ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 10; 



"1 dram ■' corresponded To get at the rate of evaporation I pour?d I dram into a 

 graduate and Jeft it exposed ;~ but placed in a shaded spot. It required tif'teen minutes 

 to disappear completely. Eleven badly inJested hills were then covered l)y bowls, the 

 vines being crowded under when necessary, and 1 dram in a graduate was placed under 

 each. At the end of twenty minutes I liftf^d ono bow], found that less than half the 

 raateriiil had evaporated ; that all the (Joccinellidte were dead, the small lice dying, and 

 the Diabrotica, ants, and large viviparous aphides were yet all alive. Ten minutes later 

 there was little change. At the end of three-fourths of an hour, though scarcely more 

 than half the liquid was gone, all save a few of the mature, wingless, viviparous females 

 were dead. In one hour there was yet liquid in all the graduates ; but all the aphides 

 were dead, or appeared so. To test the matter, all the hills treated were marked to be 

 examined later. Another series of infested hills were selected ; bub the experiment was 

 varied l)y using 2 drams of bisulphide in .some cases, using a shallow saucer in others, 

 pouring the liquid on the ground in two cases, and covering other hills with large square 

 boxes, some of them anything but tight. All coverings were left on for one hour, 

 undisturbed. Examined finst a square box covering a shallow saucer with two drains of 

 bisulphide ; found this all evaporated and every aphis killed. The bowls covering the 

 saucers in which 1 dram was used showed like results. Two square 1)oxgs which were 

 not tight, covering graduates with 2 drams of liquid, had all insects unalfected and the 

 materia! scarcely half gone. The two bowls under which the bisulphide was poured on 

 the ground were then lifted and all the tiphides were found dead. All the other hills 

 covered liy bowls showed all the lice dead and not all the bisulphide evaporated. The 

 hills first treated were again examined and there was no sign of recovered life anywhere 

 visible. Bowls, graduates and bisulphide were left with Mr. Taylor, and all the treated 

 hills were marked for later examination and to note the effects of the chemical. The 

 experiments were made in the middle of a very hot day, the thermometer OS*"' in the 

 shade, little or no wind blowing, and the aand so hot that it l)urned through shoe soles 

 and could scarcely be handled more than a few moments at a time. Many of the hills 

 showed the edges of the leaves, when the covers were removed, yellowed and set with 

 numerous drops of a clear liquid. 1 feared permanent injury, but instructed Mr. Taylor 

 if he found that the plants died to continue his work before the sun was high or after it 

 was quite low. He wrote me imder date of July 19 : " The hills you treated when here 

 last started to grow nicely, except the two hills where the carbon was poured on the 

 ground ; that killed them. The treated hills showed no lice at last examination." I am 

 quite satisfied, from the experiments above recorded and from others that were not 

 recorded, but were simply made to settle practical questions, that in melon fields at least 

 bisulphide of carbon can be used satisfactorily, and effectively. It has the enormous 

 advantage of reaching everything on all parts of the plant, not a specimen escaping. 

 With a stock of from 50 to 100 light covering boxes about 18 inches in diameter, as 

 many shallow dishes, and a bottle of bisulphide the infested hills in a field can be treated 

 in H comparatively short time. 



The paper was discussed by various members, Mr. South wick describing a combination 

 of bisulphide with " Polyaolve" which he had used in the form of an emulsion ; and Mr. 

 liintner suggesting the use of cloth coverings in place of the boxes employed by Mr. 

 Smith. Mr. Galloway suggested the use of the protection cloth used by seedsmen, which 

 is treated with oil and is practically air-tight ; Mr. Howard referred to the original 

 suggestion by Garman, of the use of a wash-tub, which was thought to be very satis- 

 factory for limited applications ; and Mr. Smith and Mr. Saunders suggested the use of 

 paper caps, similar to but smaller than, those used by farmers for the protection of the 

 hay crop. The subject of. the relation of parasites to the control of the louse was also 

 discussed, as well as the effect of the bisulphide on the plants themselves, also upon the 

 germination of seeds, when employed for the eradication of grain pests, etc. 



