Gooseberries have suffered from a combined attack of the Spanworm (^Eiifitchea 

 ribearia) and the Sawfly. 1 have not observed the latter in our State till this year. 



The Ash Borer (Trochilimn /raxini,Lugger) is still increasing rai)idly, and will probably 

 destroy most of the ash trees in the neighbourhood of the station in two or three seasons 

 more. The Ash Sawfly and the Sphinxes (Ceratomias) are assisting to a noticeable ex- 

 tent. The ash is a V)ad investment in our locality. 



In May the station procured five colonies of bees, aiming merely to see what they 

 would do, with ordinary care, in a region devoid of natural timber with its accompanying 

 honey plants (the nearest is five miles away). We have now increased to ten strong colo- 

 nies. I have taken off 35 pounds of line honey, and shall probably get 100 pounds or 

 so of fall honey. Considering that the original swarms were weak, I think the record 

 good so far. Of course the winter will try them. 



A building 16 by 32 was erected this year for our department. It has a win^ 12 

 feet square for bees. In the main part we have au olKce and a small breeding room. We 

 moved into the new quarters July 1. 



A NOTE ON REMEDIES FOR THE HORN FLY. 



BY WM. B. ALWOOl), BLACKSBURG, VA. 



This plague to cattle, which has now become so common throughout several of 

 the Atlantic coast States demands attention from workers in economic entomology. 

 Doubtless some very good recommendations have been made by Dr. Riley, Professor 

 Smith, and others, but as conditions vary we are bound to treat such questions from 

 the standpoint of local practicability. The recvjmmeudation to lime the droppings 

 when practical may prove a very good way of dealing with this pest, but with me it 

 is quite impractical from the fact that lime is neither cheap nor easy to procure, and 

 this is the case in many parts of Virginia. 



Some two years since, from a suggestion of mine in a lecture at Charlottesville, 

 Va., the late Henry M. Magruder began the use of kerosene emulsion on his dairy 

 cattle. The ap]:>lication was made with a Japy knapsack pump, and though it liad to 

 be repeated vith frequency, proved a considerable success. During the year 1890 I 

 frequently recommended this remedy, stating that the standard emulsion (Hubbard 

 formula) should be diluted ten to fifteen time.s. 



The Horn Fly did not become troublesome at our place, which is in the upper 

 mountains of southwest portion of the State, until late in 1890, and I did not as a 

 consequence, have opportunity to treat this insect myself. However, the present year 

 they showed themselves in abundance in July, and I concluded to try my own recom- 

 mendations. 



The experiments were made upon ten dairy cows, beginning with plain emulsion 

 diluted ten times. I found that this killed a majority of the flies actually wetted with it 

 and produced considerable immunity from attack for the space of one or two days. De- 

 siring to make the treatment more effective, I used as diluent a water extract of tobacco 

 waste, made by thoroughly boiling one pound of tobacco in each gallon of water. This 

 used with emulsion, 1 to 10 parts, gave almost perfect immunity for a period of three 

 days. 



My work shows that two treatments with this preparation per week almost entirely 

 relieve the cattle from annoyance. I make the application with a knapsack pump fitted 

 with a cyclone nozzle. The work is most conveniently done just after milkin"- in the 

 morning. Two men treat the cows rapidly, requiring about one minute per cow, and 

 using from one to two pints of liquid. The preparation as given above cau.ses no particu 

 larly unpleasant odor, and thus far the milkers have made no complaint whatever con- 

 cerning its use on cows. 



