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MossERi (Y.)- Le Ricin en Egypte. [The Castor-Oil Plant in Egypt.]. 

 — Brill. Union Agriculteurs d'Egyfie, Cairo, no. 118, Januarv- 

 February 1917, pp. 1-29. [Received 24th April 1917.J 



It is suggested that experiments might be made in feeding the silk- 

 worm, Attacus cynthia, on the leaves of the castor-oil plant, with the 

 object of establishing sericulture in Egypt. A. cynthia has been 

 successfully reared on this plant in India, and although it does not 

 produce silk of such high quality as Bornhyx mori, it is a hardier species, 

 being less subject to disease and more resistant to inclement weather. 



Chase (W. W.). Experimental Dusting and Spraying of Peaches. — 



Georgia State Bd. Entom., Atlanta, Ciic. no. 21, February 1917, 

 15 pp., 4 plates, 3 tables. 



Results of three seasons experiments in dusting peach trees against 

 peach curculio, peach scab and brown rot, have given encouraging 

 results. One drawback has been the tendency of the dust to cause 

 defoliation and to split or crack the peaches, but it appears to be 

 possible to avoid this. Most of the foliage and fruit injury noted in 

 the tests, while somewhat influenced by weather conditions, is attri- 

 butable to the use of too much dust. The dust mixtures used were 

 composed of superfinely ground sulphur and powdered arsenate of 

 lead. In two of them hydrated lime was added and this helped to 

 reduce the cost of the mixture. The sulphur and arsenate of lead 

 mixture contained 95 parts of finely ground sulphur (100 per cent of 

 which would pass through a 200 mesh screen) and 5 parts lead arsenate. 

 The sulphur-lead-lime mixtures were composed respectively of 45 per 

 cent sulphur, 5 per cent lead and 50 per cent lime, and 60 per cent 

 sulphur, 5 per cent lead and 35 per cent lime. The addition of the 

 lime prevented the tendency to form lumps that occurred when sul- 

 phur and arsenate of lead only were mixed together. The mixtures 

 were applied by means of a motor-driven dusting apparatus, from the 

 windward side of the trees. This should be done when it is not raining 

 or too windy, and should be continuous. 



The results attained were most satisfactory, giving almost perfect 

 control, a thorough and uniform distribution of material, a saving of 

 time, labour, teams and initial cost, an independence of water and 

 little deterioration of apparatus and none of material. 



Rose (W. A.). The Cyclamen Mite. — Agric. Gaz. Canada, Ottawa, iv, 

 no. 3, March 1917, pp. 174-175, 1 fig. 



Many cyclamens in Ontario died from disease in 1916, one grower 

 losing as many as 90 per cent, of his plants. The injury was found to 

 be due to a mite, a species of Tarsonemus, which also attacks green- 

 house plants on the Pacific Coast. 



To control this pest, the plants should be sprayed with nicotine 

 solution when they are first transferred to pots, and again at 10 day 

 intervals until the buds are formed. The addition of 4 oz. of 

 soap to 5 gals, of spray would probably increase its efficacy. 



