on 7 mes 
TRUCK CROP INSECT INVESTIGATOONS 
F, H, Chittenden, Entomologist in Charge 
Under somewhat difficult conditions incident to an unusually ooo 
cool and wet spring, the work on sweet-potato weevil eradication ‘’ 
has procéeded in an entirely s&tisfactory manner, About 1,500,000 
draws were distributed in Baker County, Fla., and a similar number 
in the infested southern counties of Mississirpi. The backwardssea~ 
son rendered securing draws in the approved quantityeand variety very 
difficult, as the draw beds planted for the purpose by the Florida 
State Board failed to produce until somewhat late, and it was neces- 
sary to gofinto the open market for planting material. A thorough 
clean-up of infested plantings by gangs of laborers under the direc- 
tion of the inspectors has been attempted in Baker County with 
good results, It is hoped that a substantial reduction will be made 
by the time of the harvest-time inspection. 
Dr. 0.F.E, Winberg, who has been in charge of the weevil eradi- 
cation project in Alabama, reports that continued and thorough rein- 
spections in the vicinity of Grand Bay, the only known Alabama in- 
festation, have failed up to the present time to show the presence of 
the weevil, although the matter has been under careful supervision 
since before the harvest time last fall. It is quite evident that 
the prompt repressive measures adopted through the action of the Bu 
reau of Entomology have resulted in freeing Mobile County from the 
pest. It can now be assumed that Alabama is weevil=free. 
Roy E. Campbell, in charge of the truck crop station at Alham- 
bra, Calif., has just submitted a memorandum covering preliminary 
experiments in using the kaolin and nicotine sulphate mixture againmst- 
the onion thrips in the Coachella Valley. He reports that the effi- 
ciency of the mixture, using about 50 pounds per acre at a cost of 
12 cents per pound for a 5 per cent dust, resulted in a cog$ per acre 
of $5.96 to $7.16 as compared with $4,39 for the spray mixture, us- 
ing nicotine sulphate at the rate of 1 to 1,200 with soap according 
to the old formula. The spraying was done on seed onions in 2# inch 
rows, however, while the dusting was done on commercial onions in 
13-inch rows. At the ratio mentioned, a materially reduced cost of 
operation could be expected in the use of dust as against spraying. 
Another advantage is that a much ereater total acreage per day may 
be covered with a machine duster than with a siilar sprayers 
J. G. Hester, until recently employed at Kingsville, Tex., lab- 
oratory with M. M. High, has been transferred to the Federal Horti- 
cultural Boand, where he will join the inspection service at El. 
Paso, Tex. ° 
