Bee Culture.

MONTHLY LETTER OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

(IFpAPV

Number 190 STATE PLANT BOARD February 1930

SIGN AND RETURN ANNOUNCEMENT CARDS IF YOU WISH THE PUBLICATIONS

Owing to the size and cost, and sometimes limited editions, of a
large number of Technical Bulletins, some Statistical Bulletins, some
Circulars, and all of the Department's reprints of articles in the Jour-
nal of Agricultural Research, these publications are not automatically
mailed to persons whose names are entered on the entomological mailing
list of the Department (List 256) . Announcements on cards of publica-
tions falling in the above classes are mailed to all persons on the
list. Whenever publications named on them are desired, these cards should
be returned promptly, as directed, to the Office of Information.
Failure to return any such cards is an indication that the addressee
is not interested in the subject matter of the publication and there-
fore a copy IS NOT MAILED. It is to the interest of persons desiring
a complete set of entomological publications of the Department to ex-
ercise all possible care in returning these announcement cards, since
the stocks of many publications are soon exhausted. Furthermore, the
size of the edition is governed to a certain extent by the number of
announcement cards returned.

INSECTS AFFECTING MAN AND ANIMALS
F. C. Bishopp, in Charge

F. C. Bishopp left Washington February 3, to attend the meet-
ing of the Southern Agricultural Workers, at Jackson, Miss., Feb.-
ruary 5, 6, and 7. After this meeting he visited the field laborato-
ries at Tallulah and New Orleans, La., and Sanford and Orlando, Fla.,
and conferred at Baton Rouge with members of the Division of Animal
Industry of the Louisiana State Experiment Station. He returned to
Washington February 17.

R. W. Wells, of the field laboratory at Galesburg, 111., who
recently spent several weeks in Washington, left for his return to
Galesburg on February 5.

C. L. Whittle, of Peterboro, N. H., editor of Bird Banding, called
at the Bureau February 21, and discussed with H. S. Peters, of the
field laboratory at Beltsville, Md . , the subject of external parasites

of wild birds.

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TAXONOMY

Harold Morrison, in Charge

Ralph Hopping, of the Division of Entomology, Canadian Depart-
ment of Agriculture, spent February 2 to 12 studying various types of
Coleoptera in the Casey Collection, especially in the group Lepturini.
In collaboration with Dr, J. M. Swaine, of that department, he is pre-
paring a review of the North American species in this group.

Mr. j;=vid Rockefeller and Dr. F. E. Lutz, Curator of Entomology
in the American Museum of Natural History, at New York City, visited
the section of Coleoptera February 5 to 7, to consult the Bureau's
specialists and to obtain identifications of a collection of beetles
made by Mr. Rockefeller.

E. V. Walter, of the Bureau's field laboratory at San Antonio,
Tex., called at the taxonomic unit February 4 to consult with several
of the specialists.

J. H. Hawkins, of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, at
Orono, spent February 10 to 21 studying noctuid larvae with the Bureau's
specialist, Carl Heinrich.

Dr. Nellie M. Payne, who is associated with the Biological Ab-
stracts, located at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, called
at the taxonomic unit February 11 to consult Dr. A. G. Boving about
coleopterous larvae. I

Dr. S. W. Frost, of the department of zoology and entomology,
Pennsylvania State College, visited the section of Coleoptera February
11.

D. W. Jones, of the Bureau's corn-borer laboratory at Arlington,
Mass., spent some time on February 12 in consultation with the Bureau's
specialists in parasitic Hymenoptera regarding parasites of the corn
borer.

J. S. Houser, State Entomologist of Ohio, Wooster, Ohio, visited
the sections of parasitic Hymenoptera and of mites on February 12 to
consult the specialists in the groups named.

G. A. Runner, of the Bureau's corn-borer laboratory at Sandusky,
Ohio, called at the section of Hymenoptera February 12 to discuss para-
sites.

E. R. Leach, of Piedmont, Calif., was in Washington February 17
to 21, consulting with Dr. E. A. Chapin about beetles of the families
Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae, of which he is a student.

- 3 -

Frank Johnson, of New York City, spent February 18 in the sec-
tion of Lepidoptera, studying material in the National collection and
consulting with Dr. Schaus.

George G. Ainslie, of the Bureau's cereal and forage insect
laboratory at West Lafayette, Ind. , who spent the last two months in
the taxonomic unit working on the North American Crambidae,. has returned
to his station.

H. J. Reinhard, of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station,
at College Station, who since January 25, with the assistance of Dr.
Aldrich, has been engaged on a study of the North American species
belonging to the tachinid genus Winthemia, left Washington February
28.

C. N. Ainslie, of the Bureau's cereal and forage insect labor-
atory at Sioux City, Iowa, spent February 25 to 28 at the Museum. He
was particularly interested in examining material in the collections of
bees and aculeate wasps, and in securing names for certain species of
these groups which he had collected.

COTTON INSECTS
B. R. Coad, in Charge

Thirty-six members of the Southern Agricultural Workers, from
five southern States, who were in attendance at their annual conven-
tion in Jackson, Miss., February 4 to 7, spent February 8 at Tallulah
visiting the offices, laboratories, and airport of the field labora-
tory. Among the visitors were the entire personnel of the Mississippi
State Plant Board.

Dr. F. A. Fenton, in charge of the field laboratory at El Paso,
Tex., spent several days at Tallulah in conference with B. R. Coad on
work on the pink bollworm in the Southwest, and returned to El Paso
on February 12.

T. P. Cassidy, in charge of the field laboratory at Tucson, Ariz.,
spent the first half of February at Tallulah in conference with B. R.
Coad on investigations of the pink bollworm and Thurberia weevil in
Arizona, and returned to Tucson February 17.

L. W. Noble, Junior Entomologist, who has been a member of the
force at Tallulah since his appointment in September, 1929, has been
transferred to El Paso for work on the pink bollworm, and left Tallulah
February 12.

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TRUCK-CROP INSECTS

J. E. Graf, in Charge

P. N. Annand, formerly in charge of the sugar-beet leafhopper
laboratory at Davis, Calif., has been transferred to Twin Falls, Idaho.

K. L. Cockerham and 0. T. Deen, Biloxi, M. Brunson and L. B. Reed,
Picayune, and F. A. Wright, Bay St. Louis, all in Mississippi, attended
the meetings of the Cotton States Entomologists at Jackson, Miss.,
February 5 and 6.

N. F. Howard. Columbus, Ohio, was in Washington February 8 to 21,
to assist in miscellaneous work on manuscripts, including a revision of
Farmers' Bulletin 1407, on the Mexican bean beetle, and a new manuscript
on the Mexican bean beetle, prepared by L. W. Brannon and himself, to be
published by the Virginia Truck Experiment Station.

On February 11, while in Washington, N. F. Howard discussed the
control of the Mexican bean beetle with E. N. Cory, State Entomologist
of Maryland, L. M. Peairs, head of the Department of Entomology, West
Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, and C. 0. Eddy, of the Depart-
ment of Zoology and Entomology of the South Carolina Agricultural Experi-
ment Station.

N. F. Howard attended a school for canners held on February 20
at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he took part in a
discussion on the Mexican bean beetle.

On February 8 M. C. Lane, in charge of the field laboratory at
Walla Walla, Wash., gave an informal talk at the Young Farmers' Con-
ference at Yakima, Wash., on the latest developments in the control of
wi reworms in the Yakima Valley.

On February 13 G. Allen Mail, Assistant Entomologist of the Mon-
tana Agricultural College and Experiment Station, visited the field
laboratory at Walla Walla, Wash., and conferred with M. C. Lane regard-
ing the possibility of undertaking cooperative work on wireworms in the
State of Montana.

On February 14 M. C. Lane visited the Experiment Station officers
of Idaho and Washington at Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Wash., in the
interest of the present season's work on wireworms in those States.

L. U. Brannon, of the field laboratory at Norfolk, Va., visited
Washington February 21, to confer with N. F. Howard and others regard-
ing the coming season's investigations on the Mexican bean beetle.

- 5 -

On February 21 the field laboratory at Biloxi, Miss., was visited
by five officials of the State Plant Board of Mississippi, these being
Dr. L. E. Miles, Pathologist, J. M. Langston, Entomologist, and three
Inspectors, R. P. Colmer, H. Gladney, and Henry Deitrich, located res-
pectively at Moss Point, Ocean Springs, and Lucedale. On February 25
the same field laboratory had as a visitor C. E. Smith, in charge of
the field laboratory at Baton Rouge, La.

0. E. Gahm, Arlington Farm, Va. , and J. S. Houser, Chief Entomo-
logist, Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio, visited Lima,
Ohio, on Feruary 24, where Mr. Gahm gave an informal talk before mush-
room growers of Ohio on the control of mushroom pests. Mr. Gahm also
visited mushroom plants at Urbana, Barberton, Napoleon, and Marblehead,
Ohio, returning to Washington on February 26.

DECIDUOUS-FRUIT INSECTS
A. L. Quaintance, in Charge

Oliver I. Snapp attended the meetings of the Cotton States En-
tomologists at Jackson, Miss., on February 6 and 7, where he discus-
sed the results of spraying and dusting experiments on large blocks
of peach trees. After the meetings he visited the Delta Laboratory,
for the study of cotton insects, at Tallulah, La., Mr. Snapp has been
reelected secretary-treasurer of the Cotton States Branch of the Amer-
ican Association of Economic Entomologists.

I

On February 10 F. H. Lathrop, W. P. Yetter, jr., G. A. Runner,
E. J. Newcomer, L. B. Smith, W. E. Fleming, H. W. Allen, J. L. King,
J. W. Lipp, Luther Brown, and E. H. Siegler attended conferences on the
codling moth and oriental peach moth. These gentlemen have since re-
turned to their usual duties. Dr. Lathrop spent the greater part of
February in Washington, preparing manuscripts on the results of his field
investigations.

Contributions from the Japanese-Beetle Laboratory

On February 6 E. J. Newcomer, in charge of the field laboratory
for the study of apple insects at Yakima, Wash., visited the Japanese-
Beetle Laboratory. Mr. Newcomer spent the day talking with entomolo-
gists on insecticide problems and looking over the laboratory equip-
ment.

Arthur Gibson, Entomologist of the Dominion of Canada, and Dr.
T. J. Headlee, State Entomologist of New Jersey, visited the Japanese-
Beetle Laboratory on February 15.

- 6 -

CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECTS
W. H. Larrimer, in Charge

The annual conference of Federal and State administrative of-
ficials, scientists, and others, on the research program for the con-
trol of the European corn borer was held at the Department of Agricul-
ture in Washington, D. C., February 11. The complete research program
for the year, and reports of several committees on important phases of
the work, were presented and considered. The purpose of this meeting,
as heretofore, was to provide for a complete coordination of the various
projects, both Federal and State, for research on the corn borer, to
arrange for desirable replication of experiments, and to prevent unnec-
essary duplication of experimental work. It was further intended to
have this direct contact with the program for research on the corn borer
afford an opportunity for administrative review and constructive criti-
cism, to the end that the program should each year be in every respect as
complete and satisfactory as possible.

Dr. J. R. Parker, in charge of the field laboratory at Bozeman,
Mont., spent the latter half of February in Washington in consultation
regarding grasshopper investigations.

Thomas P. Strand has been appointed Junior Entomologist, effec-
tive February 11, for duty at Sandusky, Ohio.

L. P. Rockwood wishes to secure a supply of lepidopterous lar-
vae killed by the fungus disease Botrytis rileyi . This disease is not
known to occur in the coast region of western Oregon and, since it is
an important factor in bringing under control the outbreaks of several
species of caterpillars in various locations in the South, Mr. Rockwood
is anxious to establish the disease in western Oregon, where conditions
seem to be favorable for its development. Various species of insects
are affected by the disease, including the army worms and the velvet-
bean caterpillar. The disease may be recognized by the dead larvae
being so coated with green spores that they appear as if dusted with Paris
green. If such larvae are observed and mailed to Mr. Rockwood, at Forest
Grove, Oreg. , the cooperation will be very much appreciated. The best
way to send these larvae is in a cardboard container, or individually in
small vials plugged with cotton. If air-tight containers are used,
secondary bacterial infection is likely to destroy the fungus. All ship-
ments should be mailed direct to Mr. Rockwood, together with a letter of
notification as to what may be expected.

C. N. Ainslie, of the Sioux City, Iowa, field laboratory, re-
cently spent a few days in the Washington Office, while on vacation.

F. C. Bishopp, in charge of investigations of insects affect-
ing man and animals, visited the field laboratory at New Orleans, La.,
February 11 .

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FOREST INSECTS
F. C. Craighead, in Charge

On February 27 William Middleton, of this Division, and Dr.
Floyd F. Smith, of the Division of Cereal and Forage Insects, visited
Leesburg, Va., to demonstrate the fumigation control of the boxwood
leaf miner, with which they have been experimenting for several years.
The demonstration was conducted at the request of Mr. Lintner, County
Agent of Loudoun County, who has succeeded in arousing in that county
a great deal of interest in boxwood and in the control of the leaf mi-
ner.

On February 21 R. A. St. George received a report from S. R.
Broadbent, Supervisor of the Unaka National Forest, with headquarters
at Bristol, Tenn., that an outbreak of the southern pine beetle has
been located along Scioto Creek. The attack of the beetle was made
last fall, and the overwintering brood was recently discovered. This
information is of particular interest, since similar attacks in the
French Broad Division of the Pisgah National Forest and adjoining tracts
also occurred last fall, and have now resulted in heavy broods of this
beetle. The trees in both forests along the boundary between western
North Carolina and eastern Tennessee were probably attacked at about
the same time. The low temperatures of November 29 and 30, 1929, were
effective in killing the brood that remained between the bark and the
wood, but the more developed brood that had penetrated the outer bark
escaped being affected. Unless zero temperatures are experienced in
March, or excessive rainfall occurs this spring, there is apt to be
a rather heavy emergence of the beetles early in the summer.

Contributions from the Gipsy-Moth Laboratory

T. H. Jones and I. T. Guild, of the Gipsy-Moth Laboratory, at-
tended a meeting of the Northeastern Forest Research Council, at Spring-
field, Mass., on February 1.

A large shipment of cocoons of the oriental hag moth, Cnidocampa
riavescens Walk., reached the Gipsy-Moth Laboratory on February 13.
The shipment consisted of approximately 779,000 cocoons collected in
Fuji and Aikawa, Japan, under the direction of T. R. Gardner, of the
Bureau's Japanese and Asiatic Beetle Investigations. Over 600 Japan-
ese school children participated in the collecting, and Mr. Gardner
v/rites that examination of sample lots of cocoons showed that nearly
50 per cent contained larvae of the tachinid parasite Chaetexorista
,i avana B. & B. It is hoped that the liberation of adults of this par-
asite made last year in infestations of Cnidocampa flavescens in the
vicinity of Boston, together with those which it should be possible to
make this year, will result in its establishment.

- 8 -

BEE CULTURE

Jas. I. Hambleton, in Charge

W. J. Nolan attended the Extension School of the Department of
Horticulture of West Virginia University, at Inwood, W Va., on Feb-
ruary 10, and gave a talk on "The use of bees in orchards for polli-
nating purposes." It is noticeable that fruit growers are giving more
attention to the artificial control of pollination in orchards by the
use of honeybees than they ever have given in the past. At the pres-
ent time many of the producers of package bees are making arrange-
ments to furnish exclusively package bees for purposes of pollination.

Dr. E. F. Phillips, of Cornell University, visited the Bee Cul-
ture Laboratory on February 20. He was in Washington to testify be-
fore the House Committee on Agriculture, which held a hearing on H.

R. 9760.

Dr. L. R. Watson, of Alfred, N. Y., formerly connected with the
Division of Bee Culture Investigations, visited the Laboratory on Feb-
ruary 14. Doctor Watson is making investigations on the chemical anal-
yses of beeswax, and while in Washington consulted with various workers
in the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils.

Judging from the correspondence received at the Division of Bee
Culture Investigations, beekeepers all over the country are much in-
terested in assisting the census enumerators in compiling complete
statistics on bees and honey for the forthcoming census. Some of the
State associations comtemplate appointing committees to assist the cen-
sus enumerators. A very comprehensive list of beekeepers in Califor-
nia, arranged by counties, with the address and number of colonies of
each individual, has just been received from the California State De-
partment of Agriculture. A list of this kind should prove invaluable
to the census enumerators, and if other States would compile similar
lists the Bureau of the Census would have little difficulty in giv-
ing accurate figures concerning the size and importance of the bee-
keeping industry in this country.

W. J. Nolan has just attended the Southern States Beekeepers'
Conference held at Baton Rouge, La., February 26 to 28, and reports
a splendid meeting, with representatives present from 17 States. Mr.
Nolan spoke on "Federal work of aid to the beekeeper." Dr. Warren
Whitcomb, jr., and Dr. E. Oertel, of the Southern States Bee Culture
field laboratory, also addressed the meeting, their respective top-
ics being "Standardization of shipping cages for package bees," and
"The number of egg tubules in the queenbee." Dr. E. F. Phillips, George

S. Demuth, and Kennith Hawkins, all formerly connected with the Bee
Culture Laboratory, were present and appeared on the program. Dr. H. E.
Barnard, President of the American Honey Institute, gave a talk on the
nutrition of children, with special reference to honey. The next meet-
ing of the Southern States Beekeepers’ Conference will be held at Mont-
gomery, Ala.

- 9 -

On a recent trip to the Pacific Coast Jas. I. Harableton stopped
at the Oregon Agricultural College, at Corvallis, and at several bran-
ches of the University of California, as well as at a number of high
schools and junior colleges, all of which are vitally interested in
the future of beekeeping research, and have offered the Department of
Agriculture excellent facilities and accommodations for carrying on
research at their respective institutions. The exact location for a
research laboratory on the Pacific Coast has not been selected. Coop-
eration on the part of beekeepers is assured, and a number of the county
associations as well as individual beekeepers have offered the use of
their apiaries and other facilities for investigational work.

Frank C. Pellett, field editor of the American Bee Journal, Ham-
ilton, 111., another recent visitor at the laboratory, was in Washington
in the interest of pure-food legislation. Mr. Pellett, who is well known
in beekeeping literature, was greatly pleased with the library of this
division, and promised to donate several important publications which
the Department of Agriculture does not now possess.

At the annual convention of the American Honey Producers' League,
held in Milwaukee, Wis., February 4 to 6, a resolution was adopted
asking the Department of Agriculture to appoint extension specialists
in apiculture. The Association of Apiary Inspectors of America, which
held its annual meeting at the same time, adopted a resolution request-
ing that reports on the occurrence and distribution of American foul-
brood, and the progress made in its eradication, be included in the
Insect Pest Survey. As soon as the machinery is perfected for report-
ing the findings on American foulbrood to the Insect Pest Survey the
information should be very helpful in giving a clear-cut picture of
the situation as to bee diseases in the United States, and enable the
industry to see what progress is being made.

STORED-PRODUCT INSECTS
E. A. Back, in Charge

W. D. Reed, of the field laboratory at Fresno, Calif., went to
Indio, Imperial Valley, on February 5 to advise and make fumigation
tests for the Deglet Noor Date Growers Association. The delivery of
dates begins about September 5 and lasts until about January 1. All
dates are fumigated on receipt at the packing house, and most of them
are again fumigated just before shipment.

On February 5 and 6 Dr. Back attended the convention of the Na-
tional Retail Dry Goods Association, held at the Hotel Pennsylvania
in New York City.

- 10 -

Dr. R. T. Cotton spent February 9 to 11 in Buffalo, N. Y., where
opportunity was given him to check results of fumigations at the es-
tablishments of Larkin & Company and the Hecker H-0 Cereal Company.

A. 0. Larson, of the bean-weevil field laboratory, Modesto, Calif.,
arrived in Washington on Februe :y 14, for consultation and work on man-
uscripts. In his absence C. K. Fisher is in charge of the laboratory.

Dwight K. Grady, Secretary of the Dried-Fruit Association of
California, visited the Bureau on February 17 and spoke very highly of
the work being done at the Fresr.o laboratory.

Among the visitors to the Division in February may be mentioned
A. H. Eustis, of the Virginia Smelting Company, Norfolk, Va., Harry
H. Steidle, of the Division of Trade Standards of the Bureau of Stan-
dards, Department of Commerce, Theodore Myer, Jr., of the Theodore Myer
Estate, Philadelphia, Dr. William Moore, of the American Cyanamid Sales
Co., New York City, E. T. Ladd, of the Isco Chemical Co., Niagara Falls,
N. Y., Mr. Wall, of the Kaskelite Manufacturing Corp., Chicago, and
Dr. Hugo Hartnack, of Chicago.

In February George B. Wagner, of the laboratory for the study of
stored-grain insects, Manhattan, Kans., conducted experiments on fumi-
gation in Kansas City, Mo.

Perez Simmons, in charge of the field laboratory at Fresno, Calif.,
for the study of dried-fruit insects, writes that the periodical ex-
change which he started last year has been reorganized for 1930. This
year 16 laboratories of the Bureau on the Pacific Coast are cooperating.
"There are 446 numbers, of 35 periodicals, in the exchange. Assuming
that but one man at each station to which a periodical is sent reads it,
the exchange will be equivalent to 1,047 individual loans of periodicals."

LIBRARY

Mabel Colcord, Librarian
NEW BOOKS

The Bee Kingdom, a monthly review of modern bee culture, v. 1, No.

1, Jan., 1930, illus. Cairo, Egypt, Al-Ausour Publishing House,
1930. (Founded and edited by A. Z. Abushady. In English and
Arabic . )

Bergemann, H.

. . . Over Schildluizen van de Koffie. 54 p., illus. Bata-
via, Ruygrak & Co., Dec., 1929. (Mededeelingen van het Proef-
station Malang No. 71.) (Archief voor de Koffiecultuur in
Nederlandsch-Indie, Jahrg. 3, Nr. 3, p. 113-166, illus., Dec.,
1929. )

11 -

Blaisdell, J. G.

. . . Exercise and review book in biology. A combined laboratory
guide and review book for students' use. 152 p. , illus. New York,
World Book Company, 1917. (New World Science Series.)

Bodemeyer, Bodo V.

eber meine entomologischen Reisen nach Klein-Asien (1911), Ost-
Sibirien, Schilka und Amur (1912), Tunis, Oasis Grafsa, Khroumerie
(1913) und Iran, das Elbursgebirge (1914)... 79 p., illus.

Stuttgart, Alfred Kernen, 1927.

Bodenheimer, F. S.

Materialien zur Gesichte der Entomologie bis Linn6. Bd. II (488 p. )
illus. Berlin, Junk, 1929.

Bouquet, A. G. B.

Cauliflower and broccoli culture . . . 125 p., pi. New York,
Orange Judd Publishing Company, Inc.; London, Keegan Paul,
Trench, Triibner & Co., Ltd., 1929. (References, p. 122-123.)
(Insects and diseases, p. 55-56.)

Busck, August, and Dampf, A.

. . . Una palomilla (Stenoma crairbina Busck) como una nueva plaga
del algodon en el estado de Oaxaca . . . 55 p., illus., col. pi.
Tacuba, D. F. , Mexico, Sec. de Agr. y Fomento, 1929. (Mexico.
Sec. de Agr. y Fomento. Oficina Federal para la Defensa Agricola
Estudios Num. 2.) (Literatura citada, p. 54-55.)

Campos, Francisco.

Un afio a caza. de criaderos de mosquitos por los pantanos de
Guayaquil y alrededores . . . Guayaquil, 1929. Revista, del Cole-
gio Nacional Vicente Rocafuerte, Ano XI, Nums. 36-37, p. 17-62,
1929.

Estable, Clemente.

Observaciones sobre algunos insectos del Uruguay. Anales del
Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo, Ser. II. Tomo III, Entr.
1, p. 57-92, 1929.

Faure, Jacobus.

. . . The South African citrus thrips [Scirtothrips aurantii
n. sp. ] and five other new species of Scirtotrips Shull. 18 p.,
3 pi. Pretoria, Wallachs Limited, Dec. 20, 1929. (Transvaal
University College, Pretoria. Fac. Agr. T. U. C. Bui. 18.)

Frisch, Karl v.

Uber den Geruchsinn der Biene und seine blutenbiologische Be-
deutung. 238 p., illus. Jena, Fischer, 1919. Sonderabdruck
aus "Zoologische Jahrbiicher" Abt. f. allg. Zool. u. Physiol.,
Bd. 37. (Literaturverzeichniss, p. 220-225.)

Holloway, T. E.

Sugar cane insects of North America and the West Indies (excluding
Cuba) . A bibliography and list of known parasites, insect preda-
tors and diseases. 38 p. Sourabaya, Java, 1929. (Third Internat.
Conference of the Internat. Soc. of Sugar cane Technologists, Bui.
5.)

- 12 -

Knott, J. E.

Vegetable growing. 352 p., illus. Philadelphia, Lea & Febi-
ger, 1930. (Insect and disease control, p. 159-180.)

Munro, J. W.

Insects and industry. 82 p. London, Ernst Benn, limited, 1929.
(Benn's Sixpenny Library No. 95.) (Bibliography, p. 79-80.)
Pennington, C. E.

List of bulletins of the agricultural experiment stations for
the calendar years 1927 and 1928. 78 p. Washington, D. C.,

Government Printing Office, Jan. 1930. (U. S. Dept. Agr. Mis-

cellaneous Pub. 65.)

Petit, G.

Contribution a 1' etude de la faune de Madagascar, pt. II. Paris,
Societe d'editions geographiques, maritimes et coloniales, 1929.
(Faune des colonies frangaises, t. Ill, fasc. 4, p. 269-636, pi.
IV-VII).

Society of American Bacteriologists.

Bergey's Manual of determinative bacteriology ... a key for
the identification cf organisms of the class Schizomycetes, by
David H. Bergey . . . with an index by Robert S. Breed. Ed. 3.
589 p. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Company, 1930.

Verlaine, L. J. A.

L'instinct et 1 ' intelligence chez les hymenopteres . pt. 1.
Bruxelles, Lammertine 1924. (Academie Royale de Belgique. Classe
des sciences. Memoires. Collection in 8°, tome VIII, fasc. 2.)
Ward, J. M.

Plum and prune culture. 86 p. illus. Melbourne, Gov't Print-
ing Office, 1926. (Victoria Dept. Agr. Bui. new ser. No. 57.)
Williams, C. B.

Evidence for the migration of butterflies. Soc. Roy. Ent. d'E-
gypte new ser. Ann. 1929, fasc. 1, p. 193-210.

- 13 -

AN APPARATUS FOR REARING INSECTS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

A paper has recently appeared which, it is believed, is of suf-
ficient interest and importance to be brought to the attention of all
workers in the Bureau of Entomology who desire to rear insects under
controlled conditions made as nearly natural as possible. It is by
G. U. Escherich, and is entitled "Ein Multipier Thermohygrostat mit
standiger Lufterneuerung [A battery of constant temperature and hu-
midity chambers with continuous renewal of air], and was published in
Anzeiger fur Schadlingskunde 6: 13-14, 1930. A free translation, some-
what abbreviated, of this paper follows:

For the determination of the relations between temperature, hu-
midity, and development of insects, batteries of incubators have usu-
ally been employed. The temperature gradient incubator of Williams
and Kirkpatrick (Min. Agr. Egypt, Bui. 38, 1924) has also been used.
These incubators have faults which often render exact experimentation
difficult; for example, lack of ventilation, of light, and of constant
humidity. The requirements of a good incubator for rearing insects are
as follows: (1) Constant temperature, (2) sufficient ventilation, (3)

illumination from all sides, (4) constant humidity throughout the chamber.

The principles of a new incubator that meets these requirements
are presented here. A motor-driven blower forces air through a com-
partment where it is heated to the desired temperature. On leaving
the heater, the air stream is divided, one part passing through a
dryer and the other through a humidifier. Both streams then pass into
the rearing chamber. The rate of flow of each air stream can be con-
trolled by a stopcock. The relative humidity of the rearing chamber
therefore depends on the relative proportions of the wet and the dry air
that are allowed to enter it. By properly setting the stopcocks, any
desired relative humidity can be maintained throughout the rearing chamber.

The rearing chamber can be opened for the renewal of food with
little change in temperature and humidity, which very quickly return
to their former values.

The external heating system makes it possible to use a glass
rearing chamber, transmitting ultraviolet light if necessary. The
writer uses an unsilvered, double-walled glass vessel shaped like a
bell jar. The space between the two walls is evacuated for insulation.
This vessel stands on cork board. Tubes passing through the cork
board admit the air to the upper part of the vessel. The air escapes at
the bottom through a short tube in the cork board.

A battery of these rearing chambers can be supplied with air by
a single blower. Different temperatures in the different chambers can
be obtained either by cooling portions of the air from a single heater
or, better, by using a single heater for each temperature. A ther-
mometer and hygrometer are placed in each

r . — F . L. C.

LIBRARY >riri

state PLANT board

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BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Purchases In Excess of Fifty Dollars

Attention is called to the matter of purchases made in the open
market in excess of $50 without first securing competitive bids. It
should be borne in mind that the Bureau of Entomology is prohibited
by statute from making such purchases without securing competitive bids,
except as provided in paragraphs 63 to 68, inclusive, of the Fiscal
Regulations of the Department. Any employee contemplating such emergency
purchases should first place the matter before the Washington office of
the Bureau for approval and instructions, using the telegraph when neces-
sity requires immediate consideration. Ordinarily, needs may be foreseen
sufficiently in advance to allow for competition. Delaying purchases in
field offices until the need arises is not considered by the Department or
the General Accounting Office as constituting an emergency, and vouchers
in payment of such purchases are subject to disallowances.

In cases where plans can not be made and needs anticipated suf-
ficiently in advance to allow for the handling of bids through the usual
channels, officials in charge of field stations are authorized to invite
bids. Such bids after opening should be forwarded to Washington with
recommendations for making the award. (See par. 73).

In the solicitation of bids for supplies and services:

1. The proper standard form should be employed.

2. Definite and impartial specifications are to be used, stat-
ing accurately the quantity and kind of article required.
The practice of calling for an article by name followed by
"or equal" should be discontinued where it is at all possi-
ble to describe the article.

3. Federal specifications are to be used wherever applicable.
If Federal specifications appear impracticable the Washing-
ton office should be advised accordingly.

4. In seeking quotations the specifications should show the
needs rather than allow the bidder to indicate what he pro-
poses to furnish. This is not intended to prevent the giv-
ing of the general description of the article desired and
then allow the bidder to describe what he has to offer.

5. Specifications must include definite place of delivery and,
where essential, specify time for delivery, or provide for
bidder to indicate time within which he will make delivery.

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6. Care should be exercised to see that purchases conform to trade
usage and do not call for specially made articles when stock
articles are regularly manufactured and will serve the purpose.

7. Specifications must call for discounts for prompt payment
within a specified number of days after receipt of goods or
after invoice.

8. Proposals must be sent out to give bidder most remotely
located ample time to prepare his bid and submit it in time

• for opening.

9. From the time the Washington office has been requested to
solicit bids, all negotiations with bidders, until award is
made, must be through this office. This is necessary in order
that all bidders will be on a comparative basis. Bids re-
sulting in prices less than $50 should be recommended for
award the same as other bids.

10. The Comptroller General has laid down the principle that in

the purchase of new equipment involving more or less restric-
tive features, the specifications must reflect service re-
quirements necessitating such features. It is not suffi-

cient that reasons for rejecting the bids be expressed in the
recommendation, unless the bidders have been put on notice
of service requirements in the specifications that these
features are required. The failure to carefully observe
these requirements may make it necessary to readvertise, thus
causing considerable delay.

11. In securing bids for supplies over a period in an indefi-
nite amount such as coal, fuel, oil, etc., the Comptroller General
has decided that it is necessary to estimate the quantity in
all instances, and, in order to secure mutuality of considera-
tion in the contract, bind the Department to purchase within
a reasonable percentage variance from the estimated quantity,
or bind the Department to purchase exclusively from the con-
tractor so much as is required in the opinion of the ordering
officer.

Failure to observe all the foregoing points in connection with
the invitation of bids in the field may result in the cancellation of
all bids, and necessitate readvertising with consequent delay.

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Gasoline Tax Exemption Procedure in Various States

The following list of States have arranged to grant Government
employees exemption from payment of the State tax on gasoline where
procured for use in Government owned motor vehicles: Arizona, California,
Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana (State Board of Equalization, Helena), Nebraska, New
Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

The exemptions are ordinarily granted through certificate forms
procurable from the State Auditor or other State officer, and the ex-
emption is supposed to be granted by all retailers as well as producers
and distributors. Employees of the Bureau who purchase gasoline in any
of the above enumerated States, should immediately make a request on the
State Auditor or other State officer for a supply of the proper certifi-
cates to be used when purchasing gasoline. The procedure in securing ex-
emption from the payment of the tax will possibly vary in the different
States, and it is suggested that when the certificates are obtained, the
exact procedure to be followed in securing exemption be ascertained. If
the employee is successful in securing exemption, a statement to that
effect should be placed on the voucher; however, if the retailer refuses
to grant exemption, the voucher should be submitted in duplicate as is
the present practice, and a statement made that the dealer refused to
grant the exemption. There is absolutely no change in submitting accounts
covering the purchase of gasoline from the present practice with the ex-
ception that the above enumerated States have agreed to cooperate with
the Government and furnish tax exemption certificates. The exact pro-
cedure now in effect covering the purchase of tax exempt gasoline, and
gasoline on which the tax was paid, should be closely followed.

Since identification of the employee as an official of the De-
partment will be necessary in all cases, the regular Department identi-
fication card, par. 722, Administrative Regulations, should be carried
for that purpose unless a special form is required by the State.

Appointments of Temporary Field Assistants

The approach of the active field season, with the demand which
it will bring for the employment of Temporary Field Assistants, makes
this an opportune time to again call the attention of the field offi-
cers to the importance of making their recommendations for such appoint-
ments as far in advance as possible. After a recommendation is received
in the Washington office, it requires a period of approximately two
weeks to get approval from the Civil Service Commission.

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S o F F L O R I D A

3 1262 09236 iiiP

The Commission will continue to insist, as in the past, that it be fur-
nished in each individual case with definite and complete information
regarding the work to be performed and the education and experience of
the proposed appointee. Education should include common school, high
school, and college training. Where the individual has had college
training, it is necessary to show the name of the institution attended,
the number of years in attendance at the institution, and the major
course or courses pursued. In the absence of college training, it is
necessary to show that the applicant has had practical experience in the
line of work involved in the specific position or in some related line,
or similar experience of equal value. Exact dates should be given where
possible.

It is extremely important that the training and experience of
an individual should warrant the salary recommended.