972 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



mediate oils were found with a .specific j^ravity as low as ;-J;> per cent. 

 Tlii.s last .specimen was almost uniformly fatal to foliage. Further 

 stud}' revealed the fact that even true crude oils differ considerabh' in 

 color, specific gravity, and otherwise. In stud^'ing the difference 

 between crude oils the author found that as a rule when oil wells were 

 shot and the surrounding trees were covered with crude oil no damage 

 to the foliage resulted. 



Details are given of a luimber of additional experiments with crude 

 oil bj' the author and fruit raisers. The author used this substance 

 on peach, pear, apple, plum, and cherry trees without causing any 

 harm. One branch of a cherry tree was painted with an intermediate 

 oil with a .specific gravity of 35 per cent and another branch of the 

 same tree with a crude oil of 43 per cent on the same day. The former 

 branch died and the latter developed flowers normally. Near Riverton 

 25 bbls. of crude oil were sprayed on apple, pear, and peach trees and 

 currant and gooseberry vines. No injury was produced on any \'ariety. 

 Experiments in spraying Japanese walnuts, native butternuts, and 

 chestnut trees with crude oil resulted in .serious injury to all the trees. 

 Details are given of a number of other experiments by fruit raisers 

 with varying results as to injury to the trees. The author discu.sses 

 the suV)ject of the action of the oil, method of applying it, the reliable 

 firms of whom oil may be purchased, and its range of usefulness. It 

 is stated that crude petroleum should be used as an insecticide in winter 

 applications only. Suumier treatment for San Jose scale may be made 

 with tobacco extracts and fish-oil soaps. The author concludes that 

 the San Jose scale can be as certainly controlled as many other injurious 

 insects and that crude petroleum of the propej- quality, rightly used, 

 "forms a reasonabh' .safe, economical, and effective material for the 

 purpose."' These conclusions are for Atlantic States and should not 

 be relied upon in arid regions without further experiments. 



A report on the scientific works on entomology during 1898, R. Lrc a.s and 

 G. Seidlitz {Arch. Xaturgesch., 65 (1899), II, No. £, 1. half, pp. 330). — In the first 

 part of this report a bibUographical list is given of articles on entomology published 

 in 1898. In the second part of the report, articles dealing with Coleoptera are listed 

 alphabetically under the authors' names, geographically according to countries and 

 periodical publications, and also according to subjects. The references to Americiin 

 literature on entomology, especially to experiment station publications, are very 

 incomplete, only a few of such bulletins being mentioned. 



The century's "work among- the aculeate Hymenoptera, F. D. Morke {Ent. 

 Her. II n<} Jour. Varialion, /•>' ( 1901). Xo. 1, pp. 1;J-14). — Brief notes on the more impor- 

 tant jiultlications on this Lrnnip of insects. 



The Lepidopterological books of the nineteenth century, L. B. Prout [Eut. 

 Rec. and Jour. Variation, 13 (1901), Xo.l,pp.:.^0-^<5). — This article c-ontains a brief 

 discussion of the literature of this subject, with bibliographical references. 



The progress of our know^ledge of the dragon flies during a century and a 

 half, W. F. KiRBV {Ent.Ila: and Jour. Variailon, 13 {1901), Xo. 1, pp. 7-11).— The 

 author classifies the more important literature on this subject into a Linnean period 



