110 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



Several types of machines have been devised in Texas. One type consists of a 

 series of belts upon which the seeds are spread out one layer thick and carried through 

 the oven several times. Belt number one carries the seeds the full length of the oven 

 and drops them on belt number two and so on. Another type consists of a sheet 

 iron revolving drum about three feet in diameter and ten or more feet long, the flanges- 

 on the inner circumference, which carry the seed to the top and drop them down 

 continually over a number of radiating steam pipes which revolve with the drum. 

 A third type is now in process of manufacture by the Ryland Company of Austin. 

 It consists of a series of cut flight conveyors operating inside an insulated steam oven. 

 The upper conveyor carries the seeds the full length of the oven and delivers them to 

 the next conveyor which in turn carries them to the next conveyor and so on. 



The different types of machines will be taken to Mexico, tried thoroughly and if 

 successful, attempts will be made to ultimately require all cotton gins to be equipped 

 with sterilizers. 



Pink Bollworm Scouting 



Mr. K. H. Townsend gave a report on the progress of pink bollworm scouting con- 

 ducted by the Federal Horticultural Board under his supervision. His work is 

 summarized in a report which may be had on application to the Houston office. 

 In the same report is a record of the tracings o'^ all Carlsbad seed. Another report, 

 "Summary of the Pink bollworm Situation" released by the Federal Board of Hort- 

 iculture under date of November 26 should also be in the hands of all southern ento- 

 mologists. 



Scouting work is begun each year at the southern end of the cotton belt and the 

 scouts moved northward as the season advances. Whenever an infestation is found, 

 tracing is done at once by the central office and new scouting points are included ia 

 the itinerary. Scouting is begun at Brownsville about June 15. 



On October 6 scouting was begun at Ennis and after only about two weeks an 

 infestation was found about three miles south of Ennis. Carlsbad seed has been 

 planted south of Ennis as far as Kaufman County. During the three weeks following 

 the infestation four more infested fields were found. Scouting was carried out in all 

 directions from the infested centers but no more pink bollworm was found. 



A few weeks later an infestation was found at Marilee. The infestation occurred 

 on the Collins-Grayson county line and occurred in two fields. It arose from flights 

 of moths which emerged from Carlsbad seed which had been stored in a gin house, as no 

 infested seed has been planted. 



About two-thirds of the places getting suspicious Carsbad seed have been scouted 

 to date. Fifty scouts are now in the field. All ginning territory around Marilee 

 is considered dangerous for another year. At Ennis the scouts put in at the rate of 

 one man a day per y^ acre. 



In the Carlsbad area (including four towns) infestations were found at each place. 

 The infestation is regarded as being generally distributed over about 15,000 a-^res. 



It is expected that scouting will oe completed at all suspicious points which need it. 

 There is still scouting to be done in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. 



Mr. MacDonald then discussed some observations made on his Mexican trip. 

 Damage from the pink bollworm ran all the way from 5% to 75%. In some places 

 the boll weevil and the pink bollworm caused a total loss. In one field at Torreon 

 90% damage was noted. 



General Discussion on Cotton Dusting 



Mr. MacDonald made the statement that where cotton had been dusted for the 

 boll weevil he found the bollworm {Chloridea obsoleta) to be much more severe than 

 where dusting had not been carried out. Plant lice were also much more severe. 

 He attributed the presence of large numbers of flant lice to the fact that predators 

 had been poisoned. 



Mr. Bishopp verified these findings. He attributed the increase in bollwonns to 

 the fact that predators which ate the eggs of this species had been killed. Mr. 

 Reinhart also verified the statement made with reference to the abundance of plant 

 lice, and stated that it was at a time when it was hot and dry and when heavy plant 

 lice infestations were not to be expected. It was noted that hymenopterous parasites 

 were still at work, however, though there was a marked decrease in the number of 

 Coccinellids. 



