272 



with carbon bisulphide may be carried out before packing. About 

 10 lb. carbon bisulphide should be allowed to 1,000 cubic feet. The 

 fumigant is placed in shallow dishes on top of the raisins and allowed 

 to remain for 24 hours. 



Gray (G. P.). Standard Insecticides and Fungicides versus Secret 

 Preparations.— Ca/i/ornm Univ. Agric. Coll., Berkeley, Circ. no. 141, 

 October 1915, 4 pp. [Received 8th May 1916.] 



In this circular an account is given of certain proprietary compounds 

 which, by analysis, have been shown to be useless as insecticides and 

 fungicides, and in certain cases to have an injurious effect on the plant 

 to which they are apphed. An insecticide or fmigicide of secret com- 

 position sold under a trade name lays itself open to suspicion for the 

 following reasons : — (1) Under existing insecticide laws, it is possible 

 to prepare any mixture which is not absolutely injurious and to impose 

 it on the public. (2) No standard can be made for proprietary pre- 

 parations. (3) Copp-ighted names are often used to obtain a high 

 price for the material. Consumers are urged to use standard prepara- 

 tions and to avail themselves of information which has been based on 

 experiments carried out mider the direction of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture and the Agi-icultural Experiment Stations. 



X Parrott (P, J.). Injurious Insects, Old and New. — Proc. 61st Ann. 

 Meeting, Western New York Hortic. Soc, Rochester, 1916, 10 pp., 

 (Jv 2 plates. [Reprint received 12th May 1916.] 



During 1915 various species of grasshoppers, including Melano'plus 

 atlantis, M. femur-rubnim and 31. femoratm, and the orchard tent 

 caterpillar [Malacoso^na americana] were abmidant and destructive in 

 many sections of the State. The carrot rust fly [Psila rosae] caused 

 serious injury to celery and carrots in various districts. The onion 

 thrips [Thrips tabaci], cherry maggot [Rhagoletis cingulata], and the 

 apple maggot [R. pomonella^ appeared in destructive nimibers. 

 Galerucella camcollis (cherry flea-beetle) occurred in cherry and peach 

 orchards throughout Western New York ; this species normally feeds 

 on the wild cherry, Prumis sp. Observations on the rosy aphis of 

 apple [Aphis sorbi] showed that the nymphs apparently emerged from 

 the eggs by the time the tips of the leaves were projecting from the 

 buds. By 23rd May many leaves had become curled by the stem- 

 mothers. A period of rapid multiplication began on 23rd May ; 

 between 8th and 18th Jmie the stunting and deforming effects on the 

 yomig fruit was observed. Late spraying, carried out when the Aphids 

 were present in destructive numbers, was shown to be of little use, 

 since the insects were able to shelter in large numbers within the 

 curled leaves. Spraying at the time of the opening of the buds proved 

 satisfactory, but to prevent reinfestation, applications of nicotine 

 solution and soap were required at intervals of one month. Contact 

 insecticides, such as soap, oil emulsion, or nicotine solution were found 

 to lose their toxicity as soon as the spray dried on the foliage. A 

 mixture of lime and nicotine produced a remarkable freedom from 

 Aphids and other insects throughout the summer. 



