16 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU LX. 



At Dallas the cotton patch of the boll-weevil laboratory furnished 

 ample evidence of the capacity of these crustaceans in devouring 

 vegetation (see PL II). By April 14 the cotton was sending up the 

 second, and in some cases the third, pair of leaves. At this time Mr. 

 Springer Goes noticed that the growing tips in rows adjacent to 

 buildings were badly eaten, although the injury extended over the 

 entire patch to a greater or less degree. All plants which were tipped 

 died very shortly, with the result that seven rows had to be entirely 

 replanted. A great many of the seedlings of the second planting also 

 were killed. Many gardens had suffered through attacks on the young 

 sprouts of beans, peas, and tomatoes, and on rose bushes and other 

 cultivated flowers. In December Mr. R. C. Howell found the sow- 

 bugs doing serious damage to roots of palmetto, one large plant being 

 entirely killed. From Austin there came a note published in Farm 

 and Ranch, dated April 29, 1905, which enumerated the following 

 plants as subject to the attacks of this species: Butter beans, radishes, 

 lettuce, mustard, potted plants, and also flower seed. The earlier 

 planting of beans was untouched, while the late planting, owing to 

 the favorable conditions for multiplication afforded the sowbugs, was 

 seriously injured. 



From economic literature the writer finds the following records of 

 injury attributed to this species: 



Miss Richardson" cites injuries to cucumbers and hothouse vege- 

 tables at Xew Orleans, La., to various plants at Fort Worth, Tex., 

 and to date palms from Algeria, located at Washington, and states 

 that these sowbugs are a most serious pest on mushrooms at Berkley, 

 Va. 



Mr. H. Garman h cites this species as very injurious to young 

 cucumbers and lettuce in greenhouses, and recommends carbon bisul- 

 phid as a remedy. 



With this information in hand, a series of seventy-five experiments 

 was conducted in the laboratory in order to compare various condi- 

 tions and foods in their effects upon this species. Over 900 individuals 

 were involved in the experiments, of which the results may be here 

 summarized. 



The most favorable condition under which to keep the sowbugs was 

 found to consist of a mixture of gumbo and sand kept moist, and a 

 supply of fresh cotton leaves, leaving some old ones to decay and 

 mold. Moisture is absolutely essential. With such conditions, sow- 

 bugs were carried through the entire period of the investigation, e. g., 

 10 females and 1 male were kept alive eighty days, and 1 of these 



a Monograph on the Isopods of North America. By Harriet Richardson. 

 Bui. 54, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1905. 



& Bul. 91, Ky. Agric. Exp. Sta., 1901. 



