

> oven ~ 
May 1, 1913. 
The Agricultural Appropriation Bill as passed by the 62d 
Congress contains the following clause: "For investigations 
of insects affecting cereal and forage plants, including in- 
Sects affecting wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, alfalfa, clover, 
and so forth, $90 000, of which amount not to exceed 410 000 
fn ee eee SE 
ed be | expended for for the investigation of the range caterpillar." 
Mr. Ws. R. Thompson, who is collecting parasites of the 
alfalfa weevil in Southern Europe, has been having remarkable 
success and has been able to despatch to this country ae hg SS 
mmaveiy 533,570 more or less heavily parasitized egg masses of 
the weevil within alfalfa stems. He is ably assisted by Dr. 
Martelli and others. All consignments are being received at 
' Salt Lake City in excellent condition and are being cared for 
at that point by Mr. Timberlake. 
An Se ersat ion of Aphidius testaceipes, parasitic on 
Toxoptera graminum, has been carried out. This parasite was 
"feared in great numbers by Mr. Urbahns at Glendale, Cal., where 
the material has been accumulating for several months. As fast 
as the parasitized Toxoptera became excessively abundant, the 
isaves of grain on which they were established were collected 
and placed in cold storage. The consignment was started April 
42 0n its long journey to British East Africa, where the tiny 
Voyagers will be cared for and if possible colonized in the 
wheat fields by the government entomologist, Mr. Thos. J. 
Anderson. 
Writing from Lakeland, Fla., under date of April 13, Mr. 
Geo. G. Ainslie states that the fall army worm is gradually 
“becoming more abundant as the season advances, although it is. 
heavily parasitized. 
Dr. S. A. Forbes, State entomologist of Illinois, reports 
» @ncovraging success in protecting corn from chinch bues oy 
“Spraying with a solution of 3 ounces of flour, 1 ounce of hard 
Soap, and 2 gallons of water. This seems to kill the bugs and 
of course does not affect the corn. Try this on chinch or 
other bugs and report results, to be transmitted to Dr. Forbes. 
