562 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
IVol. 17 
Prior to adjournment President Burgess gave an informal talk on 
various matters pertaining to the relationship between branches, 
sections and the parent association. 
Friday Afternoon Session, June 28 th, 1924 
Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 1:30 P. M. and 
called for the following papers: 
LYGXJS ELISUS ON COTTON IN THE PACIFIC REGION 
By E. A. McGregor, Bureau of Entomology, Lindsay, California 
(Withdrawn for Publication elsewhere) 
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE USE OF CALCIUM CYANIDE 
AS A SOIL FUMIGANT FOR WIREWORMS 
By Roy E. Campbell, U. S. Bureau of Entomology, Alhambra, California 
Abstract 
In a series of preliminary pot and field experiments calcium cyanide, used at the 
rate of from 130 to 400 pounds per acre, showed a decided toxicity to wireworms, 
Elaterid larvae, and indicated that about 200 pounds per acre if properly applied 
would kill 75 per cent, or more, of the worms. 
Wireworms 1 have caused enormous damage to various crops on the 
Pacific coast for a number of years, particularly to beans, beets, and 
potatoes, but to many other crops as well. Many attempts have been 
made to control these pests, but none has proved satisfactory. One 
entomologist expressed his opinion that “wireworm control is a problem 
which we can leave for posterity to solve.” With the constantly in¬ 
creasing damage from wireworms, however, it is becoming apparent 
that the discovery of some method of control can not wait on posterity. 
It has long been known that hydrocyanic-acid gas derived from so¬ 
dium or potassium cyanide would kill wireworms, but its use was im¬ 
practical because of its high cost and its injury to plant life. The de¬ 
velopment of the low-grade and comparatively cheap calcium cyanide 
removes the first objection to the use of hydrocyanic-acid gas, and the 
use of the material when the ground is fallow, or prior to planting, 
eliminates the second objection. 
In order to test the effect of Calcium cyanide on wireworms, a series of 
experiments was undertaken in the laboratory at Alhambra, Calif., in 
• x The species principally concerned are Pheletes californicus in Calif, and P. Occi¬ 
dent alis in Washington. 
