BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE 67 
few weeks were spent in making a general survey of the various 
cotton-growing areas in India. From this survey it was decided to 
concentrate the work in northern India until the end of 1952. Tem- 
porary headquarters were set up at the Indian Agricultural Kesearch 
Institute about six miles from New Delhi. Although several species 
of parasites emerged from pink bollworms collected in the fall from 
various localities in northern India, only two species appeared to be 
of any importance. These are Bracon brevicornis and a species of 
Apanteles. Laboratory breeding work was carried on with the former 
species, and 4,000 parasite cocoons were reared and shipped to Moores- 
town for rearing and forwarding to Brownsville, Tex., for coloniza- 
tion in pink bollworm-infested areas. Thus far, laboratory breeding 
of the species of Apanteles has not been successful. 
Wheat stem saw fly. — Two species of wheat-stem sawfly parasites 
from Europe were sent to North Dakota and Montana for liberation. 
CONTINUED PROGRESS IN KLAMATH WEED CONTROL 
Chrysolinu gemellata, a beetle originally introduced into California 
from Australia, is continuing to give very good control of the noxious 
Klamath weed. Effective control has been demonstrated at one or 
more release sites in practically all the major infested counties in 
California and at many of the sites in Northwestern States where this 
insect predator has been liberated. In several counties the beetles 
are at the "snowballing" stage. Huge increases in acreage brought 
under control can be expected next year. Observations have dis- 
closed that shade may be a definite deterrent in control of the weed 
by this insect, since egg-laying adults apparently move out of heavy 
shade into warmer, sunnier locations. In general, this may be ad- 
vantageous in getting a widespread distribution of the beetle. 
FOREIGN PLANT QUARANTINE ACTIVITIES 
Plant quarantine inspectors examined during 1952 more than 78.000 
airplanes carrying more than iy 2 million passengers. More than sixty 
thousand lots of contraband plants or plant products were intercepted 
during these inspections. Much of this material contained insect 
pests and plant diseases. Interceptions included such notoriously 
destructive forms as the citrus blackfly ; oriental, Mexican, West In- 
dian, and Mediterranean fruit flies; the olive fly; and a bean pod 
borer. 
During the year, 195,000 lots of restricted or prohibited material 
were intercepted during the inspection of ships, trains, motor trucks, 
and nearly 4^2 million foreign parcel post packages. Interceptions 
from these sources included the golden nematode, giant African 
snails, citrus canker, and black spot of citrus. 
Inbound vehicular traffic over the Mexican border has nearly 
doubled in the past 4 years. The 12,800,000 vehicles entering during 
1952 were nearly V/ 2 million more than those entering in 1951. Bag- 
gage inspection at the Mexican border increased 56 percent over the 
previous year. 
At the Bureau's inspection house at Hoboken, N. J., 1,073 com- 
mercial importations were entered. Interceptions there of injurious 
insects, plant diseases, or nematodes numbered 495 lots. 
