289 



such results that iulSSl) S0,.">''*>'"> kilos woreciuployc*!, and in 1S90 24L*,;J92 

 kilos ill the followiiio; departments: Khone, Isere, Ain, Saone-et- Loire, 

 €6tt' (I'Or, Loire, Ardeche, and Drome, and it is estimated that 500,000 

 kilos -will be retiuired in 1801. 



The mixture is employed as the pure sulphide. Its efliciency is in- 

 creased by insertin<»- one portion at a distance of 10 or lli em, from the 

 stock and spreading' the re t over a hectare. About L'000-2500 hectares 

 are under treatment in this way. 



For four years this mixture has been employed on 15 to 20 hectares 

 at St. Itltienne-la-Vaueune (Ilhoue) This pro^wrty was kept at its 

 average rate of production by j)ure sulphide, but its production has 

 been increased threefold by the new treatment. Thylloxera is no longer 

 found on the root, the vegetation is luxuriant, and numerous rootlets 

 have appeared — a sure sign of increased vitality. — Journal of Ghemwai 

 Industry for Xovember, 1801. 



The foregoing is taken from an article by one of the champions of 

 the new insecticide, and would seem to indicate that in the mixture of 

 vaseline and bisulphide of carbon we have at length obtained the long- 

 sought complete remedy for the Grape Phylloxera. 



The fact remains, however, that various careful experimenters in 

 France, such as MM. Gastine, iMarion, ^'ermorel, and others, have given 

 the vaseline mixture thorough trial and have published their conclu- 

 sions at length in varimis scientilic and practical journals, notably Le 

 Prof/res Agrivole et Vitieole, to the effect that the vaseline, so far from 

 improving and completing the action of the bisulphide of carbon, actu- 

 ally hinders it, and this disadvanta;ge increases in ])roportion to the 

 amount of vaseline employed. The claim is admitted that the vaseline 

 prevents the rapid vaporization of the bisulphide, but it is affirmed 

 that the action becomes so slow or is so much checked that little benefit 

 results, and the general diffusion of the vapor through the soil in suffi- 

 cient quantity to be insecticidal is prevented. 



MR. koebele's recent sendings. 



On pages 163, 161 of the current volume we recorded Mr. Koebele's 

 efforts down to ]S'ovember 1, 1801. The December steamer brought 

 over a number of additional specimens of the two species of Orcus — 

 viz, Orcus chah/heus and 0. australasicv — which he had found preying 

 upon the Red Scale, and upon species of Chionaspis, as well as ui)on 

 Asjyidiotus rossii. He also sent a number of Scymnids, which prey 

 upon the lied Scale as well as upon the Black and Flat Scales. Per- 

 haps the most interesiing species sent, however, was a new species of 

 Yedalia, which he found feeding in small numbers upon Icerya purchasi. 

 According to ^^r. Koebele, Mr. Ollifif has one specimen of the new spe- 

 cies in his collection, and will soon describe it. Mr. Tryon, of Bris- 

 bane, Queensland, has two specimens. The insect was met with quite 

 often near Paramatta and eleven larva* were found upon one Icerya. 



