642 



NA TURE 



[October 24, 1901 



THE FUMIGATION OF FRUIT TREES. 

 TTiE systematic way in which fruit crops are protected from 

 -*■ insect pests and other natural dangers in California has often 

 been mentioned in these columns. Among the enemies of citrus 

 plants are scale insects, or bark lice, and mites, to the consider- 

 ation of which an article, by Mr. C. L. Marlatt, is given in the 

 U.S. Year Book of Agriculture for 1900. The natural preda- 

 ceous enemies of scale insects are various species of ladybirds, 

 such as the Australian ladybird, which was introduced into 

 California to control the fluted and black scales. The black 



scale has been completely controlled on certain ranches in the 

 United States by its ladybird enemy, and this control has been 

 brought about by the entire cessation of all insecticide opera- 

 tions. But until this condition of things exists on all the 

 ranches, or at least until the natural enemies of scale insects 

 have been fully studied, it is necessary to depend upon spraying 

 and fumigation to keep down the insect pests. The most 

 effective means of doing this is by subjecting infected plants to 

 the fumes of hydrocyanic acid gas. The treatment consists in 

 enclosing a tree at night with a tent as shown in the accompany- 

 ing illustrations, and filling the tent with the poisonous fumes 

 generated by treating refined potassium cyanide (9S per cent, 

 strength) with commercial sulphuric acid (56 per cent.) and 

 ■"water. The treatment is particularly successful in getting rid 



Fig. 2.— Tent 



for fumigation. 



of the black scale [Lecamum oleae, Bernard) and California red 

 scale [Aspidiotns aiiraiitii, Maskell). The tents under which 

 the trees are fumigated are drawn over the trees by means of 

 pulleys, and some of them have diameters of more than seventy 

 feet. To the fruit-grower who leaves things to chance, the 

 work involved in the manipulation of such a protective process 

 may appear excessive, but the cost must be regarded as insurance 

 against loss due to defective crops, and the results obtained in 

 California show that the expenditure of money and energy is 

 fully justified. 



NO. 1669, VOL. 64] 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Mrs. Anna Hough hasoffered 40,000 dollars to the University 

 of Southern California at Los Angeles on condition that the 

 balance of 100,000 dollars be raised. The University recently 

 obtained from Mrs. Hough the sum of 25,000 dollars on like 

 conditions. 



Dr. James MtJSGROVE, formerly lecturer in anatomy, was 

 on Wednesday, the i6th inst., installed in the chair of anatomy 

 endowed by the late Marquis of Bute, and instituted under the 

 recent new ordinances in connection with the University of St. 

 Andrews. 



University fellowships, each of the value of 100/., have 

 been awarded at the \'ictoria University, Manchester, to Drs. 

 E. N. Cunliffe (Owens College) and G. \V. Gelderd (Univer- 

 sity College), both of whom are undertaking research work 

 during the coming year. 



In the expectation of further considerable grants by the local 

 counties authorities, the council of the Birmingham University 

 has, it is understood, authorised the Buildings Committee to pre- 

 pare plans and specifications for necessary buildings, estimated 

 to cost, without equipment and furniture, the sum of 200,000/. 



The following appointments are noted in Science : — Dr. J. 

 B. Overton to be professor of biology. Dr. J. H. Hall, assistant 

 professor of physics, each at Illinois College, Jacksonville, 111., 

 U.S.A., and Mr. F. B. Littell, of the U.S. Naval observatory, 

 has been appointed to a professorship of mathematics in the U.S. 

 Navy. 



Dr. J. BiSHor Tingle, instructor of chemistry at the 

 Lewis Institute, Chicago, formerly lecturer in chemistry at 

 Gordon's College, Aberdeen, and at the Merchant Venturers' 

 Technical College, Bristol, has been appointed professor and 

 head of the newly organised department of chemistry at the 

 Illinois College, Jacksonville, 111., U.S.A. 



The new Municipal Technical College at Sunderland has 

 started with the enrolment of 600 students. This number so 

 largely exceeds the reckoning of the Technical Education Com- 

 mittee that the Borough Council, in order to provide for the 

 necessary increase of the staff, will, it is expected, be compelled 

 to have recourse to its rating powers. 



The dedication of the Severance Chemical Laboratory of 

 Oberlin College took place on .September 26, when an address 

 was given by President Ira Remsen, of the Johns Hopkins 

 University. In the course of the proceedings it was stated that 

 Mr. Lewis Severance, the donor of the laboratory, had given 

 the sum of 40,000 dollars as an endowment for the chair of 

 chemistry. 



At a recent meeting of the governors of the Durham Uni- 

 versity College of Science, Newcastle, the principal of the 

 College submitted his report, in which he stated that the fund 

 for the completion of the College buildings amounted to 31,000/. 

 The suggestion of their treasurer. Dr. Hodgkin, that a suitable 

 memorial to Lord Armstrong would be to erect a statue upon 

 some prominent site, and to dedicate the College to his memory, 

 had received the hearty supf>ort of Mr. Watson-Armstrong, and 

 was cordially adopted by the council. They resolved to ask the 

 University to consent to a change of name, and to invite sub- 

 scriptions to an Armstrong memorial fund.. A public meeting 

 was held, resolutions were adopted approving of the scheme, 

 and upwards of 20,000/. was promised towards it. 



Speaking at a meeting held on Wednesday, the i6th inst., 

 to inaugurate the third winter session of the London School of 

 Tropical Medicine, Dr. Manson said that the school wished to 

 fulfil two functions, viz., the education of the practitioner who 

 proposed to devote his life to practice in the tropics, and the 

 attempt to advance medical science as regarded tropical disease. 

 How far they had been able to fulfil those undertakings it was 

 for those present to say. As regarded the educational part of 

 their work he could claim that they had had a distinct success 

 although they began with a certain amount of trepidation and 

 anxiety. They had succeeded in overcoming financial difticulties 



