REPORT OV THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 325 



raiu forms a paste wliich j^lucs the poison to tlie lea\c.s. 'J'Li.s fact Las 

 been so well established that it is nnnecessaiy to enlarge upon it. A 

 single instance may be cited as an exanaple: Bui-mg the present season, 

 on Capt. George O. Bakers plantation at Selma, Ala., the mixture known 

 as lloyall's patent witlistood five days of continual rain. 



Our experiments sliow that i>oison mixed with tlonr alone adheres 

 nearly as well as the above-named mixture, resin and dextrine seeming 

 to have but little action. It was also found that Hour can be diluted to 

 a certain extent by gypsuin or land plaster. But poison mixed with 

 ])laster alone adhered but little better than when applied with water. 



Another advantage gained by the use of dry poisons is that there is 

 less danger of injuring the cotton than Avhen water is used. - • 



The great objection to this method of poisoning is its cost, the price 

 of the flour adding materially to the expense; and, also, no way has yet 

 been devised and brought into general use of ai)plying dry mixtures as 

 rapidly and easily as li<iuid poisons may be applied. We believe, how- 

 ever, that unless some method is devised for throwing a spray of liquid 

 poison upon the lower surhice of the leaves, where it will be less liable 

 to be washed oft' by raiu, dry poisons will be found niost practicable ; 

 and we feel sure that the objections of the expense can, to a great ex- 

 tent, be removed. Further experiments are ]iecessary to devise a cheaper 

 method of distributing x)owdered substances over i)lants, and to deter- 

 mine to what extent the flour may be protitabty replaced by i^laster or 

 some other cheap material. The cost of the flour can doubtless be les- 

 sened by using a poorer quality, which might be manufactured for the 

 IRirpose from inferior or injured Avheat. If a machine could be invented 

 by which a mixture of one pound of Paris green and two ijounds of flour 

 could be quickly aiul evenly distributed over an acre of plants, the same 

 end would be gained. 



The simplest luethod of applying dry poisons, and the one most gener- 

 ally used, is by means of a tin vessel holding about a gallon, ])rovided 

 Avith a handle and having a bottom made of i>erforated tin. By means 

 of this the jioison can be sifted over .the jdants. This, however, is a 

 slow^ process, as only one row at a time is poisoned. 



Some planters practice sowing the mixture when there is a light wind, 

 being in this way enabled to poison several rows at once. Aside from 

 the iact that the conditions favorable for this method cannot be relied 

 upon, the poison cannot be as thoroughly distributed as is desirable. 



A device has been invented by Ttlr. J. W. Young, of Southtield, Mich., 

 for dusting Paris green upon potato-vines ; by means of this, two rows 

 can be poisoned at once. The form is shown in Plate XYI, fig. 1. 



The weight of the apparatus is balanced upon the shoulders by means 

 of a neck-yoke, thiis leaving the hands and arms free to move the 

 handles. Each handle is attached to a brush that works horizontally 

 across holes in the bottom of the can. The cans are adjustable to the 

 width of the rows or height of crop. Doubtless this machine would be 

 found much better than the hand-dusters, especially when i)oisoning 

 small cotton. 



Plate XVI, fig. 4, represents a machine patented by Mr. Nicholas A. 

 Davis, of Busk, Tex. 



Xo. 1 represents the invention attached to a cart; Xo. 2 is a cross- 

 section through the line ?/ i/. 



In the drawings, A represents au ordinary farm-cart, across the rear end of -vvbieli is 

 secured tlie horizontal sliaft B, liaviug its bearings in the arms c c, iirojecling behind 

 tb<'. cart. On tlic shaft J'>, 1 i)laei' two or more loosely-revolving perforated cylinders, 

 E, being revolved ui>on the shatt, uhicli carries a pulley, a, over -which a bandor cord 



