Ir 



That the date palm is one of more than 1200 species of 

 palms cuid at present is the only species under commercial cul- 

 tivation? For more than 4000 years tho date has been a valuable 

 food for people in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates 



Rivers in southera Asia. To the ancient Egyptians, the date palm was a sign 



of the Dresence of v/ater. 



That some excellent sUj-.gestions on storage construction are pi'esented 

 in the September issue of tho Ai"iierican Fruit Grower? It contains throe storage 

 c.rticlss, - "Remodeling Old Buildings for Cold Storage Units", "If You plan 

 to Build a Cold Storage", end "Rat Control in Cold Storage", 



That information on DDT Residue Tolerance has been published in a 

 recent bulletin by tho National Apple Institute? Investigations of several 

 cases of humcai illness attributed to DDT have eha.-jn the original diagnosis 

 to bo erroneous. 



That there are as mtmy as 11 generations of some species of aphids 

 in a single seasoni Many species produce from 50 to lOO yjung per generation. 

 On the basis of 10 survivors per generation, one aphid could have 1000 decend- 

 ants by the 4th generation. No wonder they seem to take possession of a 

 plant while one's back is turned. 



That "goop", a magnesium dust nixed v;ith asphalt ^uid tar which was 

 used in incendiary bombs in wartime, may prove useful in the orchard? At 

 Michigan State College it kept piles of orchard brush burning briskly. Goop 

 has a consistency like clay and may find a place in orchard heating. 



That orchard reorganization is one of the most pressing needs on 

 most fruit farms? Relieving cr-ivvded conditions, introducing pollinizers, 

 catching up on long delayed pruning, getting rid of stones fjid planting a new 

 block to replace an old ona are somo of the items which deserve something 

 more than vashful thinking. 



That the so-called Milky Disease offers promise in the control of 

 Japanese Beetle? The disease inv-.)lvys a spore f^'rming bacterium tind the normal 

 invasion route is via the alimentary canal of the host. Both the vegetative 

 and the spore forms seem to be infective. Grubs acquire the disease by in- 

 gesting spores along vdth their food. Disintegration of diseased grubs, after 

 death, liberates spores in the soil. The number of sp.ires produced per grub 

 approximates 2,000,000,000. 



That color and quality of apples are likely to be poorer vmero the 

 loaves are heavily infested v;ith rod mite? Qu )ting from Storrs Horticultural 

 Notes, "Tho bright, dry weather of late_ August end September has favored 

 an unusually heavy red mite build-up. Mcintosh, Delicious roid Baldwin are 

 most seri 'Usly affected. If bronzed n Jticoably by mite at prssjnt, apples 

 may drop excessively and early v;ith poorer color. Also, hormone materials 

 applied to bronzed foliage crnnot be expected to be as effective as applied 

 on clean, green leaves". 



