527 



by holding the winter flood until the 20th July and losing the year's 

 crop ; harvesting the crop early and flooding the bog at the end of 

 September ; or sanding, which covers the injured runners and may 

 kill the moth before it pupates. Further investigations were made with 

 local treatments of sodium cyanide in weak solution directly on infested 

 spots. No living larvae were found on plots receiving J oz. sodium 

 cyanide diluted in 18| U.S. gals, water or stronger. The effect of this 

 solution on the cranberry plant was tested, and the same treatments, 

 repeated in the autumn, showed in the spring that the vines on the 

 treated plots were even more vigorous than the untreated portions. 



Hoffmann (A.). Remarque sur quelques Insectes destructeurs de nos 

 Legumes cultiv^s. — Misc. Eiit., Uzcs, xxv, no. 10, July-August 

 1921, pp. 73-74. 



The extreme dryness of the season 1921 intensified the normal 

 damage to vegetable crops by certain pests. For flea-beetles that 

 attack the leaves of turnips, cabbages, radishes, etc., the author has 

 had considerable success with sprays of 2 lb. soft soap in 10 gals. 

 of water, with ^ gal. 12° nicotine, the spray being applied in the 

 evening. Damage to the roots of cabbages was caused in part by the 

 larvae of a Dipteron, which could not be reared, as practically all the 

 pupae were parasitised by a H^Tnenopteron. Other larvae infesting the 

 roots were those of the beetles, Baris laticollis, Marsh., B. chlorizans, 

 Germ., and B. cnprirostris, F., the last named being comparatively 

 scarce. Adults were also found in the galleries, proving that these 

 beetles do not pupate in the ground as was previously supposed. 

 The larvae devour the rootlets and penetrate the stem, in which they 

 make short and fairly straight galleries. Before pupating, the larva 

 closes the gallery with masses of excrement, with which it also forms 

 a cocoon ; this does not always occur in the case of B. laticollis. 

 The Cruciferous food-plants of these beetles include Diplotaxis tenuifolia, 

 Roripa nasturtioides, etc. Reseda Intea is also a food-plant of 

 B. chlorizans and B. cnprirostris. 



A spray consisting of 1 lb. iron sulphate to 10 gals, water has 

 proved a successful remedy, and should be applied twice at a 

 fortnight's interval, followed, if possible, by cultivation of the ground. 

 This treatment is even better as a preventive. Care should be taken 

 not to spray the heart of the plant. 



"^/^vuFFERATH (H.). Miciobe pathogene pour les Sauterelles et d'autres 

 Insectes, Micrococcus {Staphylococcus) acridicida, Kufi., nov. spec. — 

 Ann. Gembloux, Brussels, xxvii, no. 8, August 1921, pp. 253-257. 



In 1913; locusts were received from Greece, where they had formed 

 part of a disastrous invasion. They were obviously infected with a 

 spontaneous disease, which was found to be caused by various species of 

 Staphylococcus, the one that proved most important being S. acridicida, 

 sp. n., which is closely allied to 5. Pyogenes. The preparation, culture 

 and appearance of this organism are described. Locusts inoculated 

 between the second and third abdominal segments with an emulsion of 

 the micro-organism, and others fed on leaves sprayed with the emulsion, 

 died within 48 hours. This Staphylococcus is apparently directly 

 pathogenic to the insects and does not require a series of passages 

 from insect to insect as does d'Herelle's Coccobacillus [acridiorum]. Its 

 effect was also tried on larvae of Pier is rapac, L., in Belgium, 



