180 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
various Ladybirds, and large Ckrysomelidae. Fatally affected were all Hymenopter- 
ous insects, all Heteroptera and Homoptera (no opportunity, however, to try on 
Aphids) ; several species of naked Noctuid larvae, Callida decora, Coptocycla auriclialcea 
and its larvae, Monocrepidius lividus and M. vespertinus, Ladybird larvae, larvae of Chry- 
sopa, Heme?'obiu8 and Syrphus. Of all these insects the ants are by far most readily 
affected. The mixtures hardly affected Pieris larvae, and not at all those of Terias 
nicippe. 
It cannot be denied that this promiscuous destruction of frieud and 
foe alike is a disadvantage 3 but all observers agree that the Cotton 
Worm is one of the first insects to succumb to the effects of the powder. 
When, in 1879, we began to experiment with Pyrethrum in the field, 
there was little hope of successfully applying this expensive material 
on a large scale, but we have seen that even at the high price of 75 cents 
per pound the powder can be successfully used in the field at a cost not 
exceeding that of the dry Paris green method, and against an insect 
which is remarkably well protected by its habits and by the large size 
of the plants upon which it depredates. That the price of Pyrethrum 
can and will be considerably lowered admits of no doubt. Mr. Milco, 
of Stockton, Cal., wrote us in 1879 that the cost of production, milling, 
&c, on a large scale need not exceed 6 to 7 cents per pound. The seed 
of Pyrethrum roseum and P. cineraricefolium was, in 1880, distributed by 
the U. S. Entomological Commission, while another supply of seed was 
sent out in 1881 and 1882 to parties all over the country by the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, accompanied by a circular containing all available 
information regarding the cultivation and use of the plant. Though 
many failures have been reported, the plants have grown well in other 
cases, and it can hardly be doubted that tbe cultivation of pyrethrum 
will prove a success in many portions of the Eastern States, and that 
the market price of the powder will be lowered in a future not very far 
remote. That the farmer or planter is able to raise his own supply of 
powder is an important point not only in regard to cheapness of the ma- 
terial, but also as a protection against adulteration, which is the more 
dangerous in this case as the adulterated article cannot be distinguished 
from the genuine one except by continued experimentation. 
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE POWDER FROM OX-EYE DAISY. 
In the summer of 1880 Mr. William Saunders, of the Department of 
Agriculture, called our attention to the possibility of discovering in one 
of our most common plants, the well known Ox-eye daisy, insecticide 
properties similar to those possessed by Pyrethrum. He wrote us as 
follows: " On running over the pages of your Bulletin on the Cotton 
Worm I notice that you have something to say about pyrethrum pow- 
der, which reminds me that Dalmatian Insect Powder is, according to 
some authorities, made from the Leucanthemum vulgare, our Ox-eye 
daisy. In Europe it is called Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. Could we 
not so utilize that vile weed? I think the subject is worthy of experi- 
ment." When perfectly dry these were finely ground, and we obtained 
