68 



The Ash Borer {Trochiliumfraxini Lugger) is still increasing rapidly, 

 and will probably destroy most of the ash trees in the neighborhood 

 of the station in two or three seasons more. The Ash Sawfly and the 

 Sphinxes (Ceratomias) are assisting to a noticeable extent. The ash is 

 a bad investment in our locality. 



In May the station procured five colonies of bees, aiming merely to see 

 what they would do, with ordinary care, in a region devoid of natural 

 timber with its accompanying honey plants (the nearest is five miles 

 away). We have now increased to ten strong colonies. I have taken 

 off 35 pounds of fine honey, and shall probably get 100 pounds or so of 

 fall honey. Considering that the original swarms were weak, I think 

 the record good so far. Of course the winter will try them. 



A building 16 by 32 was erected this year for our department. It 

 has a wing 12 feet square for bees. In the main part we have an office 

 and a small breeding room. We moved into the new quarters July 1. 



Mr. Alwood read the following paper by title : 



A NOTE ON REMEDIES FOR THE HORN FLY. 



By Wm. B. Alwood, Blacksburgh, J'a. 



This plague to cattle, which has now become so common throughout 

 several of the Atlantic coast States, demands attention from workers in 

 economic entomology. Doubtless some very good recommendations have 

 been made by Dr. Riley, Professor Smith, and others, but as condi- 

 tions vary we are bound to treat such questions from the standpoint of 

 local practicability. The recommendation to lime the droppings when 

 l)ractical may prove a very good way of dealing with this pest, but 

 with me it is quite impractical from the fact that lime is neither cheap 

 nor easy to procure, and this is the case in many parts of Virginia. 



Some two years since, from a suggestion of mine in a lecture at Char- 

 lottesville, Va., the late Henry M. Magruder began the use of kerosene 

 emulsion on his dairy cattle. The application was made with a Japy 

 knapsack pump, and though it had to be repeated with frequency, 

 proved a considerable success. During the year 1890 I frequently rec- 

 ommended this remedy, stating that the standard emulsion (Hubbard 

 formula) should be diluted ten to fifteen times. 



The Horn Fly did not become troublesome at our place, which is in the 

 upper mountains of southwest portion of the State, until late in 1890, 

 and I did not, as a consequence, have opportunity to treat this insect 

 myself. However, the present year they showed themselves in abun- 

 dance in July, and I concluded to try my own recommendations. 



The experiments were made upon ten dairy cows, beginning with plain 

 emulsion diluted ten times. I found that this killed a majority of the 

 flies actually wetted with it, and produced considerable immunity from 

 attack for the space of one to two days. Desiring to make the treatment 



