58 



The track of the larva is very uniformly from the base of the head 

 upward, and the younger larvie are almost invariably found near the 

 base and beginning their work on the florets there. It would seem, 

 therefore, that the eggs are deposited at the base of the receptacle, and 

 the larvae upon hatching maj" begin at once upon the older florets. In 

 working upward, roughly speaking, they usually form an irregular 

 spiral track around the receptacle. 



The delicate, white, silken cocoons of this insect are spun in the head 

 among the dried florets, frass and bits of eroded but undevoured flow- 

 ers so covering them with brown as to make them difticult of detection. 

 The pupiB work their way entirely out of their cocoons and drop to the 

 ground before bursting their pupa cases, which may be found in abun- 

 dance on the ground from which a brood has just issued. 



The second brood was observed pairing during the last week of 

 July, and August 5 the larvas were found in great numbers, one hav- 

 ing at that time spun its cocoon preparatory to pupating. The rate of 

 growth would seem to establish that there are three broods per year at 

 Ames, and possibly, though not probably, four. [In advance from a 

 forthcoming Bulletin, No. 14, of the Iowa Experiment Station.] 



Mr. Alwood presented a communication, of which he has furnished 

 the following abstract : 



STANDARD FITTINGS FOR SPRAY MACHINERY. 



By William B. Alwood, Blacksburgh, Va. 

 [Abstract by author.] 



It is my desire to briefly present to this Association a matter with 

 which doubtless many of your members are already familiar, and which I 

 feel confident will meet the hearty approval of all the economic workers. 

 At the Champaign meeting of tlie Association of Agricultural Colleges 

 and Experiment Stations, held in November, 1890, I presented a paper 

 before the botanical section, dealing with some of the newer forms of 

 machinery used in fungicidal work, and pointed out the great inconven- 

 iences under which we labored from the diversity of styles and sizes of 

 fittings and thread connections used in the various machines now ofl'ered 

 by manufacturers. The subject was considered of such importance that 

 a motion was carried to ask the sections of entomology and horticul- 

 ture to unite with the botanists in appointing a conjoint committee, 

 which should be charged with recommending to manufacturers such 

 styles and sizes of connections and fittings as were thought to be most 

 convenient in the practical work of treating injurious insects and the 

 fungus diseases of plants. This committee, as finally organized, was 

 composed of the writer, as chairman, Mr. D. G. Fairchild, assistant 

 mycologist of the Department of Agriculture, and Prof. James Trooj), 

 horticulturist of the Indiana Experiment Station. 



