94 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1939 
ha-i-. and some 1.1,590 hampers of green lima beans and 97 crates oi 
pigeonpeas were fumigated for this insect without damage to the 
commodity. A total of 9,575 cases of cipollini bulbs were also fumi- 
gated experimentally for larvae of Exosama lusitardca (L. ). with 
complete mortality of the insect and no injury to the bulbs. Com- 
prehensive trials of 29 varieties of dormant deciduous woody peren- 
nial- indicated that with one exception they were tolerant to methyl 
bromide at rather high dosages. Treatment of Cattleya orchid- by 
fumigation with methyl bromide for the destruction of the Cattleya 
leaf miner indicate- that this method might be used for this purpose, 
as orchids fumigated over a year ago are in excellent condition. 
Further work on this is necessary, however. 
PHYSIOLOGY OF INSEI TS 
In the studies <>n the physiology of insects, work was continued on 
the formation and function of glycogen in the blood of insects. Gly- 
cogen is found in tin' eggs of the southern armyworm hut i- not 
found in the blood cells of the newly hatched larvae and was found 
rarely in first-instar larvae. It i- commonly found in the later in- 
stars, being present in more cells the greater the instar. Starvation 
decreases and glucose injection increases the blood-cell glycogen 
Both the blood-cell forms and the blood-cell glycogen were markedly 
affected by certain poisons, such a- arsenical.-, and only slightly or 
not at all by other poisons. 
With arsenicals, however, the death of the insect- seems to be due 
to a disintegration of the epithelial cell- of the alimentary canal. 
and it is now known that preliminary phases of disintegration begin 
shortly after the poison reaches the tissues of the digestic tract and 
that the extent of the injury progresses from then until the lethal 
action is completed. 
HEAT TREATMENT OF FRITT 
In connection with change in quarantine regulations which provided 
for the certification of Hawaiian-grown fruits and vegetables to the 
United Slates, subject to prescribed sterilization treatments at ap- 
proved plants, investigational work was taken up to determine the 
tolerance of such commodities, particularly papayas, to the treatment 
required. This was uecessary before a process could be developed 
which satisfied quarantine requirements and at the same time occa- 
sioned minimum injury to the fruit. The installation of equipment 
for applying the heat treatment and the testing of it were supervised. 
In cooperation with the Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station, 
studies were carried on in developing a satisfactory high-temperature 
treatment for papayas and the establishment of movements of tliis 
fruit on a commercial basis. 
APPLICATION or i\si < TICIDES 
The project for developing more effective methods of applying 
insect icides was advanced considerably t his Last year by the acquisit ion 
of an autogiro. This machine was equipped with an insecticide dis- 
tributor oi ;i design developed as a result of studies extending over 
several year-. Initial test- of the aircraft and apparatus were inter- 
