1906.] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



377 



connection a note by M. L. George* is of interest, in that the 

 employment of calcium sulphide is recommended for combating 

 certain parasites. It has already been tried for several years as 

 a protection for broad beans, peas, and haricot beans against 

 certain predatory insects, and its use has been attended with 

 good results when judiciously applied. Roses are very effectually 

 protected when attacked by green flies or plant-lice by blowing 

 the sulphide over the flowers, buds, and leaves. The green flies 

 are destroyed in a few hours, the roses being quite unaffected. 

 Its value in destroying dodder is referred to on p. 337. 



Basic Slag Treated by Steam Pressure. — In 1903 a new form 

 of basic slag was introduced in Germany, which, instead of 

 being ground, had been exposed to a high steam pressure 

 (8 to 9 atmospheres) for several hours. This has the effect of 

 reducing the bulk of the slag treated to a fine powder, which 

 can be sifted from the remainder, and is then ready for use. 

 The solubility of the slag in citric acid should be increased by 

 steaming, but the experiments which have been made up to 

 the present tend to show that this is not the case. Some 

 investigations-]- carried out at Marburg Experiment Station by 

 Professor Haselhoff, though they cannot be regarded as con- 

 clusive owing to the soil being rich in available phosphoric 

 acid, nevertheless suggest that steamed basic slag has no better 

 effect than the ground slag, and, in fact, that the phosphoric 

 acid in both varieties may be regarded as equal. 



In a field experiment with mixed oats, barley, peas and 

 vetches, the steamed slag gave very good results, which were 

 nearly equal to those obtained from superphosphate containing 

 an equivalent amount of soluble phosphoric acid. When applied 

 to grass land, however, its action was inferior to that of super- 

 phosphate, but this was probably attributable to its application 

 in the middle of April, the following months being somewhat 

 dry, so that the basic slag did not have its full effect. 



Destruction of Wood-lice. — ^The most effective means of com- 

 bating wood-lice is to trap them. Baskets filled with damp 

 moss, or little pots filled with moss and horse-dung, may be 

 placed upside down here and there; the wood-lice will use 



" Le Petit Journal Agricole, June 3rd, 1906. 

 t Detiische Land. Presse, 4th April, 1906, 



