Rat Svs 
} d On July 18 a storm of hurricane proportions destroyed the hangar at Monroe, 
ma. in which, at the time, two dusting planes belonging to the Bureau were 
housed. In the collapse of the hangar the planes were practically destroyed. 
Arrangements are being made for immediate replacement of one of the planes, in 
order that experimental work already under way may be completed. 
E. C. Pattee, Junior Chemist, and R. H. Flake, Machinist, stationed at the 
Cotton Insect Laboratory at Tallulah, have recently resigned. 
TRUCK-CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS 
J. E. Graf, Senior Entomologist, in Charge 
The field men in the Eastern States are especially requested to make ob- 
servations and reports on the occurrence of the Mexican bean beetle in their 
territory. This pest has apparently spread more rapidly this season than in 
any other since its introduction into the Hastern States. It has been reported 
from Norfolk, Arlington, and Vienna, Va.; lIumberton, WN. ©, and Lambertville, 
Mich. Since the beetle apparently favors rolling land of the pine-forest and 
oak-forest type, it would be of importance to determine whether or not it will 
survive the winter in the eastern coastal plain. 
K. L. Cockerham, of Biloxi, Miss., reports that in June an intensive sur- 
vey and "clean-up" of old sweet-potato seed beds was completed on all of the 
fields in Mississippi that had previously shown infestation by the sweet-potato 
weevil, About 300 seed beds were inspected and destroyed. Infestations were 
found on only two farms. Similar work was done in Mobile County, Ala., reveal- 
ing only one infestation. 
Mr. Cockerham also reports that on July 7, early sweet potatoes began to 
be shipped from Foley, in Baldwin County, Ala., out of the area previously in- 
fested by the sweet-potato weevil. In order to make a close inspection of 
these potatoes as they were being shipped, the State Department of Agriculture 
of Alabama, in cooperation with the Bureau of Entomology, sent several men to 
Foley to handle the inspections in the shipping sheds, In this way many thous- 
and bushels of potatoes can be inspected in a comparatively short time. During 
the first ten days of the shipping season 58 cars of potatoes were shipped from 
this area. Several hundred cars of potatoes move out of the area each season. 
G, A. Orum and H. I. West have been given temporary appointments as Field 
Assistants, to assist in inspection work on the sweet-potato weevil at Foley, 
Ala. Mr. Orum reported for duty on July 15, and Mr. West on July 18. 

