aes 
Gladiolus insects controlled by phenol dips.--H. H. Richardson, 
of the tropical greenhouse, reports that "Final observations were taken 
on the insecticidal action of phenol dips of various concentrations 
(immersion of 3 hours at 70° F.). The results corroborated those re—- 
ported last month--that is, phenol dips of l—to-80 and 1l-to-120 concen- 
trations (U. S. P. X.; 88 per cent phenol) gave complete control of 
all stages, including the eggs. A 1-to-160 concentration was ineffective. 
It was interesting to note that the mite Tyroglyphus lintneri Osborn 
was effectively controlled by phenol dips." 

Ethylene oxide may injure gladiolus corms.--Mr Richardson states 
that "The insecticidal action and also the plant tolerance of ethy— 
lene oxide was studied in a few small-scale experiments. Concentra— 
tions of 1, 2, and 4 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet of space were tried 
for 24-hour exposures at 70° F. Only the 2-pound concentration of 
ethylene oxide was tried for insecticidal tests because of the limited 
supply of infested corms. Complete kill of all stages of the thrips 
was obtained at this concentration. However, all these concentrations 
produced severe injury to the corms and have evidently killed them. 
Especially is this true of dosages at 2 pounds per 1,000 or above. 
Such treated corms are soft and punky and secondary fungal growths 
are starting to form on them. The injury produced by ethylene oxide 
was more evident on clean, fresh corms (just out of storage and hav— 
ing a fairly high moisture content) than on corms the surfaces of which 
hed been almost completely eaten over by thrips and which had lost 
considerable moisture in dry, warm rooms." 
Twenty-eight pound dose of ethylene dichloride-carbon tetrachlo- 
ride maximum for gladiolus corms.--Mr. Richardson reports that in or— 
der to reply to inquiries as to injury to gladiolus corms by fumiga— 
tion with ethylene dichloride-carbon tetrachloride, repeated tests 
have been made and that "It appears from these studies that dosages of 
over 28 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet (exposure 24 hours at 70° F.) should 
not be used for the fumigation of gladiolus corms, else injury is liable 
to occur." 
Pyrethrum-soap not toxic to thrips.--Mr. Richardson reports ex-— 
periments with pyrethrum-soap mixture on the gladiolus thrips (Taenio-— 
thrips gladioli M. & S.) He says: "Peeled gladiolus corms and cor- 
mels were dipped for 3 minutes in a freshly prepared mixture of py- 
rethrum (1 to 5,000) with soap (1 to 400). In one series of tests 
these were allowed to dry over night; in another series for 1 hour. 
Then various stages of the gladiolus thrips (adults, pupae, and larvae) 
were placed on the isolated treated corms and cormels, and observations 
made over a series of days. After being placed on the corms, the thrips 
appeared to be slightly irritated for a few minutes, but this stimula- 
tion soon disappeared and the thrips fed and grew normally to maturity. 
The adults laid fertile eggs which in turn hatched into normal individ- 
uals. It appears from this series of tests that even strong pyrethrum— 
soap mixtures leave no residues that are toxic to thrips of this spec- 
ies, and that their insecticidal action is, in the main, largely lim- 
ited to a contact action." 
