-3- 



DDT SHCT/S PROMISE IN RECENT TESTS 



Experiments by various federal agencies in several areas, notably 

 New England and Pennsylvania, show oxcellont results against gypsy moth by 

 the use of DDT from ground applications and by airplane. Som.e of the results 

 reported indicate not only commercial control but actually approach very 

 closely to extermination, at least in the experimental areas. In several 

 of the test areas, DDT applied for gypsy moth control was found to have giv- 

 en excellent results against a number of other injurious insects including 

 such pests as cankerworm, budworms, etc. Although final reports are not yet 

 available, some of the results surpass those anticipated and lend hope to 

 those who have heretofore felt much concern over the devastation wrought 

 by the gypsy moth in many areas of the state this past sumraer. 



The Japanese beetle, a species which is already pre^sent over much 

 of the state and' which this season was fully as conspicuous as in any recent 

 years, is another pest against which DDT has given excellent results. Sprays 

 and dusts have proved very effective against the beetles, and preliminary 

 tests in the application of DDT to the soil indicate that the material is 

 very effective against the grubs; much more so, pound for pound, than is the 

 case with lead arsenate. The material also has shown a very' marked residual 

 effect against the beetles and thus enabled growers by one or, at most, two 

 applications to secure protection throughout practically the entire season 

 of beetle activity. Soil treatments v/ith DDT appear to be a very promising 

 addition to control measures and may serve as a valuable supplement to the 

 use of the so-called milky disease or spore dust which is also giving ex- 

 cellent results against the Japanese beetle grubs in heavily infested areas. 



The oriental fruit moth for many years shov/ed such an excellent 

 defense against insecticidal applications that its control by spraying or 

 dusting was almost despaired of. At the present time the so-called oil- 

 sulfur-talc dust has given excellent results throughout the midwestern peach 

 areas, against this insect. Many Massachusetts growers have used this dust 

 and reported excellent results. For those grovrers who are equipped to spray, 

 a fixed nicotine such as Black Leaf 155 has also shown premising results. 

 Both sprays and dusts are available commercially, and apparently each year 

 more and more growers are availing themselves of these materials. Recent 

 tests also indicate that DDT combinations (dusts or sprays) have also shown 

 very promising results. 



It is encouraging to note that the new material DDT has shown it- 

 self to be so efficient against all three of these very serious pests, and 

 the assurance that DDT in different formations will be available commercially 

 by another season is nev/s that will be v/elcome to fruit growers, 



~ A. I. Bourne 



MAGNESIUI.I SPRAY P R ECIPITATE 



(An apparent change in the spray mixture, as evidenced by an in- 

 creased amount of precipitate, has been observed by a fe\t grov/ers, when mag- 

 nesium sulfate is placed in the spray tank. The following statement by 



