USDA heads iter wea ff7/3 25 IIS gf /9el Hh >E-218 H+ MONTH ILY LETTER OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Number 85 May, 1921 7 ee SS eee RUCK CROP INSECT INVESTIGATIONS F. H. Chittenden, Entomologist in Charge J. E. Graf, in charge of field work in Mexican bean beetle control at Birmingham, Ala., sas recently advised the bureau that the Mexican bean beetle has been found in Georgia along the line of the Alabama Great Southern Rail- way between Rising Fawn and the Alabama line. Only small sums are at present available for quarantine and control measures by the States of Alabama and Georgia. The quarantined areas now in force will, however, be extended to include the small infestations i n ‘Tennessee and Georgia and every effort will be made to restrict the further dissemination of tha beetle from these outlying points of infestation. It is probable that a branch research station will be established in the vicinity of Chattanooga for a comparison of the conditions there with those encountered at Birmingham. R. W. Allen has been appointed to assist Neale ¥. Howard in the Birming- ham research laboratory with regard to the chemistry of new insecticides which it is proposed to apply to the Mexican bean beetle. The following have been appointed to act es district inspectors in connec- tion with the enforcement of Quarantine No. 50 against the Mexican bean bee tle: J. D. Waugh, F. I. Jeffrey, H. G. Small, G. B. Warren, and H. L. Weatherby. B. L. Boyden, in charge of field work in sweet-potato weevil investiga- tions, reports that in spite of conditions incident to the unusual season in northern Florida, such as the drought which has materially delayed draw dis- tribution, sweet-potato planting from certified weevil-free draws is now almost completed. Only about 150,000 more draws will be required. All of the growers on infested properties have signed contracts and the outlook is exceptionally good for a successful season. C. H. Batchelder of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station has been re- appointed to conduct cooperative experiments in the control of insects which transmit the potato mosaic disease and to make observations on other potato insects in the Aroostook County potato region. He will be stationed at Presque Isle, Maine. E. S. Roberts has been appointed to assist M. M. High, in charge of the laboratory at Kingsville, Tex., in experimental work on truck-crop insects, William D. Mecum has been reappointed to assist J, E. Dudley, Jr., in spraying experiments against truck-crop insects at Madison, Wis. G. Fletcher has been appointed to assist Chas. E. Smith, Baton Rouge, La., in connection with rearing experiments. BEE CULTURE ( E. F. Phillips, Apiculturist in Charge ™M In coopsration with the Bureau of Chemistry an investigation is being a Ayhguor nea tee thoes oD on dieh need? SQ AAT. pak pg ie ECE made of methods of premring, for provisioning caccs for moiling queenbees, c&ndy which will conform with the reculations of the Post Office Devartment end which will remain soft for sore time. ‘any hun- dreds of quecns arc now lost annually from food of poor quality. Jay oad "i. Smith has been appointed temporarily for this work. fs D, Suaftesbury, a graduate student at the Johns Hopkings Uni- versity, hes been spoointed for thc summer months to conduct investiga- tions in the changes occurring in the agins of bees. J. B. icorman, also of Jcehns Hopkins, hos been appointed for the summer and will assist in the effort to determine whaethar Tarsonemus woodi, the purported cause of the Isle of “light disoase of bees, is present in the United States. There was recently »ublished from the University of Aberdeen thc results of the work of Dr. Jvhn Romic and his associates which show the parasitic and yathogenic nature of this sxecies. Tne Census data so far issued indicate 2 decrease in the number of beckeepers on farms but an increase in the number of colonies of bees. Bees in towns 2nd cities 2re not included in Camsus returns and as a result most comrertial beekeccners are omittod. The increase in the number of colonics pcr beeckceper is quite to be exoécted because of the incrcasing tendency toward the development of specialist bee- keeners « VAPIOMAL IUSEUt The Natiomil “Museum hts just reccived 2 finc collection of named Ivonididee (Cecidomyiidtc, the goll midges), a family of small flies, from Dr. H.P. Folt, State E:.tomologist of Now York. Part of this material was loaned to Dr. Felt some time ago for study. Dr. Felt Ins mde 2 special stuy of this very important fanily of flies. Hu has 2lso added quite 2 numbor of specics new to the Museun collection. Tis collection comprises about 800 microscope slides 2nd about 40 different kinds of galls, the work of thesc flies. More then half of the species revresented arc from the type material. Tcre are cbout 270 specics distributed in 71 genera, of which 1%4 species are representcd by type matcrial. This collection is now about the second test in the country. PINK BOLI OR! CONFERENCE Fourteen cotton-croving Statcs vere ruvresented at a conference called by the Devartment of A-ricviture in ‘/:shington Tlay 16 to con- sider the measures for er2dicating the pink bollvora from the United States. The delegatos attending included represcutatives from the important cotton, form, and educational associations of their States and appointees of the Governors. The report drawn uo by the comaittce nominated by the State delegations was aconted unanimously by tne con- ference. It was agreed thet the ».resence of the oink bollworm within our borders is the most serious enace that has ever confronted tne cotton-growing industry in this country, but that corsidering the pres- ent status of the pest and the evidence ».resented tuere is still a reasonable onrortunity for.cradicating it by following out the policy of the Devartment of ~griculture. It was recommended thet as this est menaces the entire cotton- Growing industry the burden of its control should be shared by the Federal Government and by the States actuslly infested. It was further recommended that thc States wrovide legislation giving amolg authority through the agency of non-cotton and regulated zones for such regional control as is necessary for extermination. The Texas delesates, who represénted the important farming interests of that State, vledeec full support in securing the neccessary legislation and cooperation on the wart of Tomas. “MISCELLIZEOUS NOLES The Chief of the Bureau attended the Wew Jersey ‘/ntimoscuito Society's *mnnual Convention at Atlmtic City In te in foril, md t’sen went to Ithaca for consultation with Professor C. R. Crosby and Pro- fessor Ji. D. leonard in regard to cooperative work against the ox war- ble which will be begun this scason in certain cowmties in New York. During early May he visited “ound, La., and Talluleh, La., for consulta- tion vith Capt. D. L. Vsn Dine 2nd Dr. 7. V. King in regard to the mos- duito work at Mound; and lim. Bon. Cosa at Tallulah in regard to the cot— ton boll weevil campaign for the susmer. Later ne visited ‘lbany and SCOR ial CED A cit Se RONG lo ie, de Carrrey ANG Olt. ICOOnROm ts Atwood for consultations concerning certain phases of the Buronean corn borer investigations. Dr. fe i.) Muaintance is sbsent on a trip to New Orleans to oremize the work acsinst the campinor scale. Dr. C. l. jlarlatt has just returned from Menhattan, Kens., where he was. given the honorary depree of Doctor of Science by the Kansas State Aoricultwral College. Dr. Demetrius Borodin, formerly Chief of the Datomological Uxperi- ment Station at Poltava, Russia, has svent some weeks in Vashington translating some of ow publications into the Russian language for fu- ture use in Russia when concitions over there shall have become morc st2ble. Doctor Borodin has told us much of Russian conditions and brings exact news of 2 number of Russian Futomologists. Me is at pressnt work- ing at Cornell University for a short tizc. a bead ‘GRE yy re Pe Pease ri, te : | lapel | Se ae i) Sea oy & A901 F tee. : il 4 We ‘ — Me. F. 0. Bain, one of tne last graduate Carnegie students who will be sent to this country by the British Government, is expected in “Ieshington on June 8+ He has been studying since October at Corneil University and is now about to make 2 tour of tne country. HW will visit a number of tc field laboratorics of the Bureau 2nd those sembers of the force connected with the laboratories are urged to show Mr. Bain every possible courtesy am give him full information about anything mat he finds of cspecial interest. Ha will return to Cornell University for 2 month's 2dcitional study for submitting 2 thesis for a Mcsters’. Degree and will then return to England. Hc cxpects eventuelly to work in South 4frica. a LIBRARY Mabel Colcord, Librarian NE BOOKS Carpenter, G.DeH. f naturalist on Lake Victoria, with an account of sleeping sickness and the tsetse-fly. 555 De, illus. col. »1., charts. mao. London, 7, Fisher Unwin, Itd., 1920. G.isholm, GE. Handbook of commercial geocr2phy. 566 pe, made ed. 8. London, Longmans, Green & Coa seh Te Cotton Yoarbook 1921, vol. 16. Compiled for the "Textile Mercury" by S. Ecroyd. 708, coxxxviii pe, illus. Manchester, Marsden « Geog A ieealc Czapek, Friedrich. Biochemie der pflenzen. v. 5, eds 2. 852 p. Jena Verlag von Gustav Fico cr, UGE aC Hewley, RC. The practice of silviculture, with varticular reference to its 2policetion in the United States. 352 pe, illus. NeoYe, John Viiey & Sen; London, Chep ian SB Hell Dtd., Loads References, pe 291-292. Sopendix ~ Forest terminology, p. 299-541. Locfzons, S. De calmsmitkever (Rhynchovhorus ferruzineus Oliv.). 90 De, 11 pl. Batavia, Ruvegrok & Cc., 1920. (Mededeelingen van net Instituut voor Plontenzieten lo. Mie) Tutz, F-E., and Cockerell, T.D.4- Notes on the distribution and bibli- ography of the North imerican bees of the families ividae, Meliponidae, Bombidae, Buglossidae, ond Inthoohoridse. M.Y., Dec. 8, 1920. (Bulletin of the /merigan Muscun of Natural History leks, ve 42, art. 15, pe 191-641. MeDougall, R«S. Insect and arachnida vests of 1919. (Trans. Highland and fer. Soc. Scotimd, ser- 5, V- 32, pv» 152-192, Edinburgh, 1920) SOR TENE: xe fH, | get vst “BUCTS “ ? tits co Tratqeagy ; lbicoe rifts ot) Steg dd Ptr Sb ¢ ie Ms SR Manson, P:.tric?:-. Manson's tropical diseases... 7th ec. rev. and enl. 9650p. Piduss: 27 cel. pls MN... Prilio HW. Manson-Sahr, editor. jimidinon (100g andvCo.),, W92ZI. ox of micro-org2nismns, Meebo oN. Buchanan Phila- Morshall, C.B., e@. Microbiology a text bo general and apvlied. C.ntributors: © e+. (and others). 3a ed. rev. ond enl. 1043 p.. illus. delohig, ©. Blakiston's Scn & Co., 1921. Percival, John. A-rieultural botany. ed. 64 839 p., illus. Lendon, Ducisvorth & Co., 1921. R Sscll, Hs. Dekevot Bedfordiand =ic ine. Shencer. Science and fruit growing. S48 p., illus. London, Macmillsn = Co., Ltd., 1919. Insecticides and fungicides, p. 145-195. Insects, p. 196-229. Geogravhic Buare. Fifth resort, 1890-1920. »nrepared by Charles Sloane. 192 ». Jashington, Government Printing Office, 1921. (Decisions of the U.S. Geogravhic Board, 1890 to 1920.) = 2 a Qe Zimmermann, a. Dytiscidae, Ysliplidse, Hygrobiidse, imphizoidae. O21 0. Berling December 15, 12920. (Scehenkling, S., ed. Coleov- terorun CataJoreus, ars 71, ed. ~*. Junk.) —— sen SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES ‘iin