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When the fleas cease to ran out onto the head of the cat she judges that they have 
deserted the cat. The animal is then let out of the batting bag, and the latter care- 
fully carried to the kitchen and deposited in the stove. The scent of the camphor 
clings to the cat for some time and acts as a preventive. A whole cattery may be 
cleaned out in this way. 
A NEW REMEDY AGAINST PHYLLOXERA. 
Professor Vassiliere, in the Gironde, France, has for several years 
past met with good success in using calcium carbide against phylloxera. 
It is said to be superior for this purpose to bisulphide of carbon, 
both as to efficiency and absence of danger in handling. The cost also 
is less and it can be used in any season. It is sufficient to use the 
residue resulting from the manufacture of carbide of caleium, which 
is of little value otherwise and which is sold at about $2 for 220 pounds. 
For 1 hectare of vineyard land (1 hectare equivalent to 2.471 acres) 
about 1,100 pounds of carbide are required. The carbide pieces are 
put into holes in the ground, about 8 inches deep; water is poured in 
and the hole filled up again. The resulting vapors kill the phylloxera, 
while the ammonia generated manures the ground. Carbide is at 
present extensively used in the vineyards of southern France, and 
experts claim that it is the best remedy against phylloxera.—Richard 
Guenther, consul-general, Frankfort, Germany, May 28, 1901. 
A NOTE ON THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER. 
(Homalodisca coagulata Say.) 
Mr. W. D. Hunter, special agent of this Division, while at Victoria, 
Tex., during May, 1901, wrote us on the 29th as follows concerning 
this insect, specimens of which he sent, and which he stated were 
feeding upen planted banana trees in great numbers: 
These insects feed upon the upper surface of the leaves and seem to prefer the cavity 
of the midrib, or that immediate vicinity, for their operations. I notice what was 
to me an interesting habit of these insects. While feeding during the portion of the 
day when the sun falls hottest upon the leaves of the plant, each one is continually, 
at intervals of only a few seconds, ejecting drops of liquid apparently from the anal 
aperture. These drops are large enough to be seen plainly at a distance of 15 feet 
and are forced out with such vigor that they go often as much as 12 inches in a 
straight line before beginning to fall. Where there are many of the insects upon a 
leaf a miniature rainfall is produced. Such a forcible ejection of honeydew, and in 
the case of insects outside of the Aphididze or Ceropidee, seems remarkable to me 
and may be of interest to you. 
ON THE ALLEGED IMMUNITY OF REDWOOD TO. ATTACK BY TERMITES. 
December 13, 1900, we received a communication through a firm of 
lumber merchants of San Francisco, Cal., which appears to indice te 
that the California redwood lumber is immune to the attack of white 
ants, or termites. Through the firm in question we received a letter 
