
LIBRARY 
RECEIVED 
te MAY 131934 * 







UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE |)-—--s-- ee 
Number 239 (Not for publication) April 1934 
GENERAL 
Thirty millions for spray materials.--li. H. White, of the Divi- 
sion of Truck Crop and Garden Insects, calls attention to the fact 
that more than #30,000,000 worth of insecticide materials were used 
in the United States in 193%, according to figures compiled by R. C. 
Roark, of the bureau of Chemistry and Soils, as reported in the 
Florists Exchange and Horticultural Trade World, Vol. 82, No. 11, 
March 17, 1934. More than half of the total was expended for arseni- 
cals, the items of heaviest consumption being lead arsenate and cal- 
cium arsenate, about 30,000,000 pounds of each, the estimated costs 
to consumers being $8,100,000 and $3,900,000, respectively. Paris 
reen consumption was placed at 5,000,000 pounds, at a cost of 
53,750,000, and other arsenicals totaled about 520,000 pounds, valued 
t $86,000. Fluorides used totaled about 250,000 pounds, valued at 
$45,500; and expenditures for fumigants were about $1,398,950, of 
which 91,000,006 went for liquid hydrocysanic acid and sodium cyanide. 
One million pounds of paradichlorobenzene, valued at #300,000, were 
used. Fungicide consumption included 5,000,000 gallons of oil emul- 
sions ($1,900,000); 3,000,000 gallons of lime sulphur solution 
(%1.,140,000); 2,000,000 pounds of Bordeaux mixture ($560,000); and 
2,000,000 pounds of superfine sulphur ($112,000). Among the insecti- 
cides of plant origin were used 10,000,000 pounds of pyrethrum 
($4,600,000); 2,500,600 pounds of 40-percent nicotine ($5,000,000) ; 
160,000 pounds of derris ($48,000); and 10,000 pounds of hellebore 
($34,000). Other materials included 2,0v0,000 pounds of soaps 
\ 
($60,000) and 1,050,000 pounds of weed killers ($107,000). 
FRUIT INSECTS 
Tartar emetic kills the West Indian fruit fly more quickly than 
do other poisons.--L. C. McAlister, Jr., Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, re- 
ports the results of experiments conducted in Puerto Rico to deter- 
mine the effect of lead arsenate, nicotine sulphate, and tartar emetic 
on anastrepha acidusa walk. The poison spray was applied to wax paper, 
which was suspended in the cages, and sliced orange was present in the 
cages at all times for food. «all flies used in the tests were from 5 to 10 
days’ old: when they were introduced into the cages. The results are 
summarized in the following table: 
