REMEDIES AGAINST THE CRANBERRY FIRE WORM. 1 7 



dusted on the bottom of box and several larvae were introduced. In 

 seeking to escape, all came in contact with a few particles : tin- effect 

 was seen in half a minute; the larva began to squirm and to eject a 

 greenish fluid from its mouth ; in three minutes it was paralyzed : in 

 fifteen minutes quite dead. Tried in a solution, one-quarter pound t<> 'l 

 gallons of water, a single small dropproduced a like effect, and this ap- 

 parently irrespective of tin* spot where it touched the larva. Applied on 

 the bog its effect was less satisfactory; the difficulty of reaching the 

 larva in its hiding place was great and the powder lost power very rap- 

 idly : still a great decrease in the number of larva- was noted. I tried it 

 both in solution and putting on the powder pure. Later, Dr. Brakeley 

 continued the experiments during my absence; the powder was thor- 

 oughly mixed with two and one-half times its bulk of cheap rye flour 

 and applied with the bellows on a few rods of bog; at first no effect wsw 

 perceptible, but two weeks thereafter the limits of the patch to which 

 pyrethrum had been applied were distinctly traceable ; where it had been 

 used the vines were bright and fresh and were sending up vigorous 

 shoots, while the surrounding space was all eaten up. The same mix- 

 ture wastried on two larva* which were placed in a vessel dusted with it. 

 In a short time they became nervous, began a vigorous battle, and in a 

 few minutes succumbed, though they did not die for some time there- 

 after. 



Carbolic acid. — With this I made a few experiments which proved 

 eminently unsatisfactory, killing the plants when strong enough to 

 hurt the insects, and becoming harmless to insects and plants at about 

 the same point. Squibb' s solution, containing 1 per cent, of the crude 

 phenols in water, was used as a base. 



Kerosene. — With this the most extensive experiments were made, as 

 it seemed to me best calculated to reach the insects ; the vines are not 

 easily affected by it, and it is penetrating enough to soak through a leaf 

 or two and reach the insect in its hiding place. A number of experi- 

 ments were tried to test its killing power. An imperfect emulsion of '2 

 parts kerosene to 1 part of milk was first used and diluted with 20 parts 

 of water; a small drop was applied to a number of larvae: the effect 

 was instantaneous; the larva' seemed paralyzed at once, though they did 

 not die for some time. A number of sprays of which the leaves at the 

 tip were turned and spun up by larva. 1 were gathered, and a drop of the 

 mixture was applied at the tip ; the oil penetrated at onee through 

 every part of the leaves touched, and came into contact with the larva 

 immediately, paralyzing it at once so that it could not leave the head. or. 

 in some cases, it attempted to escape and was disabled before getting 

 out. An emulsion of 2 parts kerosene to 1 part milk was made, mixed 

 with 1(> parts of water to one of the emulsion, and applied to the vines 

 with a Lewis syringe. In the evening they were examined and a num- 

 ber of dead larva 1 were found ; traces of the oil could be everywhere seen, 

 and where a drop had fairly struck a tip the larva was dead: tor thro* 

 8993— Bull. 4 2 



