and also as a fungicide in the control of peach-leaf curl, apple 

 scab, lirown rot of plums, etc. 



Orchard studies. — XIV. The lime-sulphur wash, W. B. Alwood and J. L. 

 Phiijjps ( Virginia Sta. Bui. I4I, pp. 215-24G,figs. 17). — The various fcjrmulas recom- 

 mended by different investigators for the preparation of the lime-sulphur-saltwash 

 are })resented in ta])ular form. From a study of these tables it aj^pears that in 100 

 gal. of the mixture the (juantity of lime varies from 15 to 66 lbs., sulpiiur from 15 to 

 33 lbs., and salt from 16 to 25 lbs., while the time of boiling varies from 40 minutes 

 to 3 hours. The authors attempted to determine the chemical composition of the 

 compound for the purpose of reducing the system of its preparation to a definite 

 chemical basis. 



The objections raised by horticulturists against the use of this insecticide are that 

 so much apparatus is required in its preparation and that the length of time re(]uired 

 for boiling it is so long. In the first experiments made by the authors the formula 

 used was as follows: 50 ll)s. lime, 50 lbs. sulphur, and 12i lbs. salt per 100 gal. of 

 water. Several modifications of this formula were also tested and the period of 

 boiling was varied to considerable extent. Tests were made of the specific gravity 

 of mixtures of various strengths; during these experiments it was found that the 



