398 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 13 
obtained. These two tests show that a coating of lead arsenate on an 
infested twig has little or no effect on the larva when it eats its way out. 
The author hoped to make a careful study of the response of newly 
hatched larvae to the various sprays which have been used in the above 
experiments. Unfortunately he was unable to secure a sufficient 
quantity of fertilized eggs to make this investigation. Caged adults 
and field collections did not give a sufficient supply. Newly hatched 
larvae will probably respond to the above insecticides in the same way 
as the 2-4 mm. larvae. It is also probable that they are more sus¬ 
ceptible. If such is the case thorough dusting of fruit and tender grow¬ 
ing twigs with some arsenical insecticide should kill all of the newly 
hatched larvae as they enter a thoroughly dusted fruit and possibly all 
of the newly hatched larvae as they enter a thoroughly dusted twig. 
DIPPING TOBACCO PLANTS AT TRANSPLANTING TIME FOR 
THE CONTROL OF THE TOBACCO FLEA BEETLE 
(EPITRIX PARVULA FABR.) 
By Z. P. Metcalf, North Carolina State College and Experiment Station 
One of the critical times in the life of a tobacco plant is naturally 
just after it has been transplanted and added to this natural handicap 
is an artificial handicap caused by the presence of swarms of tobacco 
flea beetles which come from the tobacco beds and other feeding places 
and do great damage to the plants at this season of the year. This 
injury results in a weakening of the plant and may cause its death. In 
the latter case the loss is total unless a new plant is used to replace the 
dead plant. The loss due to these attacks is normally very great every 
season and may be divided into two items: a direct loss due to the 
additional labor involved in replanting and an indirect loss due to the 
slow growth of the injured and replanted plants, which makes them 
mature later in the fall. Such plants as these are always badly dam¬ 
aged by flea beetles just before harvest time. 
Wifch these points in mind we have been working for the past three 
years to devise a method for tiding the tobacco plants over this critical 
period. Reduced to its simplest terms our directions at present are to 
prepare a solution of arsenate of lead into which the plants are dipped. 
This mixture should be carefully prepared and kept thoroughly agi¬ 
tated by stirring frequently with a paddle. Then as the plants are 
pulled from the bed they should be laid out straight in small bundles. 
Each bundle should be picked up separately and the leaves only dipped 
into the arsenate of lead solution. The plants should be separated as 
much as possible while they are in the solution, so that every leaf will re¬ 
ceive a coating of the poison. As the plants are withdrawn they should 
