543 



Ehrhorn (E. M.). Division of Plant Inspection.— ^awawan Forester 

 & Agriculturist, Honolulu, xv, no. 8, August 1918, pp. 237-238. 



During the month of June a case of plants from the mainland was 

 fumigated for scale-insects and some maize from Mexico for an infesta- 

 tion of weevils and the Angoumois grain moth [Sitotroga cerealella]. 



Hunter (W. D.). The Pink Bollworm with Special Reference to Steps 

 taken by the Department of Agriculture to prevent its Establish- 

 ment in the United States. — U.S. Dept. Agric, Washington, D.G., 

 Bull. no. 723, 30th August 1918, 26 pp., 10 figs. 



This bulletin deals with the pink bollworm {Pectinophora gossypiella), 

 its history, present range, description and life-cycle, together with a 

 full account of the precautions taken to prevent its introduction into 

 the United States. 



In 1913 a quarantine was promulgated forbidding the importation 

 of all species or varieties of cotton seed into the United States from 

 any foreign locality except the Imperial Valley in the State of Lower 

 California in Mexico, the importation from this region being covered 

 by regulations. Later, the introduction of cotton seed from some of 

 the northern states of Mexico was permitted. These quarantines 

 against cotton seed, as such, were soon found to be insufficient, as 

 considerable quantities of seed were being admitted in bales of lint. 

 The destruction of infestation in bales of lint by means of cold was 

 found to be impracticable, the use of heat being also impossible on 

 account of the time necessary to penetrate the highly compressed 

 bales, and the increased danger from fire on opening bales so heated. 

 However by fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas in vacuo it was 

 found possible to kill any insects that might be within densely 

 compressed bales of cotton without any deterioration of the latter. It 

 having been discovered in 191-5 that large amounts of cotton-waste 

 were being imported, some of which contained more than twenty 

 times as much seed as baled cotton, the definition of the term " cotton " 

 was made to include all grades of cotton- waste except those resulting 

 from processes which rendered the retention of seeds impossible. 



Early in 1916 the fumigation of all bales of foreign cotton and 

 cotton- waste was required as a condition of entr); , and establishments 

 capable of handling all imported cotton without special delay were 

 erected at the ports of entry. The cargo of a steamer having been 

 found to be heavily infested, the entire lot, consisting of 4,000 bags of 

 seed, was converted into fertihser by immersion in vats of sulphuric 

 acid. In addition the holds of the vessel were thoroughly fumigated 

 with hydrocyanic acid gas, all trucks, platforms, and floors thoroughly 

 cleaned of scattered seeds, and cotton fields within a radius of 10 miles 

 systematically inspected. Towards the end of 1916 an amendment 

 was added providing for the inspection and, if necessary, disinfection 

 of all burlaps or other fabrics used for covering cotton and to which 

 cotton was adhering. Finally in 1917 an order restricting the admission 

 of all cotton seed products, except oil, from all foreign countries was 

 promulgated owing to the discovery that vmcrushed, infected seeds 

 often adhered to such products. 



