102 ANNXTAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT <>! .\<;KI< I LTI RK, L04O 
this treatment at .V) . 54°, and 70 1\. i& well as a< the previously 
authorized temperature of <'»:; . Treatment al any of these four 
temperatures, with dosage and exposure thai will destroy larvae 
of the beetle, makes unnecessary in most cases the delay and cost of 
heating the nursery stock to a prescribed temperature; 
The use of methyl bromide in fumigation of produce for the 
adult Japanese beetle was extended to a number of commodities with 
excellent results, [mprovements in the methods have reduced the i osl 
of applying the treatment, and approximately 5,500 carloads have 
been treated since fumigation with methyl bromide was authorized. 
Well over a million pieces of nursery stork have been fumigated for 
Japanese beetle larvae since the authorization of the treatment in 
1939. 
Work on fumigation of nursery stock with methyl bromide for 
the white-fringed beetle has been continued, and 10,000 to 50,000 
plant- were treated by this method in New Orleans. 
A method was developed for the fumigation of potting soil with 
methyl bromide for the white-fringed beetle at a cosl of approxi- 
mately 10 cents per cubic yard, as compared with $2 or $3 per cubic 
yard for steam sterilization, the method formerly employed. The 
cost of soil sterilization for the entire industry in New Orleans 
can thus be lowered by several thousand dollars per season. 
Fumigation of sweetpotato plants and vine cuttings with methyl 
bromide, which had been tried experimentally last year, was tested 
on a commercial basis during the present season, and approximately 
23 acres were planted with fumigated plants. The results indicate 
that til is method of treatment, which is much less costly than fumi- 
gation of the seed sweetpotatoes, will destroy all stages of the weevil 
that may be present without injury to the plants. 
Further advances were made in the study of the tolerance of 
dormant fruit stocks to methyl bromide fumigation required by 
several States under oriental fruit moth quarantines. The method 
is now iti commercial ttse. and thousands of tree- were fumigated and 
shipped from midwestern nurseries to the western fruit growing 
States during the year. 
Methyl bromide fumigation was applied to treatments of all in- 
fested shipments of nonfoliated dormant plant material entering 
this country under special permit and for the sterilization of certain 
types of foliated and evergreen plants. Considerable quantities of 
perishable food products were also fumigated with methyl bromide 
under quarantine regulations, 92,181 hampers of green lima beans, 
5,o7H boxes of pigeon peas, and 33,138 hamper- of string beans 
being fumigated for the bean pod borer M&TUCQ testulalis ((ieyer). 
A method was developed for fumigating beans in the producing 
region, which resulted in a saving of $32,688 to shippers as compared 
with the cost of fumigating at terminal market.-. The following 
products were imported into this country and successfully fumigated 
with methyl bromide: 23,600 cases of CipoDini bulbs, 9,356 pack- 
ages of chestnuts, 2,439 boxes Of grapes, and t><)(> boxes of peaches. 
A total of approximately l\.~><><> varieties of nursery stock, orna- 
mentals, and fruit stocks have been fumigated with methyl bromide. 
Of these about :> percent were injured by the treatment. Methyl 
bromide has been tested in greenhouse fumigation for the control of 
red spiders, cyclamen mite-, various mealybug-, whiteflies, aphids, and 
