INSECT ENEMIES. 
same steamer. An official of Wells, Fargo and Company met the steamer at 
San Francisco and sent the shipment on the way to Sacramento, where it was 
opened in the insect-proof rooms of the State Insectary. 
It was found, as a rule, that the stems of the saltbush came through in 
The egg-parasites were still in the larval and pupal stages, and 
good condition. 1 
pparently did not affect their 
‘the three weeks in the cool-room of the steamer a 
vitality to an appreciable extent. 
The most difficult part of the introduction of the delicate parasites was to 
find some means of rearing the adult insects before the stems dried up and 
crushed the eggs of the leafhopper in which the parasites were breeding. Various 
methods were tried, such as Rivet the ends of the stems in water, in plaster 
‘of paris blocks under glass, and by dissecting out the eggs’ which were kept at 
‘an even temperature in an incubator electrically controlled. Only a few adults 
‘were obtained by these means. After further experimentation a: plaster of paris 
‘block, about eight inches long, six inches wide and two inches deep was’ cast. 
Through the centre of this block a two-inch hole was left, over which, about 
halfway between the top and bottom, a piece of closely-woven muslin was 
stretched. The eggs of the leafhopper containing the parasites were dissected 
from the stems and placed in the plaster of paris block on the muslin. The 
block was placed in a tray of water. A small piece of glass was used to cover 
the top of the block and the plaster of paris absorbed sufficient water to keep 
the eggs moist until the parasites emerged. A little difficulty was experienced 
because of the excessive moisture which would collect around the eggs and drown 
the parasites as they emerged. This was obviated by cutting an opening in the 
glass on the top of the block and covering it with muslin, and by filling with 
paraffin the pores in the muslin on which the eggs were placed. ‘The parasites 
as they emerged were removed from this incubation chamber to cages in the 
‘Fort Sutter greenhouse, containing beets heavily infested with the eggs of the 
beet leafhopper. 
~ Since each shipment of the parasite material was too large to permit of the 
dissection of the parasitized eggs immediately after its arrival at the Insectary, 
most of the boxes were placed in cold storage until needed. This plan worked 
very well, It is interesting to note how long material of this kind can be held 
in cold storage. The last shipment made from Australia was collected on 11th May 
near Melbourne. It was placed in the cool room on board the steamer on 14th 
May, at Sydney. It arrived in San Francisco on 8rd June, and in Sacramento on 
4th June. It was placed in cold storage again on 4th June, and the last box 
removed from the cool room'on 6th July. From eggs dissected from this latter 
shipment the last Ptergogramma was reared on 13th July, or nearly two months 
‘from the time of collection. ; ms 
As stated above, the delicate parasites were immediately remoyed from the 
incubation chambers after emergence and placed in the cages at Fort Sutter, 
‘containing an abundance of the eggs of the beet leafhopper. The movements 
‘of these parasites were carefully watched, but they showed no desire to oviposit 
‘in the eggs of the leafhopper. Dissection of hundreds of eggs of the beet leaf- 
hopper from the cages in which the parasites were liberated revealed no evidence 
of parasitism, and no parasites developed. The two species were reared in 
‘sufficient numbers to give them a fair trial, so we must conclude that they find 
_Eutettix tenella an unsuitable host. : fDe 
_ The culture of sugar beet is only in the experimental stage in Australia. A’ 
‘small factory run by the Victorian Government for the production of beet 
sugar is located at Maffra, Victoria. The factory just’ now seems to be in a 
‘fair way to demonstrate the production of sugar on a paying basis. This is the 
-only factory for the production of beet sugar in Australia. ~The capacity is 
about 400 tons. It will run through about 40,000 tons of beets during the season. 
In Queensland the Colonial Sugar Refining Company is engaged in the large 
scale production of cane sugar, and it is with sugar cane that the sugar beet 
must compete in Australia. ovr : : / 
__ At odd times the writer, in his researches for parasites ‘of’ the beet leafhopper, 
found an opportunity to investigate some of the insects injurious to citrus 
culture in Australia. Where those insects were identical or closely related to 
-those that are attacking our citrus in Galifornia, a study was made’ of their 
parasites with a view to introducing them in:our-owm. groyes.: niga 
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