88 
Annual Report of the Entomologist of the New Jersey Experiment Station.— 
Prof. J. B. Smith’s Annual Report as Entomologist of the Agricultural 
Experiment Station of New Jersey has just been published as an au- 
thor’s extra from the Annual Report of the Station for 1890. The re- 
port includes a reconsideration of the different topics which have been 
treated in the bulletins published from time to time during the year, 
together with a few additional notes on insects of less importance than 
those treated in the bulletins. A most interesting appendix to this re- 
port is a series of chemical tests, mainly with London purple, Paris 
green, and white arsenic, made by the chemist of the New Jersey Sta- 
tion. These tests were undertaken with a view of indicating the exact 
proportions of lime and water to be added to the arsenical mixtures to 
prevent the burning of the foliage of the plants treated, and were sug- 
gested by certain statements made by Mr. Gillette, of the Colorado Sta- 
tion. It was found that the object of adding the lime water was to take 
up the soluble arsenic and unite with it in the form of normal calcium 
arsenite, which is insoluble in water. The amount of arsenious oxide 
in London purple varies considerably in different samples, but for ordi- 
nary use it is recommended that a mixture of one pound of London pur- 
ple to three-fourths of a pound of fresh lime be thoroughly mixed in one 
gallon of hot water and allowed to digest about two hours. If the water 
can be conveniently kept hot during the entire time, it will be advisable 
to do so. Water can then be added in sufficient quantities to bring it 
to the desired strength, and it will be found that, with the average 
sample of the purple, the soluble arsenic has been taken up by the lime. 
In Paris green there is a very small amount cf soluble arsenic—in one 
sample only 0.4 per cent was found. This smal! quantity can be readily 
rendered insoluble by the addition of a small quantity of lime when 
mixing. With white arsenic, a substance which we have only been 
able to use with cold water, without injury to the trees, experiments 
Show that, by the addition of lime in the proportion of 1.5 parts by 
weight to 1 part of the arsenious oxide, all of the soluble arsenic will be 
made insoluble. 
Bacterial Disease of the Chinch Bug.— We have just received from Prof. 
S. A. Forbes, State entomologist of linois, a copy of his paper entitled, 
‘On a Bacterial Insect Disease,” reprinted from the September num- 
ber of the North American Practitioner. The disease, Micrococcus in- 
sectorum Burrill, is confined to a single portion of the digestive tract, 
which is fully described. The closing remarks, particularly the para- 
graph bearing upon the economic value of the disease, are specially 
interesting and conform so closely to our own views in the matter, and 
have such an important bearing on Prof. Snow’s work, that we quote 
them entire: 
Concerning the utilization of artificial cultures of Microccocus for a propagation 
of this disease among insects not affected, I am at present able to say but little, as 
I have not yet succeeded, in either season when it was common, in finding lots of 
