Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 31 



In a similar attack in hops by a species known as Calocoris 

 fidvomaculatus of De Geer jarring over boards cleared the invaded 

 gardens. 



The only washes found of any use are soft soap washes, especially 

 paraffin emulsion with an extra 3 lb. of soft soap to the 100 gallons. 



To be of much service the wash must be used when the insects 

 are in the larval or pupal stage. A look-out should be kept in the 

 garden to see where this chrysanthemum pest passes the winter ; if 

 the winter quarters are discovered steps should be taken to destroy 

 the insect before spring, if it hibernates in the adult stage. If the 

 species passes the winter in the egg stage on the chrysanthemums, 

 the plants should be sprayed with paraffin emulsion as soon as the 

 young larvie are seen to appear. 



The Destruction of Ants. 



The following information was sent to a con-espondent of the 

 Board of Agriculture at Kingston-on-Thames concerning the method 

 of destroying ants damaging grass and clover. 



First find out the ants' nest. This may be under the ground, in 

 Avhich case it can only be detected by following the ants and so 

 finding the opening in the soil down which they descend ; nests may 

 also be formed under dome-shaped masses of earth, etc., above ground 

 or they may be under stones and rotting wood, according to the 

 species of ant concerned. 



Having located the nests, make a hole in each one about eight 

 inches in depth and then pour into each hole from 1 to 2 ozs. 

 of bisulphide of carbon, according to the size of the nest, and fill 

 up the hole at once with earth. If the ground is regularly under- 

 mined with ants' nests and tunnels, treat the soil with the same, 

 making holes every three feet apart, and pour into each hole 2 ozs. of 

 the bisulphide of carbon. This is as a rule not necessary for ants, the 

 nests only needing treatment. Evening is the best time to attack 

 them. Care must be taken not to put a light near the Ijisulphide of 

 carbon or to let it come in contact with hot metal, as it is highly 

 inflammable. This is the only plan by which ants can l)e cleared 

 out of the soil and has so far always met with success. 



There are veiy few parasitic enemies of ants. A genus of 

 Ichneumon flies, Masmosoma, is one of the few parasites that attack 

 them, whilst a brilliant Chalcid, Eucharis myrmecim, is known to prey 

 on the large Australian Myrmccia. A small fly, Pliora formicarum, 

 Verrall, lays its eggs on ants, inside which the larvai live. Ants 



