11 



It appears from Mr. West's report that 2,000 hills were examined 

 by him in untreated plots, of which only 17 were missing — a ratio of 

 less than 1 per cent ; and that 2,000 hills were examined in treated 

 plots, of which 834 were missing — a ratio of 41.7 per cent. This dif- 

 ference in missing hills was, furthermore, fairly uniform in the various 

 plots, ranging from none to 9 per 400 hills in the plots planted with 

 untreated seed, and from 112 to 248 in those whose seed had been 

 treated. The average number of stalks to the hill in the untreated 

 plots varied from 3.03 to 3.28, and in the treated plots it varied from 

 1.03 to 1.83. 



Treatment of Seed-corn with Lemon Oil and Alcohol, 

 Check and Experimental Plots of 2,000 Hills each 



From the above table it will be seen that an unquestionable effect 

 of the treatment of seed-corn with lemon oil and alcohol was to cause 

 a loss in this field of about 40 per cent of the hills and nearly three- 

 fourths of the stand. Owing to the much smaller number of hills in 

 the treated plots, the ants and root-lice occurring there were of course 

 so concentrated in the remaining hills that a much larger percentage 

 of these hills were infested than in the untreated checks — a fact which 

 led to the natural but mistaken conclusion that the lemon oil had 

 actually attracted the ants and root-lice instead of repelling them. 



The problem of the cause of the injury was rendered more per- 

 plexing by a statement made to me July 16, in a letter from the vice- 

 president of the canning company, Ira S. Whitmer, who says : 



"In reference to damage that was done to some of our sweet corn 

 that was planted at Bloomington about which you have had some 

 correspondence, we are pleased to state that the result of the use of 

 oil of lemon and alcohol on sweet corn that we planted at Chenoa, was 

 much more favorable. We have a letter today from Chenoa stating 

 that the seed-corn on which this preparation was used sprouted and 

 did equally well as that on which no special preparation was used. We 

 have a good stand of corn on the entire field at Chenoa, 111., where the 

 oil of lemon preparation was used." 



