362 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 5 



also, first for the strictly local trade, but now extending their market 

 even into other states. 



Through the efforts of these companies the use of the home made 

 preparations have been largely replaced by the more uniform commer- 

 cial product with very satisfactory results. 



The competition of these two companies has resulted in a cheapening 

 of the price and their rivalry has kept up or even increased the density, 

 all to the benefit of the consumer. 



Distillates of California petroleum have played a rather important 

 role in the insecticide operations in this state. The refineries have 

 from time to time, sold special spiaying oils, but most of the spraying 

 has been done with ordinary commercial grades of kerosene, or the 

 cruder stove distillate, sometimes with the lighter grades of crude oil 

 just as it comes from the ground. 



In the past there have been many who have manufactured emulsions 

 from distillates, chiefly for local trade. The only firm now making a 

 commercial emulsion and the only one who has manufactured it for 

 sale over the state generally is the Bean Spray Pump Company of 

 San Jose, under their trade name ''Buggo." 



The R. R. Rogers Chemical Company of San Francisco were the 

 first to put out, and, I believe now the only firm, manufacturing a true 

 miscible oil which they sold under the name of "Spra-mulsion." 



The use of power spraying outfits producing a mechanical mixture 

 of a very satisfactory quality has prevented the large use of these 

 emulsified oils, and the smaller users have not become sufficiently 

 acquainted with the convenience and satisfactory character of these 

 commercial products. Undoubtedly tlie future will see a greatly 

 increased use. 



Tobacco is coming to be a more important insecticide in California 

 but the local source of supply is very limited. All of the commercial 

 nicotine preparations are imported from the East. Forty per cent 

 nicotine sulphate, sold by the Kentucky Tobacco Corporation, has 

 become the standard, particularly since the insecticide law has gone 

 into effect and the dealers are learning that the ordinary nicotine solu- 

 tions are very unreliable in composition, possibly due to the decom- 

 I)Osition of the alkaloid. 



The high nicotine content of California tobaccos, which stand in the 

 way of the commercial growing of this crop in the state, should indi- 

 cate that there was a field for the growing of tobacco for this special 

 purpose, though at present the Eastern nicotine is a by-product. 



Nicotine sulphate is used largely both for tree spraying and as a 

 dip for animals. 



Most of the animal dips are made from crude carbolic acid and the 



