64 CUT WORMS IN GREEN HOUSES. 



learned, and we look forward to next season's work with the 

 insect to throw light upon these points. Our newly made 

 insectary will be of service in this direction. 



Bisulphide of carbon must not be brought near a light, 

 match, cigar, pipe or lamp. It should be bought in one-half 

 pint cans if possible, as being cheaper than when a smaller 

 quantity is purchased. 



CUT WORMS IN GREEN HOUSES. 



In April we received complaints from two different green- 

 houses in Ramsey county, that young plants were being eaten 

 by cut worms. These turned out to be Peridroma saiicia, and 

 the superintendent of one greenhouse recalled, when he had 

 been told that the egg from which the caterpillar came was 

 laid by a moth, that such moths were very abundant in the 

 greenhouse early in the season, but he, of course, was unaware 

 of the danger which its presence involved. Pupae of these 

 moths must be brought inside with the soil, particularly with 

 sod, and in this case the trouble, assuming that there were no 

 egg-laying inside, would only occur after new soil had been 

 brought in. 



We advised trapping the moths, should they appear again, 

 by placing lighted lamps at night over pans of kerosene and 

 water, and later, if there were many worms, to use sweetened 

 bran mash poisoned with Paris green, exercising care in plac- 

 ing it on the soil amongst the plants, lest in watering the Paris 

 green be washed around the roots of tender plants. We also 

 counselled the burying of small 3-inch flower pots in the soil 

 at intervals, close to edges of the benches, letting the rim of the 

 pots be even with or slightly below the surface. Worms crawl- 

 ing along at night will tumble into these traps and can be 

 collected and destroyed in the morning. 



SOME RECENT OBSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF 

 HYDROCYANIC ACID GAS. 



This gas, fatal to all insect life, and, it must be said, to 

 human life also, if carelessly used, and made by the union of 

 cyanide of potash, in itself a poison, with sulphuric acid, is 

 employed very successfully against various pests in household, 



