328 



it is upon this that I base my conclusion. I fear it will be difficult to use any other 

 substance that will destroy the eggshell and not injure the plant. I would by all 

 means advise you to continue your investigations, as I consider it a very important 

 matter.— [March 15, 1892.] 



Remedies for Leaf-cutting Ants. 



Would you be kind enough to give me a remedy against cutting-ants ? We ai'e 

 troubled a great deal by them; they get into our gardens, vineyards, and orchards, 

 and strip all plants of their leaves. There are a great many of them here, and we 

 want to know the best way to get rid of them. * * * — [Jno. G. Kenedy, Nueces 

 County, Tex., February 29, 1892. 



Reply. — * * * The most important point in the warfare against the Leaf- 

 cutting Ant (CEcodoma fervens) is to discover their nests; these are large subterra- 

 neous structures extending in powerful colonies, from 10 to 15 feet below the sur- 

 face of the ground and having several entrance holes. From the latter the ants move 

 after dark along well-delined pathways to the orchard or garden they intend to raid. 

 If the country be open it is not a difficult matter to follow up the moving columns 

 of ants with the aid of a lantern and thus to discover the nest, although the latter is 

 not rarely several hundred feet distant from the tree or vine which the ants defo- 

 liate. If, however, it is in dense shrubbery it is usually extremely difficult to locate 

 it. The nest once discovered its inhabitants can be exterminated by pouring bisul- 

 phide of carbon into the entrance holes, say at least one pint in each hole if the col- 

 ony is large. Should there be no bisulphide of carbon at hand the application of 

 cyanide of potassium dissolved in water may be tried. Pouring kerosene or boiling 

 water into the holes or building large fires over the nest are probably less efficacious 

 remedies, but will no doubt help to lessen the number of the ants or at least to dis- 

 courage them for a time from further raids. 



During my stay in Texas in 1879 1 witnessed a successful method of protecting a vine- 

 yard from the attack of the Leaf-cutting Ant. The vineyard of Mr. Kessler, near 

 Columbus, is surrounded by extensive and very dense shrubbery which was full of the 

 ants. At first these did great injury, but, owing to the nature of the grounds, their 

 nests could not be discovered. Mr. Kessler finally fought them in the following 

 way: Armed with a lantern and a large bottle containing a solution of cyanide in 

 water he made, every evening, the circuit of his vineyard. The columns of ants 

 moving from the woods toward the vines could thus readily be found, and across 

 each of their pathways a strip of about 3 inches in width and 5 inches in length was 

 moistened with the cyanide solution. The ants never went around the poisoned spot, 

 but always attempted to cross it, when they were at once killed by the poisonous 

 fumes. This performance was repeated night after night, except in very rainy 

 weather, and the vineyard was effectually protected. 



A new Fumigator for Scale-insects. 



I have just returned from Riverside, where I went in company with Mr. John Scott, 

 our county horticultural commissioner, for the purpose of investigating a new kind 

 of fumigator that was reported to be much simpler and cheaper than those heretofore 

 in use. At Riverside we were met by Dr. N. H. Clafliu, the horticultural commis- 

 sioner for that district, accompanied by Mr. C. W. Finch, who has charge of the 

 fumigation under Dr. Claflin's direction, and by whom the fumigator iu question was 

 devised. 



This fumigator is indeed an extremely simple affair, aud, at the same time, it 

 appears to serve all the purposes of the more elaborate and expensive ones. Instead 

 of tents, sheets of 8-ounce drill are used ; these are octagonal in outline, as it was 

 found to be easier to construct them of this form than to make them circular. The 

 sheet used to show us the working of the fumigator measured 63 feet iu its greatest 



