196 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



DEPARTMENT OF E"GONOMIG ENTOMOLOGY. 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc. D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



The Bad Moth. —This insect, Tmetocera ocellana, forms the subject of 

 Bulletin 50 of the Cornell Station, and is written by Mr. V. L. Slingerland. 

 The life-history of the insect is very completely given, and the features in 

 which the observations either contradict or confirm other writers are 

 pointed out. The question of remedies is treated in some detail, but not 

 so much to show what is useful as to show what is effective. Finally, 

 however, the recommendation is made that the trees be sprayed very 

 early, before the blossoms, or rather the buds open, so as to kill the hi- 

 bernated larva as soon as it begins feeding. It is probable that this will 

 prove at least partially effective. 



This recommendation to spray early, is seasonable, and should be 

 adopted by fruit growers generally, even where they are not troubled by 

 the bud moth; but by the Plum Curculio alone. There is every reason to 

 believe that this creature begins feeding quite early in the season, even 

 before the buds are open in many cases, and that a spraying at this time 

 is even more effective than one made later. Several ot the most successful 

 growers in New Jersey have informed me that they consider this first 

 spraying, before the buds open, the most important, and that if they were 

 limited to one application only, this would be the one chosen by them. 



Mr. Slingerland again speaks of the inefficiency of kerosene in pene- 

 trating eggs, and while he has not tried it on this insect, he seems to con- 

 sider that it would be ineffective. The use of this substance is probably 

 not indicated here, but I have found it very effective in actual experiment 

 against the eggs of at least two species of Tortricidae, not very different 

 in appearance from those of the Bud-moth. There seems to be, of late, 

 a tendency to decry kerosene, just as, not so long ago, the tendency was 

 to consider it alrhost a cure-all. I have never been as successful as some 

 others in the use of this insecticide, but within a range, the exact limits 

 of which are not yet defined, it is one of the very best that we have. 



One point deserves further emphasis. It has become the practice for 

 growers to use a combination of insecticide and fungicide, and Mr. Slin- 

 gerland properly commends this. He calls attention to the fact, which I 

 have several times referred to, that in making the combinations Paris 

 Green must not be used with any fungicide containing Ammonia, as this 

 is a solvent of the Arsenite of Copper. London Purple can be safely 

 used, however, and this is one of the reasons why I generally recommend 

 it in preference to Paris Green. 



Blackberry, Raspberry and Wheat Insects: Spraying.— Prom the Ohio 

 Station we have three bulletins of entomological interest, that on the 

 Spraying issued by the Horticulturist. This is No. 48, and contains no- 

 thing" that is new. Bulletins 45 and 46 are by Mr. Webster, and are com- 



