o~ Yo 
E. G. Caldwell has been appointed an inspector of the Alabama State 
Board of Horticulture to keep in touch with, the sweet-potato weevil situa- 4 
tion. in the neighborhood of Foley, Baldwin Co., where several infested sweet 
potatoes were recently found in a storage house, He will work in cooperation 
with S. C. Brummitt, of this Bureau, stationed at Grand Bay, Ala. 
R. W. Haegele has been given a temporary appointment as Field Assistant 
to assist in the investigation of the wireworm problem at Toppenish, Wash. 
Pate ie: cans 8 ‘vere aoe 
; 

FOREST ‘INSECT: INVESTIGATIONS °. 
We Oe Craighead, Entomologist, in Charge. » 
. Dr. Craighead and R. ‘A. St. George’ spent about two weeks’ in February 
in. Louisiana end northern Florida, .making further observations on the 
extensive areas of pine which: died last fall. -It now appears that the 
trouble is practically over and ‘that no treés have died since December, this 
fact further indicating that the: extreme drought. is the primary cause of the 
death of the trees. At the same time several days were spent in field work 
with the officers: of the southern Experiment Station of the Forest Service. 
The interrelations between insects and fire and insects and turpentining were 
pointed out. It was found that certain dorers play an important role in the 
weakening of fire-scorched and turpentined trees, making them very susceptible 
to vind-throv, 
The Nantucket tip moth (Rhvacionia frustrana Comstock) was found to 
be quite abundant in certain plantations of loblolly and slash pine in eastern 
Louisiana. The former species was considerably stunted in its growth. In 
some cases young growth about five years’ of age had attained only half of its 
normal height. The slash pine was only slightly affected. in its growth, 
On February 25 and 26 Mr. st. George. investigated an outbreak: of: the 
southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.) which occurred on a 
private estate located on'a peninsula outside of Georgétown, S.C. Ona 
. 16,000-acre ‘tract of loblolly, pond and longléaf pines, over-1,000 trees were 
attacked and killed between 1922 and 1925. ‘The trees commenced to die: 
following a storm of 1916 when salt-water was forced back over the timber land, 
which is only 12 feet above sea level. Although there was an abundance of 
moisture during this time it was thought. that probably the action of the salt 
upon the root system affected the growth of the ‘treés in-a manner somewhat 
similar to that when they are affected by drought. Control measures have been 
under way during the last three winters and the beetle is now believed to be fy 
under control, ‘The presence of this beetle -in this vicinity at this time 
is particularly interesting in view of the fact-that no specimens were found 
last fall in the drough-affected area (Alabama and Texas), where over’ 
gel Sethe Feet of timber died, all infested by svecies of the barkbeetle 
‘PS. 
