Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific Knowledge, policies, or practices. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE NEWS LETTER VOLUME IX 4 Sarre Bui es a ae yon het as i * 7 ans. ———— —_—__ UNITED STATES ciiaacacammaid Of AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF = TTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE RVEE ees: Pau Sea ER FOR NOVEMBER 19421 Volee eae. 2 (Not for publication) .. January 1, 1942 eee ae ne ae es mn es te pe et ee es a a ee ee ay a me ee ae ee ee me ee ee ae ae es ee es ee ey rt ms | REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR | Als | ADMINISTRATION Rohwer end Popham Receive New Assignments On December 4, 1941, Sievert A. Rohwer was placed in charge or regulatory work, retaining nis ae eS) SPs e assistant chief of the Bureau, and William Lee Popham was ap— pointed an assistant chief in-charge of control operations. Mr. Rohwer was born in Telluride, Colo., on December 22, 1888. He was educated in Colorado and came to the eee in-1909 as a taxonomist. In 1924 he was placed in charge of the new Division of Insect Identification of the Bureau of Ento- mology, and in 1927 was. assigned to general administrative duties. When Plant Quarantine and Control Administration was created in 1926 he was appointed assistant chief of that Bureau. In 1933 Mr. Ronwer was transferred to the Bureau of Entomology as assistmt chief and continued as such Pees the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine was created in 193. ir. Popham was born in Corvallis, Mont., on February 26, tL, He received a B. S. degree in agriculture from Montana te College in 1923, and did 2 years! postgraduate work in any and plant pathology at the same school, His first po- ion was with the Montana State Horticultural Board, and he entered the Department of Agriculture!s Bureau of Plant Industry in September 1924 as a State leader in black stem rust control. In 1928 he became regional leader for Montana and Wyoming and in 1930 a field supervisor for 13 North Central States. He came to Washinzston as assistant chief of the Division of Barberry sie ea Eradication in 1931 and when this work was taken over by con— sOlidation with the Bureau of Emtomolozy and Plant Quarantine in 1934 he was placed in charge of barberry—-eradicstion work. Report by Bureau Hyewitness of Attack on Pearl Harbor "On the morning of December 7, 1941, Jim Nichols and I had gone to Hickam Field for a routine inspection of planes due to arrive at 6 a. m., and also to cover ships due to arrive at Pearl. Harbor, which-is adjacent to Hickam Field, a little-laters Since the planes had not arrived by 7:30 a. m., I told Jim that perhaps I should go over to Pearl Harbor and see if the ships had entered. On the way over to the Pearl Harbor Gate, I had a hunch that maybe it would be better if I 'yhoned the Officer of the Day from the Gate, and, if the ships were not in, go back to Hickam Field to help him. I called the O. D. and he told me the first ship would dock in about 45 minutes, and asked me to come up end have coffee with him and the customs officers. At first 1 chougnt I might do so, especially since I had not had any that morring, but before I had much time to think, I had told hin that I had to go back to Hickam to do some work. When I returned to Hickam Field, about 7:45, Nichols was walking around outside the operations building.I honked, and he came over and sat in the car with me. We had sat there talking perhaps 5 or Minutes when suddenly the quiet mnday morning air was torn with the droning, whistling screech of planes in the direction of Pearl Harbor. Then we heard an explasion, then another, We immediately got out of the car, and saw dive bombers diving into Pearl Harbor in quick succession, each releasing his deadly explosives. We watched this, stunned, for perhaps 450 seconds, thinking at first-——and hoping——-that it was practice fire. Boil-— ing, swirling clouds of black smoke told us, however, that this was not a practice session, but the real thing. Of a sudden there ceme roaring from high adove on our right a dive bomber, nosing directly toward our location in Hickam Field. The bomb burst within perhaps a-hundred yards of our car, sending giant streaks of bluish—brown soil high into the air. Up to this time, I had noticed no unusual activity on the field; the men standing around seemed stunned, as we were, at the show taking place before our eyes. Then I asked Jim if he didn't think we should try to get out of the reservation before activities or bomb holes blocked our way. I suppose he said 'yes,! because we were soon under way. Now the air was filled with planes— not only dive bombers but with bombers skimming just over the trees and over our heads as we drove along. Army men with pis- tols pulled them out and shot at the invaders. They replied with machine-gun fire. ‘the bullets made puffs of dust along our way and zinged through the air as they ricocheted off the pave— ment and other objects. We could see the bonds under the low flying planes as they flew into Pearl Harbor. In the excitement, it seemed that there were hundreds of the ships, all eneny, but perhaps there were not more than a hundred. Before we were more 3 than a mile from Pearl Harbor, other clouds of smoke were billow- ing from the Naval Reservation, and the sky was flecked with puffs of antiaircraft shells. Back in Honolulu the streets were quiet and no one seemed to know of the attack. Our fellow workers on Sunday duty in the Post Office laughed at our story of an attack on the islands. Of all the birthdays I will ever celebrate, December 7 of 1941 will no dowdt remain the most indelibly marked." BUREAU EMPLOYEES CALLED TO ses COLORS OR TRANSFERRED TO SPECIAL NATIONAL DEFENSE ASSIGNMENT James, Edwin F., Under Biological Aide, Fruit ins., inducted, Select. Serv., November 7, 19/41. FRUIT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS ct Lead arsenate injures peach foliage in South.—-This year s in the South were wunusually favorable for in- pea ees from the use of lead arsen e. According to Oliver I. Sn napp, of the Fort Valley, Ga., lab Cipitation was recorded on 19 days in June, 1 5 16 days in August. Injury fren lead arsenate aes 100) ch RHIC Fj peach trees according to the regular scnedule inc: by the end of peach harvest on July 21, it amounte v a ee injury, severe defoliation, and occasional fruit injury. ne Eee: taat ae received the regular schedule of eee arsenate when oe I pee for foliage injury were ae on Sep= tember 12, 7 weeks after peach harvest, whereas the trees that received no lead arsenate during the season were in full foliage on that date. This injury caused many fruit buds to open in Sep- tember, which will reduce the 1942 peach crop on these trees. Partial protection of raisins from saw—-toothed grain beetle.—Two ene Stoe= of boxes of stored raisins, pr peared pared by Charle Fisher, of the Fresno, Calif., pe ea were sampled ile ewe a stack was protectsd by an oil— filled trough barrier at ground level and by a canvas cover, edged with a tanglefoot Bee nee to prevent infestation by insects falling from the roof structure. The other stack was un— protected. Before the storage period began, the raisins were Passed over a cleaner. The calculated infestation of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (lL.)} per ton in the protected and unprotected stacks is shown in the following table. B SS se alii ORS surinanens is ine > Protected stack Unprotected stack Date of sampling c + . Trams Gu ares Adults! Immature: Adults oo ee ce =) , Number : : “Number: it Number as Number December 7, 5 I4O= tee Sie OSS Ram Os (Toc Wiese! $ 2,511 Dota) eta 2 wee : LIL al ie SaaS Gee ES) wee 379 March 1, 194]———=-=-=-_— : On ee Ors Cha 263 April 5, 1941----------- : OA 205% © = 255hs May 3, 19'41---------—--- 3 Sele 2 3G 2 bo ee June 7, 1941------------ 2 6,529 21,600 = 45,806. ea iG ee July 5, 1941----------=-; §,867 +: 7,126: 11,670 +: 13,157 August 2, 1941——------~-- r DGQORS 1,8 2oces , SeOS ee Se September 6, 194]~~------ : Sls sae eee onoms Getober W oln eae : 2H ih FsOO. as 120. ee ees November 1, TCG ——e Agi 8 al soe LT a oe No larvae nor adults found in Texas.——Grove inspections were made in November in 2,250 citrus plantings in Texas without finding any larval infestations of the Mexican fruitfly. Approxi— mately 5.COO traps were also operated throughout this period, but no adult Mexican fruitflies were taken. From these results it would appear that the annual fly movement northward from Mexico is no further advanced eee normally, and may be somewhat later this season than usual. Fruit certified for shipment from the regulated area amounted to o 96,1 equivalent carlots during the month of November. For the season, Fruit shipments have reached (:398 equivalent carlots. This is a slight decrease from the amount or fruit moved from the area for the corresponding period last season, [" CHREAT AND FORAGH INSECT INVESTIGATIONS . : } Col tera captured in Japanese beetle traps during 1941.—— Phitip Lusinball. leatavetter laden enorme that, for the fourth consecutive season, the May beetles captured in Japanese beetle traps operated at many of the field stations of this Bureau through the cooperation of Erle G. Brewer, in charge of Japanese beetle quarantine operations, were sent to the Lafayette laboratory for determination and study With these Phyllophaga were many beetles of other genera, most of which were identified and included in a special report, which is on file in this Division. The collections during 1941 yielded 9,668 May beetles, representing 54 species and 3 varieties. These came from 54 locations in 22 States and, as in previous years, most of these were from the southern part of the United States. These collections also provided new State records for 8 species, and 6% new county records for many other species. Rice stinkbug as a pest of sor eas G. Dahms, Lawton, Okla., reports that sorghums at the United States Dry—land field station at Lawton were attacked by hordes ats rice stinkbugs (Solu- bea pugnax Fab. ) from August 7 to August 2%, 1941. As there were Many varieties anc strains of sorghums growing at the station, an opportunity was afforded to study the effect of this insect on dif ferent varieties and on sorghums that matured at different dates. The varieties that were nearing maturity when the bugs invaded the field were injured less than were those in the early bloom stage. Plats of Sumac sorgo maturing on August 13, August 18, and Septen— ber 5, yielded 49.6, 20.3, and 7.4 bushels per acre, respectively. One variety, White Darso, Ks. 33-3/%, was injured much less than were two other varieties of White Darso (Sharon X Darso Wav. 48-12 and Deatm X Darso Wdw.e 52-29), although all three varieties were "Tirst neaded" on the same day. 1 JAPANESE BEETLE CONTROL safety practices and Red “oss perienced men, scouting over rough terrain, climbing large trees, and topping and felling trees ar Se fe ake pee eee Ge if definite safety practices are not otserved. oe use of poorly adapted W. P. A. personnel for such work has increased the need of safety training. Because the field crevs are often away from roads and Other help, first-aid training is important. Furthermore, the possessicn of good first-aid and snake—bite kits and a knowledge of first aid has often made it possible to help injured nonemplovees. The foremanship training manval ee by each field crew contains a section on safety ew regulations, and suggestions, and a section on oo ALG. he fis = section is written to serve the type of injuries likely to occur and the conditions likely to be present = the accident site. Each crev or truck carries a 10— unit first—aid kit. The crews working at dist2nces from their trucks carry pocket kits. Crews working in poisonous-snake areas carry snake—bite kits. Antivenom for the use of our men is kept at conveniently located hospitals, police stations, and physicians? offices. Red Cross first-aid training has been used extensively during the last 43 years to supplement our safety and first-aid training. Not only are all supervisors urged to take advantage of any Red Cross first-aid courses but security—wage workers are en— couraged to join classes, often conducted by our supervisors. Of a total personnel of 2,200 over 350 have taken Red Oross first—ai work. In addition to these 350 men now employed, it is estimated that 1,000 former W. P. A. workers took first-aid courses when working on Dutch elm disease. Ten regular employees have instructor's certificates, 14 others have had advanced courses, and U5 have standard certificates, whereas only §& have not taken advantage of first-aid courses. Among the field security—wage workers, there are 3 instructors, and 8 advanced and 262 standard certificates. Among the regular and W. P. A. employees at the Division headquarters there first—aid trainins.——To inex- ata J Tet d a == are 4 with standard training and 14 who expect to enroll in courses this season. Those now conducting standard and ad— vancea courses are O. N. Liming, J. F. Wootten, D..H. Slayback, Rs E. McCarthy, H. L. Cramer, 5. L. Stonebraker, F. Theall, A. &. Peters, Vo S. Meni foles-end De sus-tbon. Connecticut sanitation crews aid in extinguishing fires.— A sanitation crew arrived at a property in Clinton to heul away a Graphium tree. They found painters had been burning paint off ‘an unoccupied house. Blow torches had set fire to the walls and the fire had already reached the roof. The foreman immediately put into use his fire pump and at the same time sent a-driver to the nearest telephone to notify the fire department. By the time the fire equipment arrived the blaze was pretty well under con— trol. On another occasion a crew foreman, scouting ahead of his crew tagging trees to be removed, smelled smoke. He knew tnat he had no fires going in the vicinity and that there were no oc-— cubied residences nearby. He finally located a grass fire, which was spreading rapidly tovard the barn in an unoccupied farmyard. With the help of one of his crew members, he bDeat out the flames and by the time help arrived had the fire under control. Many confirmations obtained by sampling elms removed within 25-foot radius of confirmed trees.—-Results obtained in Pernnsyl— vania from removal of elms within vie feet of original Duteh elm disease cases offer additional corroboration of the benefits of this practice. Some 20 oie eane oS ons have been obtained in the Allentown work area in this manner. In most cases ie orisinst suspect was removed as beetle material, and the removal of. the 25— foot—radius elms could not be considered at that time. Aftera confirmation was receivec, permission was obtained fer the cutting of nearby elms ang several other discased trees were found. In many instance oe. trees involved displayed no outward symptoms and very Little a ee was present. in some places confirma— tions were obta 1d oar racius by sampling all elms 13 iq) oO o' (e) ee oO B re Hh oy he in the seamie as te vicini ty the original D. 3. D. “In the Hacstou district, 6 elms that were Roe the 25—foot radius have so far been confirmed. All were tagged by sanitation workers while carry-~ ing out eae eee to remove these trees as elms near D. H. Dz Four of the 6 so removed showed extr emely few dying tips, while 2 showed none, and it is doubtful whether any apparent symptomatic wilt vas present when the scouts first inspected then. Beetle material left after lumbering in Berkshire County, Mass.——Beetle-material scouts in Massachusetts located an area of about 50 acres which had Deen cut over in connection with lumber-— ing operations. Approximately 100 elms have been cut for lumber or damaged in the process. The elms cut are sawed into 2-inch by 6-inch timbers which, it is reported, are to be used for the crating and shipping of defense machinery built by a manufacturer in Pittsfield. The operation was started carly in the fall and is still going on. The material first cut is heavily infested with Scolytus, and that cut at a later date is still potential beetle material. The bectle aie Material in this area is almost as great as the total amount tagged in other parts of the area to date. It is believed that the Scolytus found in this area are the first to be found in Lenox Township. This discovery is not surprising as Scolytus has been found in nearly all of the adjoining townships. The county of Berkshire has large stands of white pine, and defense needs have increased the cutting of large amounts of this timber. In nearly every instance some elm is cut or damaged in the process. Seven of tnese areas have been found to date and they are an important source of beetle material. Cooperation of property owners in Connecticut.-—-Through contact with the Connecticut Experiment Station, R. J. Benham, of Washington, Conn., learned that this project would remove and burn beetle-—infested elm material, so he wrate the district super— visor asking that he inspect a tree on the Congregational Church property in Washington. The Experiment Station had notified him that 1% vas bectle-infested and should be removed. It was a large anc difficult topping job, and with the pressnt scarcity of eapable toppers in the district, it would have been an extremely difficult undertaking. Mr. Benham agreed to have the tree topped by a com 1ercial tree company, and also made all arrangements necessary for acquiring a burning location from a local selectman. Permission was also obtained for the removal of freshly cut elm wood nearby, it is believed that Mr. Benham's active participation in the prob— lem gave him a greater interest in the Dutcn elm disease eradica~— tion project than if this project had taken over the entire job. Opening of hunting season necessitates care in placing men.— With the opening of the small—zame season in Pennsylvania on Novem ber 1, a large number of gunners were afield. Although some of the crews were scouting in areas well stocked with various kinds of small game, the shooting caused the men no inconvenience and there Was no reason for removing the crews from these areas; however, when the Dear and deer scason opened the latter part of the month, crews were removed to safer areas. The possibility of being nis~ taxen for a decr or bear is too great; then, there is always the chance of being struck by a stray high-powered—-rifle bullet. A crew assigned to scout for beetle material in a large special prob-— jem swamp in the Hast Stroudsburg district of Pennsylvania ran into a bear and they all made for trees. One or two men who could not Climb in training were able to make the grade wnder these circum stances. Nursery cooperates by advising location of slash.—One of the local nurseries is wholeheartedly cooperating in the attempt HOerree the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., district of clm slash, which in the past has been found in large quantitics and which in many cases has attracted large numbers of beetles. The nursery is engazed in clear— ing electric light and telephone wires in the city of Wilkes-Barre, the city of Nanticoke, and in the borough of Plymouth. During the course of this work they naturally cut considerable elm slash large enough to harbdcr beetle infestation. They keep the district office —6— a informed as to where the brush and limbs are taken, affording the opportunity of seeing that it is completely burned by the dump attendants or by our ovm crews. Heavy beetle infestation in beaver swamp.--A large crew has been engaged in removing infested trees from a beaver~flooded swamp in the town of Washington, Dutchess County, N. Y. This work progressed rather slowly because of the deep water which covers most of the area. Beetles are extremely abundant in the trees being removed, Scolytus galleries predominating. Adults of Hylurgopinus were observed hibernating in the outer bark of some of the trees. A quantity of this material was collected for use of the Morristown forest—insect laboratory. As an indication of the density of the beetle population in this swamp, it was ob-— served that the woodpeckers waddle rather than fly from tree to tree. Ohio forest ranger approves burning methods,——The ranger of the State Forest at Zaleski, Ohio, made an inspection tour of the burning operetions within forest lands in the Athens, Ohio, Dutch elm disease vork area. He expressed his complete satisfaction with the methods of ourning used on the project, especially the pre— cautions exercised in presuppression work before fires are set. He was in full accord with the manner in which fires were safeguarded for the night, which consists of covering over the burning piles or ashes with a thick layer of earth. Trees have place in wer spheres.--The following news item appearei in tne Stamford, Conn., Advocate of November 4: "The slogan, ~Loughboy, spare that tree!' may gain currency in the army if the advice of a Stamford tree expert is followed. In a letter to Secretary of War Stimson, F. A. Bartlett urged better protection of trees around army camps and airports for camouflage purposes. Reports from the Huropean battle fronts, he said, indicate that high-speed cameras have exposed camouflage with fake trees and paint." Interesting removal in Pennsylvania.—-An interesting D. HE. D. tree was removed in the Philadelphia district of Pennsylvania the first week of the month. It was a blown—over tree and color was found where the beetles had attacked it. This proved to be Cerato— stomella ulmi, and when the tree was cut it was found that the coler had penetrated to the stump. The tree stood on the bank of a wet— weather stream. When the top was removed, the trunk and stump assumed an upright position and the trunk section had to be felled in the regular way. Tree-surgery company cooperates.-—-lir. Sandt, a representative of a tree-surgery company, visited the East Stroudsburg district office of Pennsylvania and advised that he nad a crew on line= clearance work for a power and light company and was conducting opera— tions along the Delaware River and west to Log Taverns Ponds. He agreed to notify the district office of any elm material left over 3 inches in diamoter. 25: Scolytus found enterins green wood.—Hecent observations in the southern part of Delaware Countr, Pa., indicate that Scolytus multistriatus harem has again been attempting to enter green elm wood. Property owner hires crew.—Three men in Columbia County, No Yo, did such a good job of removing a tree on ae property that the ovmer hired them to take dovm another tree on one of their days off duty. Speedy Bureau action authorizes reshipment of out-of—area elms.—-Information was received on November 7 = om a nursery lo- cated in the New Jersey Dutch elm disease regulated area, to the effect that they had an order for some elm trees to be delivered to a mumoder of defense-housing projects in adjoining States out— Side tne infected zone. They wished to purchase these trees in nonquarantined sections, bring them to their nursery, and ship them tc the destination points along with items other than axret Under proper safeguards there woulc be no hazard involved i handling elns from noninfected points when they are both received and reshipped during the dormant season cf the insects that spread the disease. Observations of the Division of pene insect Inves- tigations at the Morristowm, N. J., lsboratory show that the ine sect vectors of the disease fungus may come to nursery paces to feed and to hibernate any time between April 15: and Octo! Accordingly, such receipt and reshipnent night be permit ot with safety between November 1 and March 31. Re coseer anions for the ee of administrative instructions to authorize reshipments © this nature were forwarded to Dr. Annand on November 5, and he ie (Ac administrative instructions as B. HE. P. @. 51/7 on Noven— ber &,.effective November 10. A forn of identifying tag to cover these reshipnents was devised and the nursery made their first re- shipment under this authorization on Noverbsr 24. There is a Japanese beetle inspector, on full-time assignnent at this nursery, so that the matter of recsipt and segregadon of the trees was under constant observation. This inspector also issued the tags at the tines of reshipment. The reshipped trees had been received fron a firm in’ lowa. Difficulty in obtaining temporary inspectors.—-Cometent, tenporery AED EC SOLS such as are usually available in the New England States during the Christmas—tree— and. greenery—cutting --season, have been ane st unobtainable this year, owing to the Graft and the demands for defense workers. The sane difficulty was experienced in obtaining men for the seasonal nursery~- and sreenhouse—inspection work in the large Connecticut nurseries. In both instances it was necessary to employ some inspectors with lit-— tle or no previous gypsy woth experience after a short period of schooling. .- Men who returned to the Bloonfield, N. J., headquarters from Japanese beetle soil—trenting work. in North Carolina and Ohio were innediately reassigned to the Christnaswinspection activities. Ordinarily these nen would have been loaned to the Division of Do- Nestic Quarantines for transit-inspection work during the heavy =0=. movenent of Christmas ornamentals. Bec railroad strike in Noveribe on cutters int: | their efforts to get their shipments off early. nstances it vas necessary to employ some men in Hew Jersey and send them to New Hngland on a temporary assignment. Nurserios aid greenhouses are experiencing the same problen in obtaining helps Some of the es— tablishments in the Philadelphia area were reported as unable to isk Wie opeaz orcers r this reason. In Nez Jersey a number of nurserynen have offered to employ their help during the winter ionths, if they agree to stay until the end of May. in sone in-— stances wages have increasea as much as $1 a day. use of the threat of a In 7 nO) a it Heavily infested soil intercepted.—-Anong the interceptions at the ae beetle highway inspection station on U. 8S. Route ell at Sperryville, Va., was a truck containing about { + yard of soil, en route fron Arlington, Va., to Roanoke, Va., the latter a point some 1350 miles outsice the main regulated area. The nursery— Man had bsen Going sone landscaping at Arlington anc had loaded on his truck tke surplus dirt remaining on the ground after his plant— ings hac Deen completed. When informed of the quarantine, he in Mediately unloaded the soil and left it at the inspection station. seventy Popillia japonica larvae were removed fron the soil by screening prior to the usual funigation of confiscated soil. Beltinore office moved to Pikesville.-—The district Japanese beetle quarantine office previously located in room 306, Post Office Building, Baltinore, Mc., was moved late in Nevember to 2 Sherwood Avenue, Fikesville, Mc. The new quarters are in a one-story, con— crete—b ocx ance They are particularly satisfactory from the standpoint of light, office, garage, and parking space. The loca— Gp oO by] He Glca 16 DOFe, Ce neeatty situated for activities in this area, « The new office is a short distance south of Reute amet FOREST It HSHCT INVESTIGATIONS Pire reprocucticn weevil found on Sierra National Forest.— C. B. Hatton, of the forest—insect laboratory -at Berkeley, Calif., reports the discovery early in November of an outbreak of Cylin— drocopturus eatoni Buch. on the Harris Ranch burn,.Miami ranger ae Sierra National Forest... The cutbréeak -is°in a stand of reproduction-growing on the fertile slopes of a ridge southwest of Signal ye Lookout. The infestation extends cover an area of ap- proxinately 4,000 acres, which was naturally restocked with ponde— rosa Aine Sh aes following the fire that burned off the original stand of tinber in 1934. It is estinated that between 25 and LO percent cf the pine on the burn has been killed. The appearance of the weevil—infested reproduction resenbles the damage light ground fires sonetines cause to similar stands. Many trees are dead, hav— ing brown needles, while others are sickly and yellow. The nortal— ity is not confinec to individual trees scattered throughout the dense brush (Ceanothus spp. ), which forns a major part of the cover, but it occurs in the patches of pure—pine reproduction spotted over the aren, and in the scattered pine seedlings growing in the. open over bear clover. By far the greater part of the danage has occurred i within the last 2 years; however, there are remnants of trees infested earlier, and probably there has been an endemic infestation for some time, The insect is now in the larval stage, and a large potential population of weevils is present. This is the first occasion in which the pine reproduc-— tion weevil has been found to be causing economic damage in naturally es- tadlished stands. Hitherto, it has only been know to be injurious to planted stock in the brush fields of northeastern California. Infestation of Cacoecia conflictana in northern New Mexico.—-An aspen leaf roller, which nas caused severe defoliation of aspen on the Rio Pueblo drainage southeast of the Anzgostura Camp Ground, on the Carson National For-— est in northern New Mexico, has been determined by J. F. G. Clarke as Ca~ coecia conflictana (Walk.). According to observations made byes De Wygant, Berkeley, from August 25 to 29, the infestation occurs at elevations of about 10,000 feet, and 2,0CO acres or more have been heavily defoliated. Light damage to aspen was also observed in other areas on the Carson and Santa Fe ‘Paes Forests in northern New Mexico. Previous records indicate that this inscct is widely distributed from Maine to Utah and northward to Labrador ie Alasxa. At the time of the examination the insect was in the egg and beac hatched larval stages. The eggs are laid in flat masses, leaf— green in color, on the leaves and trunks of aspen. The larvae apparently feed on the leaves for a short time and then go to tne ground for hibernation. The heavy defoliation occurs in tre spring, when tne larvae curl the leaves into trumpet--shaped rolis. When the nae was first observed by David 0. BCOtt, Gistrict ranger on tne Carson National Forest, on a iL 2b ease the last-instar and piadall stages. Mr. at observed that the general emer- gence of the moths in the field was from about July 20 to aaiiguut August 10, An ichneumonid parasite, Eerpestonus hariolus (Cress.), was reared by hin from both C. conflictana on aspen and C. fumiferana (Clem. ) on white fir. Tent caterpillar defoliates aspen in northern New Mexico.—The tent caterpillar Melacosona, probably fragilis Stretch, defolinted about 4,000 acres of aspen = the Big Tesuque Creek Basin northeast of Santa Fe on the wanta Fe Naticnal Forest and about 25,000 acres northwest of Taos on the Car-— son Nationai Forest in New Mexico during June and July, according to Mr. Wy2ant, who examined the area in the latter part of August. The infestation on the Big Tesuque Creek Basin received considerable attention by the press in New Mexico, leading people to believe that mich of the aspen would be killed unless control is brought eueubs The aspen, much of which is 3 to 6 inches d. b. h. and 20 to 40 feet high, has little commercial value, but is highly prized by the natives for its scenic, recreational, and watershed- protection values. According to the Forest Service personnel, the insect has been widespread in the aspen in New ees and Arizona for years, with the worst epidemic years probably 1933-55. The heavy epidemic centers seem to shift from year to year, indicating that its natural control factors build up locally and bring about-its control. Several consecutive years of defoli- ation are necessary to kill the trees on ie usual sites, therefore little Mortality of the trees has resulted. On the pocrer sites the trees succumb te the effects of defoliation more racers and mortality has been considerable in such small local spots. Heavy infestation of Jeffrey pine cone moth in northeastern California.— Heavy damage to the 1940-41 Jeffrey pine cone crop was reportéd to P. C. John son by officials of the Modoc National Forest, during the annual forest—insect SD. survey of this area early in October. An examination of Jeffrey pine stands in the Big Valley ranger district revealed a widely distributed infestation of cone moths, subsequently Getermined as hasoeryresia toreuta Grote. Preliminary field counts of cones showed a heavy inciad S of attack and several sacks were collected from trees and shipped to the Berkeley laboratory. An examina- tion of ‘thistmaterial by Joh. Pattersonnon Oct pillars and pupae in the axial region of the cone. Out of a total of 15,2 seeds, 35.5 percent had oee8 destroyed by the young caterpillars; however, 90 percent of the cones were infested. This checked to some extent with records of the Durbin Nursery at are alif., where 200 sacks of seed from the i¢)) fas a Y same area yielded slightly less tnan 50 percent of the expected normal amount, The examination ee Berkeley further disclosed the presence of the following = 3 seer : ofl parasites and edators: visors have had to remain constantly cn the alert to inspect the smaller ons where the trees were Deing cut by the farmers. The op- permitted to cut boughs or trees in the inmediate vicinity of an infeste Machine ahich was opera oa for Ss s along the western border of Berkshire County, Mass., was recently transferred to Charlemont, in the eastern s::tion of the county. Arrangements were also made to transfer the other machine from Connecticut to ilassechusetts. The latter nachine has completed the dispesal of approxinatcly 1,200 piles, or about 600 cords, of brush accunlated in sone 35 acres of woodland found to be infested by the t fypsy moth during the past year. yosy moth work in Vernont.—-Six crews of sm@uts and one crew ‘ed Zypsy noth work in Verncnt during Novenber. Two of these crews Serena: scowls work in Lowell Township, Orleans County, where the prospect of completing the work in the most inaccessible areas before the ad= vent of severe winter conditions had appeared to be good. However, the resig= nation of “several W. P. A. oe reduced thése crews to such an extent that it is now very doubtful whether the scouting work in Lowell can be finished before the minor roads are blocked by snow. Another crew has found no evidence of the gypsy moth while scouting in Swanton Township, Franklin County, where woodland areas are relatively small and scattered. Three single= ege-cluster infestations were found and creosoted by two crews which have al= ready finished scouting a large portion of Middletown Springs Township, in Rutland County. No indication of gypsy moth infestation has been discovered by a crew scouting in Sudbury, Rutland County. The crew of laborers was en= gaged in chopping dead end worthless trees and creosoting egg clusters ata woodland infestation in Woodford, Bennington County. Scouting conditions were generally good during November, although ee ime was lost because of storny weather during the first part of the nonth. A finch snowfall in Lowell Towme- ship caused no serious interruption in gypsy moth work. Unseasonably warn tele§ % peratures and drying winds caused the forest litter to dry ranidly and again ~15- produced dangerous fire conditions during the latter part of November. The fypsy moth crews were detailed to work in open country in the vicinity of settlements, and in other localities not likely to be frequented by hunters during the deer—hunting season, which comprised the last week in November. W. P. A. gypsy moth work in Massachusetts.—--At the beginning of Noven- ber 9 W. F. A. crews were engaged in scouting for the zypsy moth in the towm- ships of Hinsdale, Mount Washington, Richmond, Savoy, Washington, West Stock- bridge, and Windsor, in Berkshire County, and in Blandford Towmship, Hampden County. Numerous small scattered infestatims were discovered in each of these towns. In addition to the scouting, considerable treatment work at in- fested locations was performed by 10 crews of laborers in the townships of Alford, Lanesboro, North Adams, Peru, Richmond, and West Stockbridge, all in Berkshire County. The work of the laborers consists chiefly of rough creosot= ing of ege clusters;cutting dead, defective, and otherwise worthless trees; and piling the resultant brush and limb wood for disposal by burning or by Means of ths brush—disposal machines. The crews engaged in thinning and ground work at a gypsy moth infestation in Richmond Township have already ac— eomplished much treatment work, including the creosoting of large numbers of ege clusters in tne mest heavily infested spots scattered through the wood-— land area. As usuel, these spots of heavy infestation are found in areas where the tree growth is composed of species most favored as food by the gypsy moth. So far’as ssible the favored species, such as poplar, gray birch, and oak, are being removed. | 5g O W. P. A. gypsy mth work in Connecticut.—Of the 4 W. P. A. gypsy moth scouting crews working in Connecticut at the beginning of November, three were scouting in Litchfield and Salisbury Townships, in Litchfield County, and the cther vas working in Southbury Township, New Haven County. All scout— ing work planned for Litchfield Towmship was completed by the middle of Novem- ber, and the crew was assigned to scout in the vicinity of infestations lo- eated during the last fiscal year in the neighboring town of Cornwall. A few scattered infestations were found in each of these towns. A crew of laborers was detailed to treatment work at a gyrosy motn infestation in Litchfield Town- ship during tne month. As a result of a cooperative arrangement with the State of Connecticut, one State crew was assigned to ecouting work in Kent Township, Litchficia County. Considerable difficulty has developed in con-— nection with the transportation of W. P. A. workers, particularly in Connecti-_ eut and Massachusetts, because age or physical infirmity renders many of the Men assigned tc gypsy moth work unfit to operate Government—owned vehicles. In some sections it has been necessary to assign regular employees to the task of transporting W. P. A, crews te and from work daily. W. P. A. gypsy moth work in Pernsylvania.—-The number of W. P. A. em ployees engaged in gypsy motn work in Pennsylvania remained fairly stable dur-—- ing November, ranging from a high of 630 to slightly less than 600. falas force was divided into 42 crews of scouts and 12 crews of laborers. Fourteen of these scouting crews end 4 crews of laborers were assigned to work in Lu- gerne County, & scouting crews and 5 crews of laborers to work in Lackawanna County, & scouting crews and 4 crews of laborers to work in Wayne County, and 2 scouting crews to work in Carbon County. In addition, 4 crews of N. Y. A. enrollees performed scouting work in Luzerne County. Several of the crews in the Pennsylvania area were engaged in scouting wood lots found to be infested in previous years, and which were subsequently thinned and cleaned of ground 6. debris. Work in such locations progresses more rapidly than in the aver-— age woodland, where many egz clusters are deposited in concealed locations in dead or defective trees, in thickets, and on all types of ground litter. Much treatment work was done at gypsy moth infestations in Sov ath Canaan and Salem, in Wayne County, where it was necessary to tear down numerous stone walls, creosote the egg clusters, and rebuild the walls. Selective thinning operations were also conducted at these infesta LO About 15,000 gypsy moth eg lusters were eesbae’ at the center of the South Canaan in— festation. Th ee limits of these infestations, iachearsa by the ab= sence of egg ciastoee. were located meaae in November. Close scouting werk around an infestation e County, indicated that cnly a small area is affected, is believed that this ae can be exterminated without difficulty. . Scouting work a j here a male gyosy moth was re-— Ss e B 08 Le s herry Bi covered at an assembling cage in Cherry Ridge, Wayne County, was completed .in November. No indication of the presence of the gypsy moth was found. ] y 3 ) 2) wa, O a) ia?) Ou 31} Bureav-—: sored W. P. A. project for North Dakota.—Presidential is tes Semrenber 29, 1941, approved a Bureau—svonsored W. P. A. e Darberry—-eradication project, which was started November 5 in ty. Work will also be carried o lette State—w ippren=-Cou Ve O d on in Logan and McIntosh Counties, which are in the sate WW. P. A. unit and district as Emmons. At present the assigned personnel consists of 1 nonrelief superintendent ana 19 relief la— borers, including 4 foremen. State, district, and local W. P. A. officials busines i in which as well as 2 and cooperation in oe ab + — operati NS ane — - barberry eradication. Barberry bushes found in Big Fork area of Montana.-——Work under the re-= cently approved State W. P. A, project was started in the Big Fork area on a narrow strip of land, much of which is low anc swampy, at the north edge of Flathead Lake. In this area 18 escaped bushes were located, ranging in n 6) height from this small tra i o * a) = . 3 . 6- and &-foot fruiting bushes. Upon completion of ct; r as Bagger and, by: the cle ™ Le to wooded areas along the Flathead d fe Ae November, & additional i h e s x 2 se of bushes hed bsen found, mostly large and fruit-bearing. In this area some of the most suspected terrain has not vet been worked; however, preliminary reconnaissance in this locality already had revealed 1 location of = Nescapes! including fruiting bushes, and 2 other locations of large, individual fruiting bar= berries. 4t. this time 45 relief laborers and 1 Se: superintendent are assigned to the project. As is the case elsewhere, it is necessary to take assignments of a number of older men, several of whom are from 60 to 65 years of age. The average age of relief laborers now on the project in Flathead County is 5l years. Barberry-eradic ai en activities in Nebraska.——During the current fis-— cal year inspection ews have been established in various counties in Ne— braska. At prese satel seven crews are operating in the northern Nebraska counties and four are working the southern-unit. As workers become ayail— as able additional crews will be added in the southern counties. With the tate enjoying one of the most favorable crop—production years in nearly a decade, plus the stimulus of defense activity, procurement of efficient la= bor under current limitations proved to be a difficult problem. All of the Sip certified skilled workers employed-on the Nebraska project entered pri-~ vate employment with the approach of ths harvest season. With the ex- ception of three foremen who later returned to le px ojects all have con- binned: in the status-of EEENEEE employment. isd eadaa to orew men.—-inthusiastic reports have been received con- ~cerning:a séries of memoranda: prepared and distributed in Massachusetts pomcmyear by! C, OC, Perry, State Meader, for the information. of the field men engaged in the actual eradication of Ribes. During the 1941 field *season 14 memoranda were issued; that is, 1 approximately every 2 weeks. These brief statements were designed to give emphasis to important points involved in the field work and to acquaint. the workers with different phases of the entire control program so as to stimulate their interest, and psychologically they seem to have a very helpful effect in that. the system serves to tie the individual field man into the general control set- wp. The 1941 series of memoranda were titled as follows: (1) The Blister Rust Control Grew es a Unit; (2) Searching for slalioens (3) Favored Locations for Ribes Growth; (4) Uprooting and Disposal of Ribes; (5) Making and Fol- ‘lowing "The Line:" (6) Miscellaneous Weaknesses in Control Work; (7) Blister n\. Rust Kills White Pines of All Sizes; (8) The Eradication of Ribes is Hf pceomi ve invithe, Controle Biliister Rust: (9 ) Annual: Examinations ons Not Needed to Maintain Control of Blister Rust; (10)° Blister Rust Quiz—-Questions; (11) Blister Rust Quiz—-Answers; (12) Blister Rust Cankers on White Pine Persist after Ribes—HEradication Work; (13) Why Blister Rust Control is Im portant in the Econonic System; and ares Paani Yousron Your hffortse: -lhe final memorandum was mailed direct Com Laborer il and nonrelief). if contained a brief word of recogniti wal worker in the control program. from "the office" seemed to be especi @ ft AGW wins .wlaals is ha came direct = + u Blister rust display.--C. C. Pay ry also reports that he assisted Dis— trict Leader William Clave witn a blister rust display at the second annual Worcester County Conservation Congress and Exposition, held cooperatively by the biological department of Clark ¢ University. and the Worcester Museum of Natural History. The display was a duplicate of the one recently staged by Distvict Leader R.-H. Wheeler at the Eastern States Hxoosition, which proved to be very successful. David Potter, director of the Museum of Natural History, saw the original display at Sp oo eld and was so im pressed by it that he requested District Leader Clave to abandon anothe! display he had been planning and to duplicate the one at Springfield.. Mr. Perry has been requested to transfer the. central panel of this display to the Worcestcr Museum of Natural History to de used as a part.of. their col— lection of aids to visual education in Teriae history. Data on white pine.—-The following, Laiteres from.a list published in the July issue of Northern Region News, region 1, Forest Service, are a few facts on the importance of western white pine in the Northwestern regions "iiore than a million matches can be made from an average Idaho white pine tree. In order to supply the demand for matches made from Idaho. white pine, about 14,000 acres mist be logged annually. The manufacture of a million feet of finished pine lumber provides employment: for 13 men for the greater part of a*year. In 1939, 7/7 percent of the lumber cut: in the Northern Rocky Mountain region was Idaho white pine and ponderosa pine, compared with 65 percent in 1929 and 54 percent in 1919. Less than one-third of the merchantable 1S fey S = at -18- a timber remaining in Montana and. north Idaho is white pine or ponderosa " pines Development and use of Ribes-eradication tools.--H. R. Offord, of the Berkeley, Calif., office, reports that the two-pronged Rives peavey and the hydraulic Ribes jack wre tested cn a number of KR. roezli plants. The two-pronged peavey avey has proved to be an excellent tool for auxiliary clean up work in areas where the power methods are being used. It-is planned to make several more tools of this same design this winter. The hydraulic jack works effectively but appears to have no practical place in R. roezli eradication that cannot be taken care of as well or better by other tools and methods. The special problem which has been kept in mind in the de— velopment of the Ribes jack has been the eradication of large R. nevadense in stony ground, of which the Yosemite National Park has a considerable anount, where the draws are too narrow and steep to operate a tractor and where dynamite cannot be safely used because of stony soil and absence of trees or stumps for protection of the workers. Inspect on 0: of pine and Ribes in the High Sierra country.--W. V. Bene dict tide -a tfip -in the High Sierra country of, Yosenite’ Park thilg) aise gend company with Park Superintendent Frank Kittredge and members of his staff. The party examined principally the high country in the upper basin of the south Fork of the Merced River, along the boundary of the park as it ad joins the Sicrra Forest. They noted a-.general distribution of both Pinus albicaulis and P. monticola in the high country, but in no locality did these 5-needle pines occur in sufficient number to be considered as blis~ ter rust control units at present. Ribes montigenum, R. viscosissimum, and RK. cereum wer e observed, and frequent inspections of the first two species were made to Cetermine whether or not either blister rust or pinyon rust was present. Ne infections were found. COTTON INSECT INVESTIGATIONS Division conference.—--The. Division of Cotton Insect Investigations held a conference at the Delta Branch of the Mississippi Agricultural Ex periment Station, Stoneville, Miss., on December 10, 11, and le. Repre-— sentatives from all the field laboratories and the Washington office were in attendance. In discussing past and future investigations, the 19 di- visional workers in attendance had the vbenefit of comments and suggestions from F. C. Bishopp, assistant chief of Bureau; C. M. Smith, of the Division of Insecticide Investigations: F. M. Wadley, statistical consultant of the Bureau; H. C. McNamara and others, of the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Delta Branch Experiment Station; Clay Lyle and A. L. Hamner, of the Mis-— sissippi Experiment Station; J. C, Gaines, of the Texas Experiment Station; Dwight Isely and W. R. Horsfall, of the Arkansas Experiment Stations; and others. Results reported regarding investigations of the boll weevil and cotton aphid and their control suggested several changes in Bureau recon— mendations, as follows: (1) The making of boll weevil infestation counts may be simplified. The grower who wishes to determine the percentage of Squares infested simply walks across his field, picking cotton squares at intervals until 100 squares are collected, taking care that the squares are collected in about equal numbers from the bottom, middle, and top branches of the cotton plants. These 100 squares are carefully examined and the number punctured by boll weevils is the percentage of infestation. =o (2) Instead of the former recommendation that dusting with calcium arsenate be started when 10 percent of the squares are infested, the studies indi- ®aued that ian fields with fertile soils and plenty of moisture, where the cotton grows rank and continues fruiting until late in the season, it is not profitable to begin dusting watil from 25 to 30 percent of the squares are infestéds; in rg where, because of low soil fertility, insufficient moisture, determinate growth of plants, or other factors, the plants do not grow rank and stop Ponies early, it is recommended that dusting begin when trom 20 to 15 percent of the squares are infested. In areas where Doll weevil damage is. serious the growers are advised not to plant cotton in ficlds that cannot de expected to Se at- least one-third of a bale if the weevil is controlled. (3) To prevent losses from the cotton aphid following the use of calcium arsenate for tho control of the boll weevil, it was decided that the safest recommendation is the addition of 2=percent nicotine to the calcium arsenate for each alternate Gusting. Investigations will be continued with Os5 percent rotenone in each application that gave promising results in 1939 and 1940 byt cnly fair results in 1941. Boll weevil conference called fo : call from agricultural offic: als in the Sovtneastern States i a full qneey gion of vVaricus phases of the boll weevil prol of Bureau, ba b> ct + ss) ah) rs (ap 3 l i - 1) bk oO n Lo} (e) b r dp} 4) ct O 1) blem, P. N. Annand, chie M. Le. Wilson, director of extension work, and James T. ween tee chief of the Office of Experiment Stations and director of research, invited many State and Federal azencics to participate in a conierence to be held in Atlanta, Ga., on January & and 9. The agencies requested to send representatives to this conference were the experiment staticns, extension departments, agri- cultural colleges, departments of agriculture and other State agricultural officials in the eight Southeastern States-—-Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mis-— sissippi, North Carclina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. iInvita-— tions to partic peeve were eaiso sent to the following agencies in this Depart— ment; Agricultural Adjustment Administration, Bureau of Agricultural Chem istry and eae 1E 5 ee of Agricultural Hceonomics, Agricultural Market— ing Service, Farm Credit Administration, Farm Security Administration, Fed eral Crop Insvrance Corporation, Forest Service, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Soil Conservation Service. yhid control on ee eal exe eriment.—--Experiment mloying factorial designs were again conducted in 194i at Florence, S. 6., Gainesville, Fla., Tallulah, Lae, and College Sta- tion, Tex., to determine the comparative effect on infestction and yield of treatment with calcium arsenate dust for boll weevil control, with nicotine dust or spray for aphid control, and a combination of the two treatments. Small plots, ranging in size from 1/20 to 1/4 acre, arranged in randomized blocks, were used. The results at the different localities have been sum— Marized by R. C. Gaines as follows: The combined records for all localities show that the treatment-—locality interaction was highly significant, indicat~ ing as in 1940, that the differential response to treatments at the various localities may be attributed to the combination of infestations which pre— vailed Guring the course of each experiment. At Florence there was a heavy boll weevil infestation and an extremely light infestation of aphids. At Gainesville there was a very light infestation of weevils and a heavy aphid infestation. At Tallulah there was a heavy infestation of both weevils and aphids, and at College Station the boll weevil infestation was intermediate and the aphid infestation light. Average records of the boll weevil factori iiEweec puos DOL weevil and cotton & er —20— infestations, aphid populétions, and = yields at all localities are showm in the following table. sBoll weevil-: Aphids : Yield Treatment > punctured iper square: per bane: 3; squares 2 Sees > acre > Percent : Number : Pounds Check—---——-—--—-—-—-~—--—_-__————- --------- : 5 tc 2 Ne aia meta Calcium arsenate—-------------~--------- : 18 3) 22a5lL- (near vulgaris (Ashm.)) was continued. The Microbracon larvae were placed in cold storese. C. pectinophorae will be carried over winter by continuous breeding on the Mediterranean flour moth. Material for a. pare asite hibernation test was collected from a field in which Chelonus black. burni ad and C. pectinophorae had been released during the summer. Ap— proximately 4,500 bolls were collected and placed in hibernation cages on November 13. PINK BOLLWORM AND THURBERIA WEEVIL CONTROL Gin-trash inspection.—-During the month inspection of gin trash was con= tinued in Arizona in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Counties, and 264 additional specimens of the pink bollworm were found in the vicinity of Glendale, Marie copa County, bringing the season's total for that rather limited area to 701 specimens. No pink bollworms were found in any other part of the Salt River Valley, and results were negative for the season in Pima and Pinel Counties. Last year 2 pink bollworms were found in Pinal County. in the Pecos Valley of New Mexico inspection of 156 bushels of trash from Eddy County yielded 12 pink bollvorns. re about that same quantity of trash last year 266 pink bollworms weve taken. n Chaves County inspection of trash yielded 1 speci- men of the pink eer which is the first finding since the 1938 crop, when 3 larvae were found. In Luna County, N. Mex., 19 specimens of the pink bollworm were taken for the season through examination of about 9 bushels of trash. In the Texas Panhandle regulated area larger quantities of trash rere examined than for several years past, but the only pink bollworms found were in Terry County, where 2 specimens were taken. These were the first pink bollworms taken from that county since 1938. Last season very light in- festations were found in that area in Howard, Martin, and Midland Counties. Outside of regulated areas, inspection was performed in the San Joaquin Val~= ley and Riverside County, Calif., with negative results as to pink bollworm infestation. Some inspection was also done at Mexicali, Baja California, ele Mexico, with negative results. Inspection of a considerable quantity of trash in Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico,gave negative results as to pink boll- worm infestation. Inspection of trash in the Juarez Valley of Mexico showed several rather heavily infested spots. Gin trash inspection of the 1941 cotton crop was brought to a close at the end of November. As a re~ sult of the season's inspection, no new areas were found infested with the pink bollworm, and in a considerable number of counties found infested last year results were negative for the 1941 crop. Stalk destruction.--Climatic conditions in south Texas are conducive to the growth and fruiting of the cotton plant throughout the year. Con- sequently, in combating the pink bollworm in that region it is necessary to create an off—cotton—growing season by destroying the stalks as soon as the crop is picked out, and, in order to Maintain this condition, all sprout or stub cotton that develops prior to the fruiting of the subsequent planted crop must be destroyed. On account of extremely unfavorable con-— ditions over a period of several months farmers were unable to comly with the State regulation requiring the completion of stalk destruction in Octo-— ber, and extcnsions were granted to permit completion of harvesting. Fairly good progress was made with stalk destruction in November, although rains interfered with all field activities in most areas. Of the 206,700 acres planted to cotton in the counties comprising the Coastal Bend district, stalks had been either cut or plowed on 204,295 acres at the end of Novem- ber, leaving 2,402 acres of standing stalks. In the lower Rio Grande Valley counties of Cameron, Hidelgo, Starr, and Willacy, comprising 235,100 acres of cotton, only 755 acres of stalks remained standing at the end of Novem~ ber, 395 acres of this being in the area flooded by high waters from the Rio Grande ard a little over a hundred acres is abandoned acreage. Also, during the iacnth, fields were being systematically checked for standing random stalis or sprout cotton, and gruobing crews were operating in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties in an effort to destroy all plants that might furnish material for duild-up of infestation, In many instances farmers are cooperating by replowing fields where stalks make grubbing impracticable. At the end of November grubbing crews had removed scattered stalks or sprout plants from 45,393 acres. Wild cotton eradication.—-Wild cotton eradication work for the present season began during the first half of October with a small number of W. P. A. workers. At the beginning of November, 65 workers had been assigned and by the close of the month the number had been increased to 88. The increase in number of workers was reflected in the increase in acres covered and plants destroyed. A total of 3,033 acres was covered, from which 89,230 plants were removed. It is encouraging to note that only 65 of these plants were far enough developed to produce fruit. At the close of November the first clean-up for the season had been completed on Long Key and the Mate— cumbes in the Keys subdistrict, and most of Key Largo had been covered, and work was in progress in the Marathon and Key West sections and along the west coast of Florida. The first clean-up for the season in Florida Bay and along the Dade County mainland east of Cape Sable was started about the middle of the month. TRUCK CROP AND GARDEN INSECT INVESTIGATIONS Carbon disulfide treatment effective against wireworms.—A marked re~ duction of wireworms in shade-grown tobacco plots treated with carbon disulfide — 292. was noted by A.W. Morrill, Jr., of the Windsor, Conn., laboratory, ‘during a small-scale experiment in which the effects: of carbon disulfide treat- ment were compared with those of deep plowing and of no control. A total of 36 plots, each containing 1/40 acre, were arranged in randomized blocks _and each treatment was replicated 12 times. The carbon disulfide was ap—- plied, in holes made in the soil, at tne rate of 1 ounce every 15 linear inches, or a total of 30.25 pints per plot. The population of wireworms, as revealed by un examination of U4 1 /l-square-foot samples taken at random at the rate of 12 per plot, showed a highly sigwificant reduction of 90.47 percent in the plots treated with carbon disulfide, as compared to 40.5 per— cent in the untreated plots. The reductions occurred during a week of un=— usually hot weather with no precipitation, characteristic of much of the season. This condition of high temperature and low moisture in the soil, — while ideal for the use of carbon disulfide, is unfavorable for recovering wireworms for comparison. Results on effect of plowing cannot be determined until spring. The difference between Lee eee in areas receiving various control treatments appears less marked when the general population is small than when it =s relatively large. The principal species of wireworms in-= volved in these tests was Limonius agonus (Say), referred to in many publi« cations as the eastern field wireworm, in synonymy with L. ectypus (Say). It is now believec that the former species is the predominant one in this region since no specimen of L. ectypus (Say) have been recovered in tobacco er potato fields. | Sa Bess lL, l~dichloro—l-nitroethane.--R. W. Brubaker and W. D. Reed, of the Richmond, Vos a laborat ry, report that high mortality of the larvae of the cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne (F.)) was ob- tained in the fumigation of baled tobacco at reduced pressure with 1, 1i~dichloro-1-“itroethane, Six replications each were conducted with bales of imported JAPANESE ‘BEETLE “CONTROL Infestations in Gh, Slide opie cpabs ne the. month .76 gypsy sraead egg clusters and 1 brovm-tail meth weobing were removed from pees eek 2 for gypsy moth inspection anc certification. This material was destined t points in Minnesota, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Avena, Tilinois, eomne et eut, eae New Jersey, and Porns syivania. a i ie a Loy Christx: as-preenery. dGesceren eoMave than 20 tons cf balsam boughs were inspected at Arlington, Mase., for making wreaths: and table pieces to be. shippéd outside the gypsy moth area. Christmas-tree inspection in the Green- field; Mass., area Was~greatly lane Saree Report.on elm hanger study ané re cule bark beetle attack concluded .—— On December 2 Ry J’ Kowal, Morristown, .N. J.; completed the examination of 124 hangers” arid: 35 henger ee for attack'of elm bark beetles and the Dutch elm Gisease fungus. This study was begun in June 1940 in an effort. ta.determine the importance of wind— and ice-damaged limbs. insofar as they furnish breed- ing material for the principal insect vectors of the Dutch ¢lm disease funcus, namely, Scolytus multistriatus Marsh. and Hylurgopinus rufipes (Hich.). - Atten- tion was aiso given to the possibility of the fungus being introcuced into elm trees directly by beetles attacking the hanger and the remaining stub. -The results of the creation of hangers in all months of the year shcwed that no attack by S. multistriatus would be expected in limbs felled’ from October to February. “September hangers having no living attachment were in all cases attacked but the resulting progeny died in all cases. Attack and development were obtained in-hangers created from Merch to August, inclusive. S. Jd. Snucker,..of the Bureau of: Plant Incu ustry, examined the 35- ‘hanger stubs. Dis- colorsd streaks in the xylem, usually emanating from the cut end of the ‘stubs, were founc in approximately half of the 35 stubs. All discolored streaks were cultured. One discolorec streak 1+1/16 inch long anc 3/16 inch from the cead » portion yielded-Ceratcstomella ulmi Buisman. This streak appearec to have orig- inatec from a beetle attack, which scored the xylem. SB PRINy Hod ao as arasite of Neodiprion sertifer (Geoff.).--C. L. Griswold, Morristown, reports thet Microplectron fuscipennis Zett:, 4- European prepupal parasite of Gilvinia polytoma (Hte.) anc Neodiprion sertifer ’ (Geoff. ys - was originelly introduced into Canada anc New England to.assist in combating -G. polytoma.. With N. sertifer attainine outbreak” proportiens in New Jersey in. 1938 and 1939, liberations of this parasite were made in ‘several infested localities in June 1939. Establishment of this parasite was found to heve taken place in some of these infested ereas in- 1940, including an area at Lamington, N. J., where severe defoliation on red pine ‘occurrec sere since 1938. In December 1941°a search was mace at the Lamington, N. J., area for cocoons of N. sertifer for the purpose of cetermining whether or not are - introduced parasite of the sawfly had been established since its-liberaticon in -1940.. The search cisclose¢, thet a very large proportion of the sewfly coccons . found, both ol¢ anc new, had previously been attackee by. M..fuscipennis. An _ examination of the red pine: needles also revealed a very limited ege deposi- - tion by N. sertifer, forecasting a greatly. reduced infestation in 1942; for . which the repid oe and effectiveness cf M. fuscipennis is believec to be _ responsible. et ae '.; ..- Nursery elms snd their susceptibility to Hylurecpinus rufipes.--R. T. Webber, Morristown, reports that curing the period December 8-18, 1941, in- Clusive, 135 nursery elms located in 6: nurseries. in New Jerséy were examined for H. rufipes infsstation. This, examination was. mace for the purpose of ob- taining accitional data on the susceptibility of nursery elms to ettack by H. ~~“ rufipes; which-is.a carriér_of. the ‘Dutch elm Cisease fungus. These trees ranged from 1.0 to 6.0 inches in ia ameter, with an ‘average..of 2.7 inches. As *-a-result of this examination, it was found thet the elm-stock.in.3 of; the nurseries inspected showed conclusive proof of Hylurgopinus : attack. Moreover, in 2-of the 3 nurseries where an infestation existed, hibernating beetles were present in variable numbers. The data, arranged in tabular form, follows. So Diameter of trees e e e ° ~6 inches 2 :Trees with : : Bark cells : above - :evidence of: - ¢ occupied by ground 3 Trees :H. rufipes :H. rufipes:living adult (inches) :examined: attack :bark cells: H. rufipes ; Number : Number : Number ¢ Number 0.75 to 1.50----------------- ye 2 ; 2 = @) higS ist eo BNS Uae ates Sonne od nae Stent © : 28 5 B o5ld don dice ernment lt hd Bemable 5.5... pee ge Se A208 her GyOO2=e—estcoeoeseen) Vay aer pai ee 5 TOL, Geté AOE “gape! Spa the ge, Total------------------ in 15 ne 30 ¢... Lok H Bs Scolytus multistriatus prevalent in Ohio River Valley.--D. EK. Parker, of the Columbus, Ohio, forest-insect laboratory, reports that the smaller European elm bark beetle (S. multistristus) is becoming more prevalent in the watershed of the Ohio River, where the phloem necrosis- disease of elm-is ac- tive. The killing of elms by this virus disease supplies large amounts.of ‘breeding material suitable for Scolytus. S. multistriatus was first recorded in Columbus in 1939.in one section of the city. At present most of the trees killed by phloem necrosis in all sections of the city are very heavily in- fested. Other disease areas in Ohio and adjoining States present a similar situation. Western pine beetle survey finally completed.--According to F. P. Keen, Portland, Oreg., the annual pine beetle survey of Oregon and Washington, a “cooperative undertaking between the Forest Service, the Indian Service, and the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, was completed late in November. Curtailment of C. C. C. funds made it necessary to drop the training school, which heretofore had preceded thé survey work. Notwithstanding these diffi- culties; the crews covered 71,360 acres, a 0.65-percent survey of hohe ELS 000, O00-acre pine area in these two States. ee: Ips-caused te decreases on sia edgar National Forest.—-Ips—caused damaze to ponderosa pine reproduction following logging is being investigated © ““8by We de Buckhorn, of the Portland laboratory. He has found, from a study of the Wolf Creek logging aréa on the Ochoco National Forest, that. damage caused by Ips oregoni: (Eich.) oecurs almost entirely during the First year following logging. On cut-over areas subject to attack in 1941, approximately 3 percent of the residual reproduction was killed by I. oregoni. On similar cut-over areas subject to attack in 1939 and 1940 the losses caused by this insect were 7-and 10 percent, respectively. The lessening of current losses is attributed, at least in part, to increased tree vigor resulting from the abnormally heavy ae of 1941 (News Letter v. 8, No. 12, p. le, Dec. 1941). High commie’ e of cocoons of an imported pine sewfl remained in dia- - pause through 1941.--J. V. Schaffner, Jr., of the New Haven, Conn., laboratory, reports that the first.serious defoliation by the European sawfly Gilpinia frutetorum (F,):in New Englarid occurred in the fall of 1940 on a municipal watershed in. ‘Southington, Conn., where the defoliation of red pine trees on 5 “acres ranged ‘from 25 to 60 percent. The feeding in the fall of 1941 was fully =a _- asi severe. as.that in 19,0;."" Many ‘acres in nearby stands’ Are at’ present lightly _.. dnfested...In July 1941. the duff in a series of samples covering a total of Son: 528 square feet was examined with the following results: - Condition of cocoons - "| Se eeOoeoens ound ee 2 : : 7 ~ - Number:Percent From which adult .sawflies had emerged--~-----------===-----2 2,629: 21.2h Destroyed by mammals-------------------------------=-----=: §1,924:: 15.54 Destroyed by predaceous end scavenger insects------+--=-==; °1,293: 10.47 Destroyed by hymenopterous psrasites----------------------: 2,543: 20.54 Dead from unknown causes--------------------~----------~----; hs 3.62 Apparently ees wher COLL CCE 60m en Bw ee 28.59 Total (all conditions) found in semples ----------- i ea i ea Y55 all cocoons were collected, some of them were 2 or more years old. The 3,539 cocoons that appeared to be healthy were:immediately isolated in glass vials for rearing in the laboratory. Early in the winter all un- issued cocoons were dissected. a Ratoe se Rearing data :Number:Percent ae Adult sawflies emerced July-Senvtember----------: 1,860: 52.56 ¢. Coc@ms containing hymencoptsrous parasites-----; ._528: 14.92 Cocoons dead from unknown causes--------------~: ~ 386: 10.90 Cocoons 2live and in diapause, December 1941--=: 765: 21.62 A further analysis of the dsta shows that for the entire collection, -4,489 cocoons, or 36.27 percent, produced sawflies and 3,071, or 24.80 percent, were p*rasitized by Hymenoptera, 2,760 of these having been attacked by the European species Microplettron fuscipennis Zett. The outstanding: points of . these studies indicate that a high percentage of cocoons remained in diapause . through 1941 (21.62 percent based on field collections examined in the labora- tory). The importance of the multibrooded parasite M. fuscipennis is 2lso shown. . | | i va RL hae ie moth egg clusters in the ecological study areas.. The-insect has never been abundant in the general region of Eastfordc, although it was found there over 25. years ago. Outbreaks have. occurred in the other areas ‘represented. 1 ee Petershan, ’; Eastford, : Freetown, : : Alfred, Meine Winter - Conn. ; Massa °° Mass, ~.s Tract) 1D ey arae, 1h 2p phy 2 tavtt tenn see acres): :(80 acres):(120 acres): "4946= 37------====% + - “Fae bY a = lg" Ne ee '1937~38~--------- ¥ iii : 3/ 7008110 : S55 ry === Ree ; /-1938-39~------- == OF > 126 : . 250750 : 900*450 +: 3,1002370 1939-40---------=: | Fe) Munsenianee Nessal e = 545. : 2204)0 : ~ 430290 © MGOUOM) Ue at ait vial Conia ee to er - --- : 230440 ADL b2 anna oe ; ; By oS jb Cee 9604160 + 1o+8 mer ee 120 acres of the crea was surveyed this fall but the remainder wi 1 be EMEA eS fe spring.e — : aa 4 Ano egg clusters were present in the samples taken but a few were noted in the ote Sarita area. Bi nemieers are rounded to a of the standard errors Milo ee clusters were seen mies probably a few are present. ’ GYPSY MOTH AND “BROWN-TAIL MOTH CONTROL . Brush-disposal machines returned to storehouse.—-The two brush-disposal machi fea which have been operating in the field for. several months, were re- turned to the storehouse at Greenfield, Mass., about the middle of December, after field conditions became favorable for burning brush. One of these _machines had been in constant operation in Massachusetts since last Seotember } and had disposed of brush at gypsy moth infested sites in the towns of Sandis- field, Mount Washington, Alford, -and Charlemont. The other machine was trans- 7 ferred to the field at-about the same time, but was used for several weeks on properties in.the Connecticut area, where authority,to burn the accumuleted brush could not be obtained, before moving to infested sites in Massachusetts. Although large quantities of brush and other waste wood were reduced to sew- _sust or small chips, very little, mechanical trouble developed in either maching curing their long periods. of operation. ... The | caterpillar tractor used in moving the machines from one pile of brush to the next was also réturned to the store ‘house. It has been equipped with a snow —— anc is available for immediste service when needed, Visit made to offices of State administrators,-——During the first week in December A. F. Burgess, in charge of moth work; Eli Abbott, Jr., assistant administrator of the W. P, A. in Washinzton; and Paul P. Stewsrt, of the Secretsry!s office, visited the offices of the State administrators of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, =nd New York, to discuss problems connec with the change-over from Federal ere to Federal 1 W. P. A. projects under the State program, which will take place on January 1, 1942. Gypsy moth colony founc_in town free from infestztion for 15 years.—A gypsy moth crew, tempcrarily assignec to open scouting in Danby Township, Rutlend County, Vt., during the open season for deer, discovered 2 small ete - gypsy moth-infestation in an old apple orchard... Danby was first infested by the gypsy moth in 1924, and several small and scattered infestations were also -. Fourid. in, 1925 and 1926:.: Owing to intensive extermination measures conducted a ee aad no ee evidence of infestation was found’ in Danby until this eet en Gyps sy moth work - retarded otal Shui wteabac wns unusual weather oontad tions, the modified séowting work necessary in Massachusetts. during the déer- hunting season, together, with a reduced force caused by workers taking time off to: hunt,°all contributed to an appreciable retardation in gypsy moth work in that State during the first week in December. Satisfactory | progress had previously been mace by the 8 crews of scouts and-10-crews of Bog iS Hoe ; in the HOSS Teena ee: oe the barrier ZONE» hee W. P.-A.work in haces Sut eres to treatment of infested areas.—- - The force of W.-P.°A. workers was reduced from 37 to 25 on December 8, at the specific’ request of the W. P. A, State administrator in Connecticut, oe stated that this action was necessary.in order to keep within the State quota, and thet sgimblar reductions were being made on other W, P. A. projects. This . mécessitated a change in the work plan, as the Ws P..A. force was too small to _. perform both scouting and treatment work acequately. Several agents were de- _ , tailed to make special. surveys of large blocks of woodland in tovmships of the barrier zone where small anc scattered cypsy moth infestations were found and treated several years ago, but where little or no check-up work has been pos- sible curing ‘the last 2 years,. because of: the lack of available W. P. A. em- ‘ployees. In addition,. 3 - 2-man crews of experienced agents were assigned to determine whether infesto tions exist in the most dangerous parts of the barrier zone area. These men will traverse the woodlands about 100 feet apart and Sey eid creosote add single e sag clusters found. The centers of the larger infesta- tions will be. marked, in order thot. they .can be readily. located and treated by the W. P. A.:crews. By this method, the entire time of the’ smait force of &ypsy. moth workers now employed in Gonmectien: will be utilized in areas where ae labors will be of maximum eet a to gypsy moth control work. . Qi We Ae ) mate work discontinued in Se inet ra N. Y. Ae gyps, . moth project was placed on the inactive list on December 3, anc the men were | . either furloughed or transferred to projects more closely identified with - National Defense. However, the N. Y. A. shop.project was’ permitted to con- _tinue, as it was considered in. the nature of defense work, because of the ex- Jogos mechanical See EAS received by the eur Ole. r D noeh” gat pets ha from woods coe deer-hunting season.—-At "the end of the first.week in. December, 34 W.°-P. A. gypsy moth crews were en- gaged’ in scouting: and. 12 crews were employed on ground or thinning work in the Pennsylva mie area. These, crews ccnfined their activities to residential areas or to open country during the 2-week open season on deer, which began on _ December 1. All gypsy moth work in wocdlands is suspended at this time, as shes gnofers 25 @-2 6S ssobbh Pe 109 Charcoal----------- is. oe 23, 2. Saas a3 = +59 & Sy es 96 | Plaster of paris---: 16: 12 : 44: 29° s-6OTE Steer 91: Irish moss--------- : 9: 7-4 °§O0%ev tions. Many thousancs of gallons of the smear were manufactured and sold in Texas curing the last 6 months of 1941, when it was first released to the public. A cirect saving to ranchmen has been shown in reducing labor bills by 2bout sne-half, because ig fested enimals dc not ordinarily need more than the initial ircatmanke Ranch-management screwworm—prevention One hoamae goats and sheep in August and ezrly in September reduces the December--peak-population of . Cochlicmyia americana C. & P. on the western escarpment of Texas, according to ~ observations made by the Menard labcratory. Data obtained. clearly show that the December neak pcpulations of the screwworm can be markedly reduced, if not practically eliminated, by ranchers shearing 85 percent of the goats and sheep ~ durins the time indicated. Population studies indicate that the December popu= lation of this fly is a significant index to. the winter carry-over in this part ef Texas, No coubt the adjusted wound-treatment practice put into effect on in” dividual ranches accounts for the present reduced population of this pest, as © ‘ eal _721- compared with that of a year.ago. The populations ia all areas in Texas were lower during the period Octobe r-December 1941. than’ for. ‘the ‘Same Rese OCS in 1939 “and 1940. “FOREIGN PLANT CUARANTINES peg 2 a iidbowe Citrus black spot in Sole tea eee the items covered ina translation of excernts from the quarterly bulletin of the Department of Agriculture of Argentina for October-December 1940, made by Roberto Ortiz, is-a statement that Phoma citricarpa McAlp. was isolated from mandarin orange y the first re- port we we have noted for this disease in South America. mn - Entomologiéal interceptions of interest. —-Living pupae of the whitefly Aleuroplatus cococolus Q. & B. were found at San Francisco on.November 5 on leaves of Guzmanie a maculata in express from Guatemala. Hight living larvae of the Mexican n fruittly (Anastrepha cha Jucens (Loew)) were intercepted at Baltimore dt November 27 in oranges in “quarters ters from Mexico. Living adults. of the’ bruchi: Bruchus emarginatus Allard were taken at New York on November 3 in peas in carg, from India. Lzrva and pupa of the bruchid Caryedon fuscus Goeze were taken at ‘Philadelphia on October 21.in tamarind pod in.mail from British Guiene.- Eighteen living learvae.and 10 living pupae of the curculionid Caulonhilus latinasus (Say) were intercepted at Hidalgo on November 26 in 1 avocado seed in bageage from Mexico. Fifty-five living larvae of the Mediterranean fruitfly (Ceratitis capitata (iWied.)) were intercepted at San Franciséo on November 12 in Coffea arabica in baggage from Hawaii. Eight livins adults of the curculi- onid Cylas ‘uurcipennis Boh. were taken at New Orleans on November 8, in sweet- potatoes in stores from Java. Living larvae anc punae of the bostrichid Dinoderus bifoveolatus Woll. were intercepted at New York on Ausust 15-‘in barbasco roots in cargo from Peru, and on Aucust 6 and Sentember 2 livins adult: were taken in cerris roots in cargo from Straits Settlements and British Malaya. A living larva of the Tahitian coconut weevil (Diocalandcra taitensis (Guern.)) was intercepted at: San Francisco. on November 7 in coconut: in barecage from Hawaii. A living larva of the curculionid Epicaerus co enatus Sharp was found at Laredo‘on October 23 in notato in baggage from Mexico... A living adult of the curculionic Eucalandra setulosa Gyll.-was taken: at Hoboken on Sentember 30 with Cattleya sp. in cargo:from Colombia. Living adults of the bostrichid _ Heterobostrychus acqualis (Waterh.) were fotind at New York on September 24 in wooden racking cases:in cargo. from India. Living svecimens of the coccid -Lepidosaphes uniloba (Kuw. ) were intercepted at San Pedro in August on Alyxia Qlivaeformis leaves in baggage from Hawaii. Three living. larvae of the East _Incian bean pod borer (ieee testulalis (Geyer)) were intercepted at New Orlee ns con October 30 in string bean in stores from Puerto Rico. Living acults larvae, anc pupae of the scolytid Renocis msxicanus Blckm. were intercepted at Chicago on October 8 in bark of E Bysenharatia sp. in cargo. from Mexico. Living specimens of’ the thrinvs | bicolor Hd. were intercepted at Laredo on April 17 on cactus bloom in barfare from Mexico. This represents our seconc interception of this species. A livine larva of the tineid Setomorpha insect-— , ella (F.) was taker at New York on November 3 in sweetnotato in stores from REeeOs sf living acult of the lyzaeid Sisamnes contractus Dist. was intercepted at. El’ Paso on July 23 with pineapple in ‘cargo from Mexico. A living adult of _ the endomychid TIrschcideus americanus Buq. was intercepted at. Hoboken on . November 25 with: fy Gabe leys sp..in carge from Colombia. =z * Patholo eal interce tobe 3f interest. ‘_-Alternaria fascipuiieta Luin & BE.) Jones & Grout was found on Nevember 12 at Philadelphia on penpers from Brazil. Cerebella andropozonis Ces. was intercepted on July 1 at Nex York on Paspalum sp. seed from Australia. Cercospnora apii Fresen., which has been intercepted ; very infrequently for several years, was found on Octcber 13 at Baltimore on celery from Brazil.- Determination of Chlamydcomyces palmarum (Cke.) Mason has just been received for Ciseased banana stems from Panama founc-in-carge on August 26, 1940, -et New York. What was assumed to be Colletotrichum ploeospory, oices Banned was found on. August 22 at Hoboken on Sarracenia sp. from New Found- land. No reports of a Colletotrichum on this host were found. ~Diplcscanter corenata (Cobb) Cobb was found on October 17 at Philacelyhia in notatc tubers from Argentina. Gloeospcrium rhododencri Br. & Cav. was intercepted at Seattle on September 7 on rhododen*rens from Englancs Hormodendrum olivaceum: Te Bone was intercepted on September 25 at New York in several boxes of apples ~ in baggage from Chile. Paranthcstomella sp. was intercepted on June 27 at ~ * Brownsville on an orchid plant from Mexico... Phoma citricarpa.McAlp. was found on December 7 at New York on oranges in stores from South Africa. Phoma nebulosa Mont. was found cn November 20 at New York on parsnips in stores -from Australia. Physalospora camptospora Sacc. was intercepted on November 3 at San Francisco on plents of Stanhopea bucepha lus from Mexico. Puccinia asvaragi DC, was intercepted on November 2, for the rst time, on asparagus from Mexico at El Paso. Septoria dianthi —— WES se St Ree ne on November 6 at New-York on carnation cuttings:in baggase from Brazil. Uzredo behnickiana P. Henn. was ~ -interceptea on August 18-at Hoboken on Oncidium oblongatum from Guatemala. Ustilago rabenhorstiana Kuehn was found cn November 12 at New York on Digitaria sanguinalis used as packing for 2 mail shipment from Uruguay. DOMESTIC PLANT QUARANTINES - Transit inspection of Christmas trees.--One. of the highlichts of the year's transit-inspection activities is the inspection of Christmas trees and Christmas greens in the Northeastern States.. The Christmas season of 1941 _ ran true to-form, with thie excention of the manpower. available, which was be-— low that of previous ‘seascns. The intercentions per man-day, however, ©xX— | ceeded that of any previous year. At Boston, the actual number of viclaticns found was greater than that of last year, with the force of 2 inspectors under= taking the work usually nerformec by 4. Truck, rail, anc water movement was, ~ closely checked at New York with inspection of mail anc exoress in progress - 24 hours a cay. - The December inspections in the Northeast resulted in inter= ception of 218 violations consigned to 30 States and the District of Columbia, 95 percent’ of which invelved the gypsy moth quarantine. Approximately 55 per- cent of these infringements. were returned to the senders. When shipments of restricted materials also containéd gifts or other articles of value every effort was mace-to inspect them in transit, att:ch the certificate, and allow them to proceed. Falsely labeled shipments were not so numerous as in past years. However, 1 -shipment consisting of a small tree, wreath, branches, and cones was found sewed up in a piece of cloth to resemble a lores balsam pillow, which is ‘exempt from certific:tion. At Buffalo, in a 14-piece shipment of- clothing and household equipment consifned to Detroit, 1 crate ‘éontained 12 uncertified potted plants moving from the Japanese beetle area,. The personnel force in the Northeastern region curing December ° consisted of 10 ‘inspectors, ir cluding 4 from the Japanese beetle force, and 1 stenographer. The well— — coordinated and vigorous programs csrried out in the last few years for check- ~ eg aie ing the movement of Christmes greens from the gypsy moth area 2re eneetne far- reaching results, according-to the resional inspector in charge. The number of properly certified shinments from private ‘indivicuals has increased by leaps and bounds, he states. Truck shipments of Christmas trees inspected.--The truck movement of Christmas. trees from New ing gland was heavier than in’the past and the in- spection of several truck m-rkets in New York City an? the patrolling of the: Boston Post Road at Pelham, N. cae took | precedence over rail ‘inspection. As a result, 122 truckloads of greens anc 1 trucklosd of ersnite were exemined, =: Two rics vere .founcd £0 be uncertified, 1 consisting of sbout 1,000 trees bousht in Béston, their ori¢inal source unknown. The transit inspector, on, éxemining about 2 percent of the treés, found a gypsy moth erg cluster. The :criver was accordingly instructed to return the loac te the rypsy moth inspector «t West- field, Mass., who, according to’prior arrangements, checked up on its return. anc later reported on the cisposition of the load, . The sypsy moth eg¢s found on these'trees were not viable; however, their presence indicated -that the trees came from infested territory anc that the load was.a highly potential source of more ege clusters. Rail movement of Christmas greens was below ‘normal.. Bignty-seven percent of the csrloac movement of Christmas trees that srrived.. in New York City came from Canada. a SS Re canbe Alas Transit inspection in the Middle‘West.--In the.Central States over Ae 000 shipments were inspectcd in December and 520 waybills were examined, . the’ commodities. affected by plent oquarantines consisting lsrgely of. citrus fruit. Approximately 2,000 L.C.L. freisht shipments of nursery stock, granite, citrus fruit, Christmas trees, cotton linters, sweetpotatoes, anc Baek stock from Texas Wet peered ey quera antine oon nce Curins eae ee t _ Peach trees removec in inf abla areas.—-The December ‘activities ‘of the _ peach mosaic and phony peach control projects were directed, jointly with the States, toward the destruction of the remaining infected it Goes in. the 1941 inspection seasén anc of neach trees that have been abandoned or are frow- ing wile. All such diseased trees found in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Scuth Carolina have been removed. Those in Georgia wére reduced during the month from 3,000 to 326. In Alabama, Arkansas, ‘Illinois, Missouri, anc Oklahoma ac- ' tien is being taken, it is reported, ‘toward eléanins un the remaining infected peach trees’known to exist. An acditicnal number of’ mosaic trees have been taken out of the Hemet district of Riverside County, Calif. io gle Rnietin projects "for ” each-diséasé control have now-expired.=-The Federal We Be A. projects on peach mosaic ‘and phony peach’ control which have been operated annually since Aucust 1935 exnired cn December 31, 1941. ‘The funds rie for these projects hav. mace it possible to accomplish a great deal more in the control of these diséasés than would have been possible with the regular appropriation for this work. Durinr the above 63-year neriod, with the aid of rekon: workers, nea ur Ly... ‘90,000,000 aba indoned and escaned host plants of these- diseasés hive: been destroyed, as well as 484,308 phony-infecte? trees and 189, 840 mosaic trees. ie ete cera neach oreha rcs, oar" ticvlariy in tis Southéast, $v overrrown with pine fae other Ee Ora “The estan of avon peti deag which were a constant source of infection to nearby healthy nurseries °nd orchards, hes been of inestimable value to the peach industry. To replace thes: Federal agency projects, applications have been approved by the State acmini- strators of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Coloraco, Georria, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas, for federally sponsored W. P. A. projects in the State programs. A project application in Tennessee has tentatively been disaoproved, because labor will not be evailable on account of National De Beis needs The Oklahoma project is now in operation. Citrus canker eracication.--Sixteen inspectors and 1267 . P. A. employees worked in several different. areas in Texas in December in locatinr and destroy- ing seedlings of Citrus trifoliata, which constitute a menace to. the Federal- State citrus canker eradication progrem. In Brazoria and Galveston Counties, however, the vigorous measures of extermination of such seedlings at frequent intervals since 1935 have rreatly reduced the number of such plents. Only 8&2 ‘were located in, December cn 17 of the 37 formerly infected properties in this area... Other areas worked in December included Navasota in northern Texas, where an-active infection was found last year. Every property in the town was checkece for citrus and over 95,000 seedlinss were founc and destroyed, as well as a hedge of these trees. At Brenham, in Washin: ‘ton C county, risid inspection and cestruction of Citrus trifolieta have been carried on since last ‘September for the reason that canker-infected trees found at Navasota, Tex., in February 1941 originated, it is beli eved, on 8 pronerty near Brenham. In Harris County unusually einer inspection is made at regular intervals of an area made up chiefly cf larse ranches, because citrus canker was once found on trees in this erea which were accessible to cattle, and it is believed that Citrus trifolista seeclinzs, now found generally scattered over the ranches, have been spreac, in part, by cettle pastured in the area curins the time the fruit-besrin:.trees were standin>. No citrus canker was. found ‘at any point in December. In the extreme.southern part of the State, inspection of citrus groves was conducted at Laredo, Carrizo Springs, anc Crystal City. No citrus canker has been found in this part of the Stete for meny years. , Chinch bug survey completed.--The survey begun on November 3, to determine the numbers of chinch bugs entering hibernation, was completed on December 13. Surveys were made cooperatively with the States in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kanses, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. According to reports from the States, the infestations ere considerably lighter throughout Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, anc eastern Iowa then for several years. Arers of severe infestation anpear to be west of those. founc in the surveys of 1939 and 1940. The in- cications.are that, uncer climatic econcitions favorable to the pest, severe infestations may oceur next spring in southwestérn Towa,” southeastern Nebraska, northeastern Oklahoma, and.in spotted reas. throughout | the eastern third of Kansas. i Correction.--In the News Letter cated Janusry 1, 1942, in the note on pere 28 entitled, "Mole cricket control vork Decisated: at the: vercentare of bait Cistributed in, the Bane City, Fla., area should be ch-nged from 3 to 37, CONTROL INVESTIGATIONS Two nitrile chemicals effective against flour beetle.—-H. H. Richardson and A. H. Casanges, in tests of various chemicals as. fumigants at the Belts-— ville, Mc., laboratory, found two nitrile chemicals, acrylonitrile and chloro- acetonitrile, to be toxic to the flour beetle (Tribolium confusum Duv.). Con- -25—" centrations of near 2.and 3 mg. per liter gave 50- and 95-percent kill, res- pectively, of the beetles in 5-hour exposures, at 77° F. uncer laboratory con- ditions. ‘Acrylonitrile “is‘slsd. known as..propenenitrile and has the formula CHp = CHCN. Chloroacetcnitrile has the Potiala CH, Cl CN. Both ‘have the cyano - (CN) ercup present anc appear in the vicinity but, as reported in the . literature, not: quite so toxic as hydrocyanic acid. They differ from hycro- cyanic acid in having a slightly delayed killing action, For example, many - - beetles were still alive ard active after a 5-hour exposure to a killing dosase of these nitriles, but all: were dead in 3 to 6 hours later. These chemicals, - liquics at ordinary temperatures, ere available commercially. Acrylonitrile: is used in the manufacture of artificial rubber... Chlorcoacetonitrile appears: slishtly more toxic than acrylonitrile but is also somewhat less volatile. Acrylonitrile has a boilins point near ethylene dichlorice. INSECTICIDE INVESTIGATIONS: _ Thunder god vine."--The continued investigation by Fred Acree, Jr., end H. L. Haller, cf Tripterygium wilfcrdii, commonly called "thunder rod vine" by the Chinese (see News Letter v. VIII No. 9, p. 32, Sept, 1, 1941), has shown the wsolated ‘Loxie Traction to consist of both’ a erpete line atthe) and a noncrystalline fraction which likewise pcssesses alkaloidal pvronerties. The pure crystalline alkaloid is a ccmpound cf very high molecular wei¢cht, having characteristics exhibited by some other naturally occurring alkaloics. The most striking of these characteristics is that the compound occurs as an ester, Saponification studies have shown the alkaloid to be esterified with at least . one molecule of benzoic acic.2an¢® several molecules of acetic acid. Ina toxicity test by E. H. Siegler, the pure crystalline alkaloid appeared to he many times more toxic than nicotine to ceclinz moth larvee, _ Stucy ofsodium fluoride anc sodium caus il ot nic Outi to wartime con- ditions, sodium fluoride hes become a very scarce commodity. Sodium fluo- silicate, however, shoul? be more reacily availeble because of the potentially large amount of silicon tetrafluoride that can be recovered during the manufac- ture of phosphste fertilizer. Sodium fluoride has been extensively used in the control’ of roaches, but sodium fluosilicate, desnite reports of good re- sults. by some pest-control operators, has not been regarded as satisfactory. _R..H.. Carter and =. L. Gooden have started an investigation of the chemical and physical properties of all available commercial. semples of these two. compouncs “in an effort to’ determine what chrracteristics may be responsible for the differing efficiencies of these materials in their use as roach powders, Cer- tain physical characteristics of sodium fluosilicete are probably of importance also for use in poison bait for Mormen crickets. _ Particle-size anparatus soon available.--The various field. staticns that _ have need for obtainins measurements of average particle -diameter of powders ‘will be pleased to know that the self-calculating air—permeation apparatus recently patented by E. L.-Gooéen (Oe BsuPate 2,261,802 mentioned in the News Demers Ve. Vill; Nos 12, Dec... s19K1)) is feta dogetoped for commercial manu— facture by Fisher Scientific Comp atiehd who ‘hope to eek it on ee market Py; ry spring... pus —26- BEE CULTURE cEréceine of stock serdanb in beekeeping.——C. - ‘Farrer BY Ca Ma. Schaefer, Madison, Wis., report wide differences in honey production between 7 lines of stock tested in 1941. These lines were represented by from 1 to - 5 groups of 10 sister queens. Each sroup represented the progeny of a differ- ent breeder queen. Each queen was established with a 2—-pounu package. Averare productions are based.on colonies surviving with original- queens; sister queen replacements, or supersedure daughters. An average of 3 colonies from each test group hac to be eliminated because queens of other stock were used to make re- placements. Five croups, line I, averaged 237 pounds of surplus honey. The rance in average production for the 5 groups was 184 to 260 pounds. This line has-shown superior production in all previovs tests. One group, line II, aver- aged 101 pounds and stock of this line has shown low production in all previous tests. One group, line III, averaged 129 pouncs. Three groups of couble hybrids, line IV, obt2ined by crossing lines I, II, and III, averaged 219 pouncs and a range in average production for the 3 groups of 188 to 246 pounds. The yield of .the’ double-hybrid line suggests evidence of ¢ither hybrid vigor or dominance of the superior characteristi¢s of line I. Three sroups, line V, averaged 181 pounds and a ranre,in. average production for the 3 groups of 150 to 199 pounds. For 1 group each, line VI- averaged 180 pounds; :line VII, 145 pounds, The maximum and i eeenackas for all colonies carrying throuch the productive season scaled ASaHegesduge were 341 pounds’ for. line I, and minus 22 pounds for line va “—* | IDENTIFICATION aa CLASSIFIC# TION OF ANSE larvee of Coleoptera in systematic entomology.—-The study of coleopterous larvae, particularly primary larvae generally disregarded by systematists, is province important in the field of taxonomy. It is through ‘such study that probdlems in the relationships of various species and. groups of species are boing solved more and more frequently. There are numerous in- stances amone the Coleoptera in which the systematic placement of a species “appears to have been determined by other than characters of the adults. Study of the primary larvae, elthouch not infallible, will sometimes solve these. . problems with ‘such clerity that there remains little doubt as to the correct- ness Of the solution: One-such examole is that regarding. the systematic posi-= tion of Schizopns sallsi Horn. This species, which in .current classifications is placed in the family Buprestidae, has recently (Rees, Wash. Ent. Soc. Proce, v. 43, No. 9, 1941) been shown not tHe belong to that family, but rether to the ” Schizopodidae (proposed by Le Conte in 1859). 7 i) In order that this examalt: may be more fully understood, some of the facts brought out in this study will be cited. Although buprestid larvae possess characters common to the larvae of several families, there are certain characters that differentiate them from all others, and these main distingnishe ing characters~are present and unchanged, within limits, inthe larvae of. all stages. Irrespective ‘of-the-instar,-a bilarestid larva possesses. cribriform ‘spiracles and well-developed dorsal and ventral.ambulatory plates jn combina- tion with a distinct:labrum, but it lecks true legs, prolegs, and ventral elands. A study of the primary larva of S. sallei reveals the absence of dorsal and ventral ambulatory plates and the presence of biforous instead of wpe: cribriform spiracles. These two cheracters 2lone, cisregardins additional con- trasting characters, excluce it from the Buprestidae. Furthermore the primary larva possesses well-developed prolegs anc ventral glands, cheracters which excluce it from all other families of Coleoptera. lven though these may be dis- regarded es examples of specialized develonment the combination of other char- acters prevents placement of the species in any known family. Therefore, al- though the edult bears a superficial resemblance to buprestids and is now placed in the Bupresticae, the study of the primary larva makes it evident to students of both the adults and the larvae that the present classification of this spec- ies is incorrect and that the family propnosed by Le Conte is warranted. Another example of the value of primery larvae in establishing a more correct systematic placement was reported by J. . MacSwain at the recent annual meeting of the Entomological Scciety of America. His example cealt with the proper positicn of the meloid genus Poreospasta. For many years this genus was considered distinct from Lytta and was placed in a different section of the family. Hcewever, Van Dyke (Calif. Univ. Pubs., Ent., ve 4, No. 12, 1928) in- dicated that it is rather closely related to Lytta on certain adult characters. MacSwain, studying the primary larva, corroborated Van Dyke's opinion and established the final proof that the genus hac been incorrectly placed and in reality belongs in the tribe Lyttini of Leng. These and other examples show the importance of the correlated study of adults and larvae. Unfortunately only relatively few Coleoptera are knovm in the immature stages, The larvae of most species, even those of many abundant forms, ere not identifiable since they have not been associated with adults through rearing. Careful field and laboratory stucies which will establish the icentity of larvae are much needed end will contribute importantly to know- ledge of beetle classification. —--000--- eho. 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Lhe): sania - monte: a rhsardto: Eb adeeb ines >) mes, bain bets oe Reet etn, oswant % Roe . RS ae al ids i 7 UNITZD STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE NEWS LETTER UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE has) nel ca Oe “AND vee 0 (NTINE CEN Soe a "POR: JANUARY ae Vol. TX, No. Be Sa (het for ‘publication) eon cen “March. sk 1942. ai REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR | ADMINISTRATION: : Budget Estimates ee The cee eater ee Ger the fiscal year 1943 Wacude: a total of. $5,488, 360 for the work of the Bureau provided for under "Salaries and Exe... penses.". This is an increase over the ‘amount available for the fiseal year . 1942. The total does not -give an accurate picture of ‘the. situation, bee because ‘the working -funds under many of the items are reduced, considerably . and, with one exception, the increases are to meet additional costs, in opera= tion of W. P. A. programs occasioned by ‘the’ ‘change ‘from Federal to State proj- ects. The working funds available ‘under ell but’ two of. the research appropri~ tions are less. The estimate includes: amounts for administrative promotions. under the Ramspeck Act, which makes it difficult to compare. totals. . The fol- lowing tabulation elves the changes: in working funds for’ the, veraous appropri- ation items. : eae ! Baie an ts General Aahinist sation pon nee om ge mor ar a ei mene $e 1,980 Cini Ah Oo SE LE ae a eee 42,600 Japanese: beetle control—~—------+++--+~4++---+--2 ot Ce hae ee Sweetpotato weevil control---+—----=-=---=- 4-4-2 ie Mexican fruitfly contro] -~-~=+<~-+~-=---=~-=---- + ane -- Gee Citrus canker cradicetion---w------~--=-- sss nnn we 3,185 Gypsy and: brown-tail moth control--<+---------------~-+------- +) 75,000 Dutch elm disease. Rentelob ciel tele) ashe tae a aes #100, 000 Phony peach and peach,mosaic eradication=----------------+---' § + 35,200 Behe st SSC Gh ieee lie, BOD Blister. rust control-~-----~-++—++~-+~+--+--~--~-----+---=---- enc — Truck crop and garden insects~------------------------------- - 36;580 Cereal and forage insects~---+---+--++4---~--~-----+--+------- + 500 European corn borer contro]------------ wenn nnn nena a-- = , 10,000 Barberry. eradication---~---=+--~+---+~----+----~~-- saw-tn------- + =42,500 Cotton insects-------~------~~- +++ 4-4 +++ += nn e, if - 2h, Sh Pink bollworm and Thurberia weevil control-----—--------—se—— = _ 51,800 . Bee ‘cul ture+--s--++- +e pene na -- === -------- = 3,000 Insects affecting ‘men and animal s—-<++-+--<------—+—=<-----— ilies Insect pest isurvéey ‘and identificetion---------+--------------- | = 6,000 Foreign parasite introduction----------+---~~---+------------ fe 18,000 Control investigations~--------+--~-+-~--------~--~----------- ih Wee oe aro diciee t eens) and ae dnvestigetiongh+<---seo ae Saee one ; eae op Transit inspection~----------------- ~-=----+-----~------ $ - 4,059 Foreign plant quarantines-------~----------------------- + 14,765 Certification of exports-----------------~-~~~----------- ~- 1,862 The regular budget estimate provided for’a reduction of $39,500 for the item, cereal and forage insect investigations. Subsequent to this, however, a supplemental estimate of $40,000 was submitted to provide for. expansion of _ the research on European corn borer. The budget estimate proposes an increase of $690,000 in working funds for white pine blister rust control, of which $271,668 is for work carried on under the direction of the Bureau. New Division in the Bureau Claude Wakeland has been appointed leader of the newly created Division of Grasshopper Control, which will have charge of control operations of grass- hoppers and Mormon crickets, as well as direction of any work the Bureau may do to cooperate with the States in the control of chinch bugs. The work is now unified under one division. The headquarters will remain in Denver, Colo. Dr. Wakeland was born on August 2, 1888, at La Jara, Colo. He attended public. schools in Denver and graduated from the Colorado State College with the B. S. degree in 1914. In 1924 he received the M.S. degree from the same institution, and in 1934 was conferred the degree of Ph. D. by Ohio State _ University... He started his active work in entomology with the Coloradg Agri- cultural Experiment Stetion, In 1920 he was appointed extension entomologist for the University of Idaho. In 1928 he was appointed head of the department of entomology of the University of Idaho, from which position he was appointed to the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine in 1938 as project leader on Mormon cricket control, with headquarters at Salt Lake City. In 1939 he was made field director of the combined grasshopper and Mormon cricket control programs. Since 1940 headquarters for this work has been in Denver. Bre Gibson Retires. |” : Dr. Arthur Gibson, Dominion entomologist and chief of the Division of Entomology of the Dominion Department of Agriculture, Canada, for the last 22 years, was retired on January 15. He was born in Toronto in 1875 and joined the staff of the Dominion Department of Agriculture in 1899. In 1914 an ento- mological branch of the Department of Agriculture was established with Dr. Gibson as chief of the Division of Field Crops and Garden Insects, and in 1920 he. succeeded Dr. Gordon Hewitt as Dominion entomologist. Dr. Gibson has long been associated with cooperative entomological activities carried on between the Dominion and this country, and is well known to many of the members of the Bureau.- aa ON ee L. S. McLaine Succeeds Dr. Gibson Leonard S.. McLaine, chief of the Plant. Protection Division, Production Service, has been appointed by the Civil. Service Commission to the position of assistant director of Science Service, to succeed Dr. Arthur Gibson who is now on retiring leave. Mr..McLaine's appointment becomes effective July 16; 1942. In the meantime, the Deputy Minister has appointed Mr. Mclaine acting Dominion entomologist, and he will. take over his new duties immediately, re- lieving H. G. Crawford, who has been acting in this capacity since January 15. Mr. McLaine's long service in the. Division, and more recently in cooperation with it, has made him acquainted with all the senior officers and most of the junior members of the staff. He may be assured of receiving their fullest co- ~ operation. yar . — a _ BUREAU EMPLOYEES CALLED TO THE COLORS OR TRANSFERRED ot TO eee ey BEFENSE ASSIGNMENTS ® Aarne (Clerence We Ret “Peuit. Ins. Ue us hone sere, oie te he active duty Dec. 26, ‘1941. DNase : : Bucks, Robert dey Agt., Fruit Ins., enlisted, Marine a) Feb. 1, 1942. Conradi,; Karl P., Fld. Aide, Cotton Ins., inducted, Select. serve, fae v2 1942. Dutky, Samson R., Asst. Bact., Fruit Ins., First Lt., U. S. Army Reserve, called to active duty, F..A. School, Fort Sill, Okle., Jan. 15, 1942. Harwell, Rufus T.,“Agt., Cotton Ins., inducted, Select, Serv., Jane 15, “1942, - Jordan, Austin R., Agt., PBW, inducted, Select. Serve, Jan. Cenichos ‘Klaus, Adolph Bes Auto Mech., PBYY, inducted, Select. Serv., Apr. 13, 1942. “Lowry, William L., Fld, Asst., Cotton ot inducted, Select. Serv., Apr. 2 A9ke. - Speke a Harold Ass Agt., Hey Beet ie Conte, | pene se HORE Serves dan. 26, 19h2.” ‘Monroe, Henry es) ey Clk. Stenog., Tene Pl. Quar. (WRB), inducted, - Select. Serv., Feb. Be Oe. | , Parker, “Lawrence Beis. Asst. Ent., Fruit Ins. Second te U.S... Army: Reserve; aay called to active duty oe service in P. R., Feb. lil, 1942. oo. John, “Unskilled Labr., | Truck Crop Ins., inducted, Select. ‘Serv., Jan. & a 192. ; ~ Thompson, John | Ves. Gee Asst. Biol. hide, ae Ins., inducted. Select. Serve, teaMaren wos to. Wolfe, Homer Re, ABE... ee: ES enlisted Us S. Army, ou al, Heigh. FRUIT ‘INSE SOT INVESTIGATIONS 3 "Development of raisin moth. Se of Ephestia figulilelle qeee reared on dried mulberries by Oscar G. Bacon, of the Fresno, Calif., labora- : tory, ‘passed through the larval, prepupal, and pupal stages, at 82" to Ba Foy in an average of 43 days; ‘Larval period 32, prepupal period 1, pupal period 10. The minimum time was 33 days and the maximum 59 days. The number of in- stars averaged 5, the range being from 4 to 8, The period of incubation at the same temperatures ranged from 3 and 6 days, the usual period being 4 days, and preoviposition period at room temperatures wes 1 day. MEXICAN FRUITFLY CONTROL Trapping results for January.--Trapping operations in Texas during Jan- ‘uary indicated that the seasonal influx of flies had started. During the She month 15 adult Anastrepha ludens Leew were trapped from 14 properties, and several specimens of A. serpentina, A. mombinpraeoptans, A. sp. ae and A. pallens Coq. were also taken. “Intensive inspection = of. fruit in the groves failed to disclose any larval infestati Lons. Fruit harvested for ship- ment during the month amounted to 4,860.8 equivalent carlats. In addition to this, an immense amount. of fruit was purchased by the. Surplus Marketing Administration for canning purposes. At the close of January a total of 17,035 carloads of fruit had been shipped from the regulated area. . CEREAL AND FORAGE INSECT o£ ES hehe Influence of Be ier on successive eae of European corn borer.—The relation of nutrition to the rearing of successive generations ef corn borers in the laboratory has been studied by. G..T.. Bottger, of Toledo, Ohio. Attempts were made to rear successive generations on green beans and peas; green peas exclusively, sweet corn kernels. preserved by quick freezing, and frozen corn internodes similarly preserved. Fourteen genera-— tions of corn borers have been reared successfully on the combination. bean- pea diet and 13 generations on green peas alene. Very low survivals resulted when larvae were fed either corn kernels or corn internodes, with-complete ' failure of reproduction in the F 1 generation reared on internodes and in-the Fo generation reared on corn kernels. No cumulative effect sf laboratory rearing is indicated,either by the weight of 15-day-old larvae. or by survival and ‘pupation of 35-day-eld larvae. Wide variation in larval weight between generations was apparently caused by differences in the nutritive quality of the beans and peas, as influenced by their maturity and the.time which elapsed betweén harvest ‘and feeding. Superiority of the green bean-pea diet over green peas alone is indicated by higher average weights, and percentages of survival and pupation, of larvae reared on the combination diet than resulted from feeding green peas alone. No permenent change in-percentage of multiple— generation borers is indicated after rearing 1, successive generations in the laboratory. . Although no cumulative effect of: nutrition on oviposition is indicated, a possible direct influence of larval nutrition on resulting moths is siggested. It is concluded that laboratory rearing and nutrition, if supplied by green beans and peas of proper quality, should not constitute ‘any Timitations to rearing successive generations of the borer in the labora- LOLFY. ‘Control for Cyclocephala grubs.--P. Luginbill and H. R. Painter, La- fayette, Ind., report that in the fall of 1940 a small area of the athletic field of the Jefferson High School at Lafayette, infested with these grubs, was treated with lead arsenate-sawdust mixture, using 1 pound of the arsenate in 1. peck of sawdust, broadcast on 100. scuare feet of. area. At* the time of application from 15 to 20 grubs were found in a square foot of area. An in- ‘ spection the following spring disclosed: only. about 1 grub per Sguahs foot of area. : . Choice of silk color by corn earworm moth.--E, V. Walter reports that observations have been made for 4. years at Wesleco, Tex., on the possible choice of silk color by adults of the corn earworm ovipositing on sweet corn. Ten silk masses of each variety were examined on the third or fourth day after emergence and the color of silks and number of eggs found were recorded. A summary of these’ observations shows:that..green, pink, and red silks each had the highest number of eggs for-1 or more years, red had the fewest for 3 years, © w 7 se and pink the fewest Hs 1 yeary WN s green and pink were even for inter- mediate place. . : Eggs per silk mass on color-- Be ; Varieties* Green : Pink? =: Ree : Number : Number : Number : Number : 1938-------=9 2 35° ES 2,31 FS 2,10 1,52 pus Se Giererecinig Fo ice 1 (eg ceca Uc of Aiea aaaeee Ory FV Cea a ie 252 194,0-------- : 58 Ste Qe Ost see tes «80 ane mene one : er pops se : | uevprderss% a : EEE Bee aOOn ee a ees. + <. Red aha pink silks appear to have ie fewest eges, according. to .the totals for the year, That was partly beceuse many of the varieties. having green silks were earlier than these with colored silks, blooming when there was less host material availeble for oviposition. According to date of ob- servetion, there was no eee nee in Bumbers of oes on sweet corn silks due to. color. : pS JAPANESE os | Japanese beetle money diverted to fight Japanese.--In 1938 residents | of Rochester, N. Y., raised a fund to combat the depanese beetle, which had recently invaded the city, but $788.53 of this fund was not used. From time to time attempts were made to divert the fund to other purposes, but the com- mittee could never agree. * In January the committee voted unenimously. to turn the balance of the fund over to the Red Cross "to aid in the Nation's gies apaensh: the Japanese." afety factors of Japanese beetle fumigation chambers. tested.--Since the Pat of methyl bromide faiett as a basis for Japanese beetle cer- tification, many nurserymen have constructed fumigation chambers, but none of them have used gas masks while unloading the chambers, the period during which the operator is most likely to breathe the gas. It has been assumed that after a half-hour ventilating period the chember has been sufficiently cleared to unload safely. To check further on the gas concentration at the time of unloading, arrangements were made by the Treating Section of the Division with R. D. Chisholm, of the Division of Insecticide Investigations, to coop- erate in running a series of tests, analyzing actual concentrations of the gas at different stages of ventilation. The preliminary tests show definitely that a half-hour ventilating period is insufficient and that a longer period, in most instances an hour, should be allowed, depending on the capacity of the blower and the i peciecaes of the Bysbems : Hefense ee increases eypsy moth ne OAR) work, cif large New Hamp- shire lumber ‘company has a contract with an arms-manufeacturing plant in the nonregulated part of Connecticut to furnish lumber for use in the construction of National Defense articles. About 500,000 square feet of lumber is shipped each month to this firm, practically all of which originates in the gypsy moth regulated area and requires for the most part piece-by-piece inspection. Be- cause of the sale of sawdust, shavings, and kindling wood from their mill, the be manufacturer will not process these by-products:in a manner ‘that would — - eliminate all danger of gypsy moth infestetion being spread; therefore such lumber shipments cannot be permitted to move to the manufacturing plant under "limited permits." During January 191-gypsy moth egg clusters were re- moved from 21 carloads of lumber inspected - oe for movement to this firm. é ae Be ee at Ni “ Roving sy moth road inspectors check Christmas-tree shipménts.--Two regular inspectors, working separately during December, checked on the move— ment of uncertified Christmas trees: being trucked from the ‘gyosy moth regu- lated area. These. inspectors ‘covered U, §S. Routes 4 and 7, and State Route 1}, an Vermont. Illegal shipments ‘intercepte ‘d comprise 1,486 individual and 607 bundles of Christmas trees; 5 tons and-4 bundles.of. ‘evergreen ‘boughs; 1 truckload, 1,200.fdet, and 38 ‘individual Logs; 1 truckload and 24:,000 board feet of Lumber; 10 coeds of fuel wood; and 384 ‘cords 6? pulpwoud, Al prod- ucts intercepted were either returned to the gypsy moth regulated area for proper inspection and: certification or were. eis Cece Dye the inspector at the point of interception. ; he a W. P. A. Dutch elm disease ailaeat ion Aakatiech eeineieee to States.—— At the end of December the large force of security-wage workers on the eradi- cation projects was placed on indefinite furlough, as a change in regulations made it necessary to transfer sponsorship from Federal to State agencies, In New Jersey and Connecticut approval for the transfer was given promptly and workers were recalled-to duty on January 5 and, 6, respectively, with only a slight loss of personnel, In Pennsylvania W. P. A. employees réturned to work in the various districts between Janyary 15 and 27, with a loss of 153 men in the major work area and 68 in the Carbondale, Scranton,.and Wilkes— Barre detached ‘areas. In Massachusetts 52 men were assigned to work and ree: ported on January 19. The W. P. A. project in Maryland was approved but. wes temporarily suspended because all of the men were needed on primary: National Defense projects. The projects in Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia have been delayed until details of supervision and expenses heve been worked out. New York has not yet Spr Rov eg a peed eet and the future theré is indefinite. ee ee fields add to Duteh elm aieeat Bee ese eae oe mers in Bucks County, Pe., -are cutting more trees than ‘usual this year. Many trees have been removed to permit entrance to fields long abandoned, and some small wood lots have been cleared. The principal object of these ac- tivities is the cultivation of more lend, to-add to the national food supply. Whenever elm trees are involved, Sanitation crews are usually needed to clean up the slash and SE eee pees left by. the rai cagA ar, ‘FOREST’ INSECT INVESTIGATIONS : A midge as an enemy of Douglas: Pip Chrdia tease oe “Oe Evenden, of the forest-insect laboratory at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, reports that during the harvest of Christmas trees on the Lolo Ne tional Forest. in December many trees were found to be devoid of foliage in the: upper p2rt of thé crown. “Samples were examined, and the only insect damage was an injury to the néedles by. midge levaed imi injury appeared 25 2 .small brown spot about midway the — length of the needle, from which ,in most instances, the larvae had apparantly emerged by rupturing the thin outer tissues, In other needles. the larvae still remained. This is the first record of: such injury that has been brought to the attention of this laboratory. ‘Scolytus infestation iin’ different -types and sizes of elm wood.--W, C. ween Morristown, N. J,, reports°on 6°locations in Pennsylvania where 297 elm trees were pruned of dead and dying branches during the winter of —. 1938-39, observed in August 1939, 1940, and 1941, pruned in September 1940 ° and 1941, then measured for area and examined for insect attack. Based on: each 100 trees observed, 10 trees required pruning each year, averaging 7.7 square feet of material from 2.1 cuts per tree. In natural die-back mate- rial 97.4 percent and in storm-broken material 70 percent of the galleries of Scolytus multistriatus Marsh. were in 2~-foot sections more than 2 inches in diameter.’ In storm—-broken material 2 inches in diameter and less, there were 30.9 times as many S. multistriatus galleries as in the natural die- back material. In sections of all diameters there were 27.2 times as many S. multistriatus galleries in the storm~breaks as the natural die~back material. ‘ ° Failure of S. multistriatus to reactivate Dutch elm disease fungus.-- The reactivation of Ceratostomella ulmi Buisman and contamination of S. multi- striatus by feeding on elms with occluded infections have been investigated by W. D. Buchanan, Morristown, N. J., and S. J. Smucker, of the Bureau of Plant Industry. In an experiment extending over a 3-year period, 1938-40, inclusive, they were unable to find any evidence to. indicate that occluded infections became active through injuries made by disease-free S. multistri- atus. It was also’found that S. multistriatus seldom became contaminated _ with C. ulmi by feeding on trees with occluded or active infections, and in no case was the fungus recovered. from galleries made in tra B logs by beetles that had fed on infected Secs bi Recovery of sabbscawse sewfly parasite.-~On December 3 a: collection of about 600 unissued cocoons of Neodiprion sertifer (Geoff.) was made by C. L. Griswold, Morristown, These were made at 3 sites beneath red and Scotch pine on the, property of the East Orange Water Reservation in Essex County, N. Jd., where Microcryptus basizonius (Grav.), an introduced hymenopterous parasite ofGilpinia polytoma (Htg.), was liberated in August 1940. Between December 5 and 18, 1941, several hymenopterous’ adults, which have been tentatively identified as Microcryptus basizonius.(Grav.), issued from the collected ma- terial. GYPSY MOTH AND BROWN~TAIL MOTH CONTROL “Work now operating under Federally sponsored State program,-~Gypsy moth field work was temporarily suspended on December 26 in order to complete the change-over to Federally sponsored W. P. A. projects operating under the State program, Owing to the careful preparations, the transfer was accom- plished without delay, although the actual start of gypsy moth work under the new plan was somewhat delayed because of inclement weather on January 2. With few exceptions, all of the W. P. A. workers employed on gypsy moth proj- ects in New England at the end of December were reassigned to gypsy moth work under the new plan, although several men were later transferred to National Defense trainee projects. However, it was necessary to terminate the ser- vices of 146 W. P. A. employees in Pennsylvania, in order to reduce the force to 400 workers, the number designated for that State. Gypsy moth work in Pennsylvania was benefited by the relaxation of W. P. A. regulations to the extent that W. P. A. gypsy moth workers may now work across county lines. Me psy_moth. work in..New-England.--Large quantities. of. brush.and other waste. ‘wood. accumulated é2t infested “locations in: ‘Séléctive thinning: and” cleaning operations was burned in Janu2 LLViy: the light covering of.. snow. ee rs viding ideal conditions. for. fire control. . The results of logging operations - in different sections of the area provided contrasting potentialities. © Con=- siderable white and paper birch wes cut in. southern Vermont, where. gypsy: moth infesta tions. are known: to SaaS ie and several property. owners in. south- ern Berkshire County,,. Mass. tions, property, and records that constituted the agency of : the same designation prior to the issuance of the Executive ‘ . Order, except thats : . q Nod meee "(a) the activities of each of the agencies shall be | subject to the direction and supervision of the rae Administrator of the iets nc Research . i Administration; "(b) the Administrator may transfer’ to his immediate . eee: office from any agency such personnel, property, end records:as he may require for the proper ‘discharge of his duties; "(c) the Administrator may take such action as he deems - to be appropriate with respect to consolidating... =. -or integrating the work of the several divisions, |... | . ‘sections, and units which are engaged in the per-. =, formance of business, personnel, information, ad= | ministrative, or other facilitating Services; and — Boge -~ (Cd) the Administrator may: take such action as he feels Set oan advisable with respect to integrating or consolidat-— rae ing the research of the several bureaus, divisions, sections, and units in order to promote econany:.and: : efficiency and to concentrate the Department's re- eat ig search efforts on problems that are most vital to | the production and utilization of agricultural psec commodities. 4 k Beat ts "3, The Administrator of the Agricultural Research Adminis- = = tration may delegate to other officials. or employees of. the Ad—" crwiee ministration or of the several egencies which constitute the Pa Administration any of the authority now or hereafter conferred upon the Administrator." . vos 5 as er a wet i: ‘S Naan eek “ ral a. BUREAU EMPLOYEES CALLED TO THE COLORS OR TRANSFERRED a TO SPECIAL NATIONAL DEFENSE ASSIGNMENTS = .. ‘Barrett, W. L.; fests Ent. , Ins. Affecting Man ang Animals, inducted, tgs af ‘Select. Serv. . eas | ees ee: ‘ Correction.~--In the News Letter seeniad March 1, 1: Avs IX, No the ae plein changes should be made in the list: ; a Stee Klaus \dolph . ag Auto “sat Pa, inducted, Select. Serv., January 19, Be oh erties “rae Lowry, William L., Fld. Asst., Cotton Ins., inducted, Select. Serv., February 4, 1942. ; The dates previously given were those effective upon expiration of accrued i leave. The dates given above show when the men actually entered military service. . nae FRUIT INSECT INVESTIGATIONS s Propylene dichloride effective against peach borer.--Experiments ee completed by Oliver I. Snapp,at the Fort Valley, Ga., laboratory, show that, even in cold wet soil, propylene dichloride emulsion at a ; strength weaker than that required of ethylene dichloride emulsion, is | very effective against the peach borer in midwinter in the South. One- half pint of 15-percent propylene dichloride emulsion per tree, which is 5 percent weaker than the recommended’ strength of ethylene dichloride emulsion, applied on January 30, killed all of the borers in 30 4-year-old peach trees within a 2-week period. During the same period, that strength and quantity of propylene dichloride emulsion killed &7.9 percent - and euther ted. 6. 1 percent of the borers in See Panne ee 2r-old peach trees. Flavor of raisins affected by paradichlorobenzene.--In samples of raisins fumigated experimentally with paradichlorobenzene shortly after FS harvest, the flavor of some of the berries had been altered by the treat- ment, according to Charles K. Fisher, of the Fresno, Calif., laboratory. | ag Many of the individual raisins appeared to be unaffected, but occasional ; ones had the sickish taste of certain flavors of cheap candy. An attempt to reproduce the effect in the laboratory by exposing older raisins, both “a to the crystals of aradichlorobenzene and to the vapor alone, resulted in an abnormal flavor of ea somewhat different quality, 211 of the fruit . a appearing to have been acted upon. There are records of this fumigant af- 4 fecting the flavor of the flesh of certain animals, the milk of cows, the me eggs of Sep eenss and lard from hogs fed on eran that had been fue ‘ SWE a ee Caceres x a a FRUITFLY CONTROL _ Trap catches low.--Fewer Mexican fruitflies (Anastrepha ludens Loew) were trapped during February in the Rio Grande Valley than in an re other February since 1935. This is elso the first February since 1935 that. some infested fruit has not been found in the area. The results ob- tained from field inspections and trapping operations make it appear that this season's infestation is not only later, but is also going to be some- what lighter than usual. Fruit is moving from the regulated area ata . very rapid rate. Shipments certified by inspectors during February totaled 4,301.8 equivalent carlots, and for the season 21,336.9 carlots of fruit | have been shipped. Weather conditions for field work were fair during the. month. No damaging frosts or freezes have occurred this season. . ia ee Set ee ee er ee ee a rts ; * t GRASSHOPPER CONTROL A change in operations designation was made on January 29, when the northern Oregon. A supervisor has ea asset to organize control work Netion-wide radio sales campaign. It is anticipated that about 400,000 who is endeavoring to obtain a large order from a national advertiser. | will continue to ship for this firm until the latter part of May. “Another “4 fet chi in i ei i) bi it (sip ey ‘ hf heap ee -| ngs s, i Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Control Projet be of Dames= tic Plant Quarantines became the Division of Grasshopper Control, with _— Dr> Claude Wakeland aay Chiei sig 2". : aR Eaie rs Ge _ Conference on Mormon cnet Re of ohe Division: conferred in February with State ‘representatives of those Mormon | cricket infested States where control. will be undertaken in 1942. The ~ meetings were held for the purpose of discussing the general plan of work contemplated in the cooperative control program and to draft a memorandum of understanding outlining the procedure to be followed in each State. Conferences were held with State representatives, in the order named, of Wyo- ming, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and. Nevada.. Earlyin: February z crickets were reported hatching. along the Deschutes River in Wasco County; which will be lice: SOON. ‘ — JAPANESE BE BILE CONTROL -Mobilization of De artmen at equi nein for - Civilian Terese aoa a mustang of the United States Department of Agriculture Regional Mobili- — zation Equipment Committee of Defense Areas 1, 2, and 3, held in. Phila— delphia on January 25 to 28, Erle G. Brewer, divisional chief, was Se- — lected as vice-chairman of the committee for the Second Civilian Defense egion, comprising the States of New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. In this. capacity Mr. Brewer is accumulating records of . aa Department-owned equipment in the Second Defense Area: that could be used in civilian de- fense-.: He will also develop necessary contacts with State offices of the ™ Office of Civilian Defense within the Second A lreéa, SO that proper instruc— tions. can be given, for the use of the material in dn emergency and, like-— wise, that employees and nonemployees might be signed up as 0. C. D. en- rollees, to’ operate the equipment for defense purposes. A separate office in the- Bloomfield headquarters has been devoted to the storage of these records and for activities connected with their collection and distribu- tion. - . : : : ; aera : Si fe 3 _...- Special handling of. large-scale mail-order’ shi ments.—-Arrangements were made by the New York City office to handle large-scale shiprents of ~ certified plant material in individual packages to be advertised on in individual packages will be involved, all of which will be shipped within as few days as-possible after the mail orders are received... -There. is also. 2 possibility of an increase of from’150,000 to 250, 000 additional ship- ments ifa further tentative plen is accepted by the advertising agency. As it is impracticable to affix a regular certificate to each of these small packages, special rubber stamps have been provided for certifying these packages.’ Inquiries have been received from a second plant grower” Further large-scale ‘shipments are reported from the Philadelphia area ,where rose growers-in-the West Grove, Pa., area started to ship roses: early in danuary.- One grower started to fill orders for a national chein store and grower has potted 40,000 roses, using soil fumigated with carbon disulfide, — for shipment late in April or early in Mey. Methyl bromide Poeet on. of canna roots,--The Division's portable methyl bromide fumigation chamber was 1g used du during the month at a Long Is- land nursery for a test fumigation of canna roots. A similar test was made in December and the fumigated plants were forced in the greenhouse. There was definite indication of injury, but this was apparently complicated by the condition of the roots. The check plants also forced poorly because of an insufficient rest period. The latest demonstration was to recheck these varieties after a longer storage period. The plants were taken from cold storage. and fumigated. Half of the plants were then set in the green- house for forcing, in order to-compare them with those fumigated in Decem- ber. The remainder were replaced in cold storage to be forced in the spring under normal conditions. The cannas now being forced are intended for use at the International Flower Show to be held in New York City the latter part of March. Nurserymen cooperate in travel conservation.--Inspectors have been instructed to arrange their daily calls at nurseries and greenhouses so that travel by truck will be reduced to a minimum, with corresponding tire conservation. The nurserymen and greenhousemen have cooperated well in these arrangements, often making extra efforts to space their shipments so that a number of establishments in the same locality can fully utilize the services of an inspector for an entire day, thereby eliminating call-backs or further’ visits in that section during the week. Mill ee brush to eee en mad: at eakeport,. Neaias where large quantities of lumber for Government war projects is being milled, recently installed a cylinder brush, about 6 inches in diameter, on the end of the conveyor table, ahead of one of the planes, in order to study the pos- sibility of removing gypsy moth egg clusters from the under side of boards passing through the plane, when the under surface is to be left rough. The brush is power driven and revolves in the opposite direction to that traveled by the board. Owing to twist and warp in some boards, the mill is arranging to move the brush closer to the plane. At this point the plane holds the boards firmly. With this correction, it is expected that the performance of the brush will be satisfactory. First Aid instruction.e--Nineteen members of the Bloomfield, N. d., headquarters staff completed American Red Cross standard and advanced First Aid courses on March 6. 0. Ns Liming, assisted by D. H. Slayback, was in- structor. Both of these men are Division employees. Nine of those who completed the advanced course are enrolled in a lay instructor's course to be given in the Division's Bloomfield office from March 16 to 20, by an in- structor from Washington, D. C. All appointed employees of the Connecticut Dutch elm disease office are either taking or teaching First Aid. Most of the New York personnel are similarly engaged. Men connected with the Dutch elm disease office in Pennsylvania are ree prominent in First Aid training in their section. Increased shipments from defense plant.--In the Middleboro, Mass., district, the district inspector began issuing gypsy moth permits for the movement of forest products from a fireworks plant last October. The first month's shipments totaled 30 carloads. Permits were issued during February for the shipment of 300 carloads of material from this establishment. ‘Sig He eance: AG set ee nuitdatei ates ws Dutch ae Pepe eda hard We ny Buchanan, Morristown, N. d., reports that nursery elm trees planted in 1938 and.enclosed in a large cloth-covered cage, were used-in 1941 to - test the significance of.S. multistriatus Marsh. in. connection with the — Dutch elm disease. Approximately 5,000 S. multistriatus emerged in the’ cage between May-14 and June 17 from: logs taken from diseased treés in- ©. fested in the field. Ceratostomella ulmi was’isolated from’7.69 percent — of 918 of the beetles that were cultured. Foliar. symptoms. of the Dutch elm disease developed in 5 of 88 trees upon which the beetles. fed exten- sively. C. ulmi was isolated from 3 other trees with discoloration in the : 1941 vascular sy: system, but these did not show external symptoms. The ' top. : and upper part of the trunk died on one of the 5 that showed external symp- toms, but only a few oe Ee ke died on a of the other eee that be- came ated. ws We ag Sp ecies and varietal differences in twig crotch injuries to elms = - by S. multistriatus.--D. 0. Wolfenbarger examined several: thousand twig crotches involving 15 species or varieties of elm, to obtain data on .- species and varietal differences in twig crotch injuries made by S. multi- striatus... S.J. Smucker, of ‘the Bureau of’ Plant Industry, . assisted in the determination of species and, varieties of elm. It is generally accepted thet twig crotch feeding by $. multistriatus is the principal means by which healthy elm trees ere. inoculated with the organism causing the Dutch elm disease. Any limitation of ‘this activity through the discovery of | species, varieties, or strains of elm trees less favored for crotch attack would be .a control measure for the disease. The data obtained from these. examinations, together with the results of many observations on the more. common elm species, have given no indication of any Saas So or aversion —— by 2h multistriatus ee any peer ee or vara Mit GYPSY MOTH AND BROWN=TATL HOT! CONTROL oe of cMaien ee eae eyps y viet sont ogee ‘moth field work was seriously handicapped during February in both the New England and Pennsylvania areas by subzero-temperatures, accompanied: by. high winds, and by the tnexpéerience and physical unfitness of many of the =~ available Wf. .P. A..employees. | Thus far.it ‘has proved impossible to — fill the desired quota .for.any State where Federal gypsy moth work is-in progress, despite the acceptance of older men and of. men with physical ~ . * disabilities, and much of the recent work in somé: sections has been accon- : plished by. regular ni ae stat SHE ee in gupe ry tary aie © eke : Gypsy moth work in Vermont .--Gypsy hath! ceeatine work has bden' com— s pleted in an extensive swampy area in the northwestern section of Swanton |. Township, Franklin County, Vt,, where the Missisquoi River empties into: Lake Champlain. The swamps, some of which are several miles long, have been frozen over for some timée-and the scouts have ‘been able to reach and examine without difficulty the dense stands of trees that grow. on ground rising above the swamp level. Although most of the growth consists of wil- low, red oak, white oak, poplar, gray birch, and other favorable food = ~~ plants, Swanton has never been found to be infested by the gypsy moth. — Scouting work was also completed in Middletown Springs Township, Rutland — CV Tee hp eee Oe erica ay Lgl rey 7 DTA? ~ Yt) SLT PU ites Te .7 he ey 7. en "f , oat f ‘ «* 7 r —7- County. Five single-egg-cluster infestations and one two-egg—cluster infestation were found. A gypsy moth infestation consisting of six egg clusters was found in Bennington Township, Bennington County, and ad- ditional egg clusters may be found later when ground conditions improve. Chopping and burning work continued at a gypsy moth infested site in Wood- ford Township, Bennington County. Several acres surrounding the infesta- tion have been cleared and large quantities of dead and dying trees, brush, and windfalls have been destroyed. Gypsy moth ground crews burn brush and creosote egg clusters.--Crews of W. P. A. laborers continued to burn dead, defective, and other worthless growth in woodlands infested by the gypsy moth in the barrier zone section of Massachusetts, although a heavy coating of ice and frozen snow rendered burning conditions difficult in some locations. Because of unfavorable ground conditions during most of the month, crews detailed to ground work were obliged to confine their activities chiefly to the creosoting of gypsy moth egg clusters found above the snow line. Gypsy moth work in Connecticut.--Special survey work by a small crew of regular gypsy moth employees was completed in an area of approximately 4,000 acres in Norfolk Township, Litchfield County, and a few widely scat- tered egg clusters were found and destroyed. Several additional egg clus- ters were destroyed in an area of about 1,200 acres in another section of Norfolk Township by a Connecticut State crew working in cooperation with this activity. Special surveys were also conducted in three additional townships in Litchfield County. No gypsy moth egg clusters were found in the southwest corner of Salisbury Township, where no scouting work had been performed since 1937. Scouting on one of the highest elevations in Canaan Township resulted in the discovery of 12 egg clusters. Three crews of W. Pe A. employees also worked in Connecticut during February. One crew was detailed to scouting work in Norfolk Township and two crews performed grou work at infested sites in Litchfield and Salisbury Townships, in Litchfield County. PLANT DISEASE CONTROL Spread of white pine blister rust in 1941.--The spread of white pine blister rust during 1941 was featured by a southward extension of the dis- ease on Ribes from central Virginia and West Virginia into northern Tennes- see and North Carolina, and by the finding for the first time of large nun- bers of cankers'on sugar pine in northern California and southern Oregon in localities where Ribes were found infected in previous years. In the Appalachian region the rust spread southward on wild Ribes for a distance of about 134 miles. Infection on Ribes was reported for the first time in _ 16 new counties and on white pine in 2 new counties. This southward ex- tension of the rust was expected sooner or later and is not especially serious from a control standpoint, as nearly all of the valuable white pine stands within the newly infected counties already have been initially pro- tected by the eradication of Ribes. In the sugar pine region of California and Oregon many more cankers were discovered on sugar pines than have been observed in past years. In southern Oregon the wet season and the increase locally in the volume of aeciospore dispersal, resulted in general and heavy infection on Ribes.e. The rust is now-more or less generally present in Ore- gon in all counties where 5-needle pines grow. The disease was found for the first time in Crater Lake National Park. Infection was confined to the hes Annie eee dango fanee found - increase in the. amount of disease. ‘on pines Obse Spi. Jackson Counties, - and in- Klamath County 3 infection was found for the. first time on both pine and Ribes. In California blister rust infections were found for the first time on Ribes in Mendocine and Humboldt Counties in the Coast Range, and in Sierra ra County in the Sierra Nevadas. ‘The rust has. thus spread southward in the Coast Range for sdine 200 miles and in the - Sierra Nevadas for 170 miles. The most significant find of the season was the discovery of infected sugar pine near Cascade, in Plumas County, in the southern end of thé Plumas National Fors Sty The- discovery of rust on. suger pine so far south in the Sierra Nevadas and the ‘large increase in the number of infected pines, is tangible evidence that the disease is beginning © to establish itself over a wide area in northern Califsrnia. The past year _ appears to. have been unusually favorable for rust intemsification in the western white pine region of northeastern Washington, siorth ern Idaho, and ng northwestern Montana, because of abnormally wet condit?.ons throughout the growing season. Infection on white pines was located for the first time in 1941 in. the Glacier National Park. Blister rust infection in the North Central States was. found for the. firs* time om white pine: in -7 -countic s-and on Ribes in 2 counties. In general, weather ¢onditions during the first part of the summer were unsatisfactory for the spread o% the rust on Hibes, me Ub! af fter the middle cf August they favored the spread of the disease on _ both host plants. In the Northeastetn States blister rust hes been preva- dent for many years, and the progress of Ribes eradication since 1918 has brought the rust under control over extensive arcas where these bushes have _ been removed and kept suppressed. In 1941 Ribes, in general, were from moderately to heavily infected, notwithstanding ding the drougtht, yhich pre- - vailed during most of the ficld szason. A few new pine Infection centers — were found in some of the States in this region, but thege were areas where the disease had been present for several yoarse. Old infection on white ‘pines is conspicuous in many ple.ces, but in most of these areas Ribes have “¢ Ben kept suppressed and therefore new infection is absent. In the the country _ as a whole, blister rust infection was found for the first time on Ribes _ in 22 counties and on white pine in 11 counties. my: The Cathedral Woods Logeede--S. H. Boomer, district blister rust. leader in New Hampshire, reports that the famous grove of vihite pine in the northern part of Conway, N. H., known as the Cathedral ‘’ooc's, has been cut in the -interest ge National. Defense. For more than 70 years these woods’ '_) have been used as.a picnia area, as a starting point for vajrious. mountain — trails and bridle. ie nnd as a landmark in this White Movtntain town. It one of the most widely known stands: of white pine in the country. Ow to the demand for box boards for ammunition-cases and aj.rplane crates, Cathedral Yoods were cut early in 1941. The hurricane cf September 1938 uprooted 270,000 board feet of the best trees, and thegve were salvaged — the following winter. ‘fhe 1941 cut amounted to 1,125,000 bcard feet. The trees were very tall, funning up 5 and 6 logs. A considerable amount» of red ring rot (Fomes pini) indicated that the stand was ready for cutting. Fortunately 1941 was an excellent seed year, as was 1938, antl if fire can be prevented this area should grown another grove of Cathedral pines. There has been 2 large amount of cutting in this locality as a direct re=_ ; sult of the war. The Merriman woods were cut in 1937-38, yielding 3,100,000 feet. The Pendexter pines across the town line from the Cathssdral Woods, — , Ga toa 2; 200, 000 feet; the Gale woods in Lower Bartlett, 1 11%5,000 yy 3 “Akio oh ss the Smith woods on the west Side, 2,000,000 feet; the Lewis and Wood- ward lots in Hast Conway, 2,500,000 feet; and several other lots in the section were cut. Practically all was white pine. Towa counties allot funds for barberry eradication.-~County boards of supervisors in 12 of the 16 Iowa counties in which crews were employed in 1941 made gash allotments or furnished automotive equipment for use on the barberryeeradication project, amounting to $6,473. The funds were used for purchases of gasoline, oil, repairs, and parts for Government-owned trucks; operation cost of county-—owned trucks; rental of privately owned trucks and passenger cars; chemicals; and miscellane-— ous items. D. R. Shepherd, State leader, advises that the cash allot— ments were substantial and .in some of the counties sufficient to pay all nonlabor costs of the project. Suspension of We P. A. projects will affect barberry eradication.-— The stem rust control project is generally recognized by W. P. A. officials as being next in importance to certified Defense projects, and in 1.State the project has been definitely classified in this order. There has been a gradual increase in the number of certified workers assigned to barberry eradication since January 1, until now there is a total of 1,891 employees on the 15 State projects operating. Some reduction in the scope. of opera— tions during the active farming season is anticipated, in order that la- borers will be available to work. on farms. Notice has been given by W. P. A. that their projects will be suspended in numerous agricultural counties, and in other counties W. P. A. employees will be released for farm work when requested by farm operators. The availability of labor will necessi- tate adjustments in the barberry-eradication field program in most States; however, this problem has been given thorough consideration in formulating plans for the most beneficial: operations. Initial intensive survey to be continued in southern Indiana.-- Stanley Castell, State leader, reports that a survey for rust-susceptible bar- berry’ was completed in 43 of the 92 counties in Indiana during 1941. These 43 counties will require no further organized survey until 1946. There are no Indiana counties in which subsequent survey will be required in 1942. It is planned to apply all available labor this year toward con- tinuing the initial intensive survey in the 29 southern counties remaining to be completed. Operations are now in progress in Morgan, Owen, and Posey Counties, which are included in this group. COTTON INSECT INVESTIGATIONS Visitors to boll weevil and bollworm control experiments.--K. P. Ewing, of the Waco, Tex., Laboratory, reports that several of his 1941 ex- periments on control of the boll weevil and the bollworm showed such re- markable contrast between dusted and undusted cotton that they were opened to the public as demonstrations during September and October. Jd. C. Patterson, county agent of McLennan County, cooperated very closely with the Waco laboratory in presenting these demonstrations to the public through a publicity campaign in the local newspapers, over the radio, and by circular letters and telephone calls. Visitors included farmers, bankers, merchants, oil-mill men, ginners, cotton breeders, and representatives of various agricultural agencies, such as the Farm Security Administration, «Soil Conservation Service, Extension Service, Texas Cotton Association, Texas Juarez Valley, from the vicinity of Guadalupe to Vado de Cedillos, ora Farm Bureau Federation; =H Clubs, and Comminity Agricultural Associa- tions, also graduate: studefits’in entomology at Texas A. & M. College. No attempt was made-to‘keep-an accurate record of the number of visitors but it is conservatively estimated that several hundred visited the fields. At least 75.visited.1° experiment. on September 26 between the hours of 9 aem. and 12 m., when the county agent, assistant county agent, and Mr. Ewing were present to explain the measures used for boll weevil control in that particular experiment and to make mess ions for control of other cotton PABC chs Effect of temperature and humidity on hatching of bollworm eggs.-~ Preliminary tests to determine the effect of temperature and relative hu- midity on the hatching of eggs of Heliothis erepeera Hbn. were conducted by E. E. Ivy at Waco, Tex., last season. Eggs of uniform age, size, and shape, deposited by moths confined in black-percale cages, were used. A minute coating of albumen. was smeared.on a microscope slide and 25 eggs. were transferred to one end of the slide with a moistened camel's-hair brush. The slides with the eggs sbove the liquid were placed in staining jars containing. ‘solutions that maintained relative humidities of approxi- mately 7, 25, 31, 37, 46, 56, 73,°80, 90, and 100 percent. The jars were es with cover glasses and placed in an electric incubator that main- tained temperatures within 2°-3° variation. A maximum thermometer was placed with the bulb at the same level as the eggs and the maximum tempera- ture noted for each test. Seven tests with 250 eges each were conducted. In each test a slide with 25 eggs.was maintained at each of the relative humiditics and exposed to the same maximum temperature. At 96.5° and 99.5° F. maximum temperatures bollworm eggs were resistant to both low and high humidities, but eggs were not resistant to low humidities and were ad- versely affected by high humidities at higher temperetures. Hatching of eggs exposed to a maximum temperature of 99.5° increased from 44 -percent at 7~-percent relative humidity to 100 percent at 100-percent relative hu- midity» -When exposed to 103.5% maximum temperature no hatching occurred at relative humidities of 31 percent or below and at 105° maximum tempera- ture no hatching occurred at relative humidities of 37 percent or below. At maximum temperatures of '103.5° and 105° the largest hatch--13 percent and 3 percent, respectively--occurred at 80-percent relative humidity. Only a few eggs hatched when exposed to a maximum temperature of 105° and no hatching occurred et 105.5° maximum temperature. The average hatch of eggs held at the 10 reletive humidities tested with each maximum tempera- ture was as follows: 96,5°, 81 percent hatch; 99.5°, 71 percent; 103.5°, e2 percents 40k”, 1) percent; 105”, °S percenteng0s.5" 5° 0 percents Pink bollworm in the Hl Paso and Juarez Valleys.--A survey of pink bollworm abundance and general crop conditions.in the El Paso and Juarez _ Valleys was made in October by W. L. Lowry and .0, T. Robertson, in coopera— tion with the Division of Pink Bollworm Control. In the El Paso Valley - inspections of nine fields located from the vicinity of Fabens, Tex-, to the lower end of the valley, or a distance of 60 miles, showed an average of 9 percent of the bolls infested and O.44 larva per plant. This is com- pared with less than 3-percent boll infestation and an averase of less than ~ O.1 larva per plant in 1939 and 1940. Cotton had been. completely defoli- ated by the leaf worms but this occurred too late to affect the crop, ex- cept in a few late-planted fields. Inspections made in six fields in the if rather heavy general infestation ion and in practic2lly every field visited casual : showed-the | presence of live aes and exit holes. -At all gins’ the seed wes being sterilized, the lint passed through steel rollers, "and the gin trash burned, as a as of the control regulations. TRUCK cROP AND GARDEN INSECT INVESTIGATIONS Seed om varieties affected. by Lygus bugs.--Field cage studies, conducted by O. A. Hills at the Phoenix, Ariz., laboratory, during 1941 to determine the relative a of various varieties of sugar beets _ grown for seed to injury by Lygus bugs indicate thet of the five varieties _ tested all were equally damaged by insects. Results of previous work by 3 of: this laboratory have shown that Lygus bugs reduce the percentage of viable af seed produced. - Several varieties: of sugar beets are grown for seed in the 0 ‘Southwest and in’ some years certain. of theSe varieties apparently produce a - lower percénvage of viable seed than other varieties, and the question of | i possible differences in susceptibility to Lygus damage has arisen, -Results ) of the investigations last year indicated that the varieties are similarly 4 ges a by LYBUS bik ie Tale, pyrophyllite, clay, and sulfur as diluents for pyrethrum and et, cube.--As the result of field-plot experiments in a 1941 fall-crop planting of c cabbage at Charleston, S.-C., We J. Reid, Jr.e; found that a clay of the x type generally used as a diluent in insecticides proved significantly in- be ferior to tale, pyrophyllite, and sulfur as a diluent for pyrethrum powder in the control of the cabbage looper. No significant differences between a tale, pyrophyllite, and sulfur were demonstrated. The cube-dust mixtures +e containing tale and pyrophyllite tended to be superior to clay and to a lesser extent to sulfur at the time of an insect count, made during: the third and fourth days after the last of the two insecticide applications. A count made approximately 1 days after the last application indicated © that there were no significant differences between the diluents used Witt cube. In reducing the numbers of cabbage loopers, the pyrethrum-dust mix— tures (which contained 0.2 percent of pyrethrins) were highly superior. to the cube-dust mixtures (which contained 0.75 percent of rotenone) at the’ time of both counts, but a significieant interaction between insecticide materials and diluents was shown at the second count. ‘When data on the ‘two insecticides were grouped, clay was shown to be greatly inferior against _ the larger loopers to tale and to pyrophyllite, but not to sulfur, at the * time of the first count. At the second count. the dusts containing clay were. decidedly inferior to all the others, but there was a significant inter- 4 aetion between insecticide materials and diluents. In reducing the num _ bers’ of Agrotinae, consisting principally of several species of true cut~ -: worms, and the corn earworm, there were no significant differences between * dust mixtures, insecticide materials, or diluents at the time of either count. There was, however, 2 tendency for the pyrethrum dust mixtures to reduce ‘the ues of a larvae. - ea ait MA. zy “oaths: — -— | Eo wee 7 5 ; ore ’ im eT. ae (oes superior to fixed nicotine or hellebore in control of eae “gabbas se Looper In a expe ‘iments ce Sates by Mire Reid on a a ; om tas § brig p Ue #2 at peauw oJ . his SATE s ‘*o aN, a Asal decal Nt, 7S a ae Merit oaye | Severe et ceemenr este tistical analysis of data showed thet where the crops were not rotated, had populetions significantly greater than third-year alfalfa. Two-year rotations of corn and wheat had significantly greater populations than corn - but most of them could not be proved significantly different. This season, percent of Cpmenheine were Noe Beni ricantie different in giving an. ox ee control of the cabbage looper and were highly superior to both. e fixed-nicotine-dust mixture containing 4.66 percent of nicotine and co . a dust mixture containing 50 percent of a domestic hellebore powder. Hach of the dust mixtures was applied four times during the plant-heading period and all contained pyrophyllite as the diluent. The hellebore-dust mixture wes significantly superior to the nicotine—-dust mixture at the time of the first count, but not at the second count, and neither dust mixture pro- vided worth-while control of the looper. Against the Agrotinae, the nico- tine-dust mixture tended to be most effective at both counts, and was sig- nificantly superior to the dust mixtures containing pyrethrins at the sec- ond count. The reduction of the Agrotinae by nicotine-dust mixture evi- dently was confined to the small larvae and did not affect the numbers of medium and large spccimens, which do the chief damage. The experiment in- dicetes that the use of a pyrethrins-impregnated—dust mixture offers a pos- sible means of greatly conserving supplies of pyrethrum, as much as one- third to one-half in the case of cabbage caterpillar control, a saving es- pecially valuable under war-time conditions. The fixed-nicotine and the domestic-hellebore mixtures did not prove promising. Crop rote oe affect wireworm populations.--That crop rotations have an important effect on the population of and damage caused by the sugar- eet wireworm and the Pacific coast wircworm in Washington was corroborated by K. &. Gibson, of the Walie Walla, Wash., lIsborntory, when the complete series of 102 crop-rotation plots on the Irrigetion Branch Experiment Sta- tion at Prosser, Wash., was sifted in Merch 1941, for the third successive year. Alfalfa, sweetclover, wheat, sugar beets, corn, and potatoes are grovm in these rotations. Ten 1/h-Square-foot samples of soil, dug to a depth of 2 feet, were sifted from’each plot. Relatively low wireworm popu- lations (not over 3.3 per square foot) were found where alfalfa succeeded itself, where suger beets followed any of the other crops, wh-re corn or potatoes followed sugar bcets, and where potatoes followed alfalfa. The highest populations were found where wheat or sweetclover succeeded sugar eets, corn, or potatoes, where corn succeeded wheat, and where wheat or potatoes succeeded themselves or each other. The depressant effect: of al- falfe and sugar beets on wireworm populations is shown and, conversely, the tendency of irrignted wheat and potatoes to build up populations. A sta- both potatoes and wheat had average mean populations significantly greater than sugar beets or alfalfa. Also 2-year rotations of potatoes and wheat and sugar beets. Other differences were shown between various rotations wheat and corn showed the largest percentage production of adults of all the crops, and also the largest actual number of adults per square foot. Alfalfa and sugar beets were the poorest crops for adult production. Per- centage production of adults and actual numbers per square foot were higher this year than last. A comparison of several years! siftings shows that the low wireworm populations in these plots remain fairly constant year after year, whereas the high populations tend to fluctuate rather widely below a maximum of approximately 20 per square foot, Limonius californicus (Mann.) does not seem to be competing successfully with L. canus Lec. in © this series of truck- and forage-crop rotations, the former showing numer: ‘ plots. ‘rt Eee aons each year. The average mean ion for the entire series of plots was 4.03 per square foot this season, as compared with 5-08 last season. The adult popula- tion was larger this year than lest, but the larval population consider- ably smaller. Potatoes were grown in 22 of ‘these plots and were examined in October 1941 for wireworm damage. Those that succeeded alfalfa in ro- ‘tations showed the least damage, and the greatest’ damage was shown where potatoes succeeded themselves. INSECTS AFFECTING MAN AND ANIMALS 7 Control of cattle grubs.--E. W. Laake, of the Dallas, Tex., labora- _ tory, reports that excellent results in the control of cattle grubs have been obtained by using a mixture consisting of equal parts of cube and wettable sulfur dusts. podium silico fluoride as a_substitute for sodium fluoride for chicka aa lice.--Preliminary tests reported by Roy Melvin, of the Menard, Tex., labora- tory, indicate that sodium silico fluoride of 35 percent purity was not so _. effective as sodium fluoride, but that sodium silico fluoride of 98 percent ‘purity was approximately equal in effectiveness to sodium fluoride. No in- _jurious effect has been observed from the use of these materials. "FOREIGN PLANT QUARANTINES Seed cotton as Resin aa Thine small mail packages of souvenirs from Quito, Ecuador, were found to contain cotton packing when examined recently — | by the Custons inspector at Buffalo, N. Y¥., so he set them aside for plant— ; quarantine inspection. Approximately 1,000 cottonseeds were found in the | _ - cotton. Characteristic pink bollworm injury was found in a number of seeds _ but no living specimens were seen. Photographs of the material were made - .- by a Postal employee and prints supplied to this Division. This affords another illustration of the necessity for. keeping a:close watch on packing _ materials and of the value of the hearty cooperztion extended by Custans Sy and Postal Services. DOMESTIC PLANT QUARANTINES Sweetpotato weevils found in Brooks County, Ga.--Sweetpotato-weevils _ were discovered in Brooks County, Ga., on February 10 by a State inspector. _.. Further delimiting surveys, conducted in the 5-mile environs of the infes-. ted property, resulted in locating six infestations. The survey is not yet complete. Weevils have not heretofore been found in Brooks County in the -Federal—State activities of the last 4-1/2 years. The growers are entering a. into the eradication program with considerable interest. o Ben Guan ahaes: Pes. on the expansion of atten i ie asinine to the various dheobares bio; ag logical control, in order to reduce the destructiveness of this pest. The Be dissemination of parasitic nematodes on an experimental control basis is proposed. More widespread cultural procedures and crop rotetion practices as an aid to profitable farming in infested areas will be “encouraged asa supplement to suppressive measures. Progress in the treatment of nursery stock and soil was indicated in the modification of such regulatory require-_ ments. The report of the recent white-fringed beetle survey conducted in =| South America by the Division of Foreign Parasite Introduction gave informa— — any tion of importance to the control and regulatory activities, porticularly Hs as to the seriousness of the beetle as a pea of potato -plants ‘and of the tubers in field and storage. a: Strawberry root weevil found in air shipment.--A shipment of dor- -mant rose bushes consigned by airmail from Petchogue, N. ¥., to Fairview, A Oreg., and intercepted by ae transit inspector at New York City on Febru- 3 ary 9, was found to contain a larvae of Brachyrhinus ovatus (f.). ee hres ae the second time this Suen has been intercepted by a a transit inspector re during the current fiscal year. Ge, Transit inspectors' conference.--Transit inspectors from New York, _ Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Chicago met in conference at New York on we Februery 18-19. Inspectors of the Japanese beetle force, as well as Wash- ington representatives of the divisions of domestic and foreign plant quar- antines, were also in attendance. Because many transit inspectors are working alone at their posts, meetings of this kind are met with enthusi- asm and are found to put new life into the project. Recommendations rela= tive to quarantine procedure end exemption of certain articles from certifi- cation were made at the meeting, 2nd the work of transit inspectors in rela= | ; tion to national defense was discussed. B New motor freight terminal at New York.-~The New York Port Authowtee _ | recently announced plans for construction of a $2,000,000 freight terminal © / in lower Manhattan, to facilitate the accommodations for some of the 10, 000 . _ trucks that pass through the city daily. According to a recent survey by the Authority, there are 174 motor-freight terminals in Menhattan alone. ei CONTROL INVESTIGATIONS ote - Injections change resistance of roaches to insecticides.-~The in- ‘sa jection of Chinese ink (carbon) particles in suspension in a physiological — saline solution has been reported by &. R. McGovran, J. F. Yeager, E. L. Mayer, and Sam C. Munson to cause a variation in the resistance of nymohs of the American roach to pyrethrum extract in acetone and votassium fluoride in water, when these insecticides were applied as contact insecticides. Af- ter the ink was injected many of the blood cells in the roach took up the microscopic particles of carbon so that these cells were often filled with — black particles, In some cases these cells adhered to each other to form. clumps, some of which, no doubt, lodged in the tissues of the insect. In- this manner many blood cells were removed from circulation through the in- sect and some of the functions of the cells that were partially or com Ne vanene aie with ink Sethi Seay may have pa interfered with. Howeve Biee Sa not cause appreciable oe ee, of tne roaches treated with acetone or water that did not contain an insecticide. The solutionsof insecti- cides and the acetone and water treatments mentioned above were applied with a micropipette which delivered a measured dose on each insect. The liquids were applied between the wing pads of the nymphs and their body ? wall. As only a small quantity of water or aqueous solution (2.5 lembda per gram of body weight) could be applied without the probability of some : of it being rubbed off by the roaches, even though they were confined in- . dividually, it was necessary to use a material that was quite soluble in water. For this reason potassium fluoride was used, instead of sodium Ye fluoride, as 2 sufficient amount of the potassium compound to kill the in- sects could be dissolved in a volume of water that it was practical to ap— me ply and have retained on the insects. The insecticides were applied 24 : hours after the roaches were injected. The results showed that the injec-— . > tion of ink caused a reduction in the resistance of the roaches during ; i part of the first-week of the tests and an increase in the resistence of 4 the roaches during the latter part of the second week. When ink-injected roaches were treated with pyrethrum extract their resistance appeared to K be slightly increased, as compared with saline-injected roaches, but the difference was not statistically significant. This varisble response of the roaches indicates that the physiological mechanism within the insect that builds up its resistance to insecticides may be intricate and that the physiological mechanism may be different for each insecticide. The ~ fact that carbon particles have great powers of adsorption for certain ma- terials may account for some of the effects observed. The injection of trypan blue dissolved in saline into roaches that were subsequently treated ) with pyrethrum extract or potassium fluoride showed that trypan-blue in- a ‘jection did not produce an appreciable change in the resistance of the insects to the i1secticides. The injection of trypan blue deeply stained the pericardial cells, indicating that they had taken up large amounts of the dye. This indicates thet either the dye in the cells did not inter- fere with their function in maintaining the resistance of the insect to the insecticides used, or thet the pericardial cells do not assist in de- toxifying these insecticides within the insect, or that whatever change was produced in the pericardial cells by the dye was masked by the effect of the dye on the remaining tissues in the insect. OE A hee Pe eae he we ee! = ial me a. hi a ae eee Pe Ne ae ee ge Oe INSECTICIDE INVESTIGATIONS New fungicides and insecticides patented.--Three public service patents have recently been issued to R. H. ee United States Patent 2,269,892, issued January 13, 1942, claims a fungicide and insecticide, - containing és its essentially active ee en era a heavy metal salt of the dithiocarbamic acid of morpholine. United States Patent 2,269,893; issued on the same date, claims an se eee containing as its essen= tial active ingredient the morpholine salt of the dithiocarbamic acid of morpholine. United States Patent 2,272,044 claims an insect repellent, containing as its essential active ingredient dimorpholine thiuramdisul- SO ele sie lie hy iP) tare ss fier eee BES CULTURE Expeller grades of soybean flour for feeding bee colonies.--C. We Schaefer and C. L. Farrar, Mscison, Wis., 1) report that greenhouse colonies fed three brands of soybean flours treated by the expeller process reared 42 percent more bees than did colonies, fed four brands of soybean flours refined under the chemical extraction process. Six colonies fed three brands of flour treated by the expeller process reared 37 percent as much | brood as did two colonies fed pollen alone. Eight colonies fed four brands © . of flour treated by the chemical process reared 26 percent as much brood. ig é check colony reared 9 percent as much brood. The two colonies fed pol- eS len alone averaged 14,500 bees reared between December 4, 1941, and Janu- a ary 29, 1942. Where the seven brands of soybean flour were supplemented with 25 percent pollen, three colonies fed expeller grades reared 83 per- cent as much brood as did those on pollen. Four colonies fed flours pro- duced under the chemical process reared 46 percent as much brood as those on pollen. Three colonies started as checks, or failing to respond to the Oe original food during the first period, reared an average of 7,200 bees when & fed expeller grades supplemented with 25 percent pollen during the last three periods, as compared to 550 bees for the remaining check colony. Two other brands of the chemical type of flours were found unfit for bee food. | One became gluelike in consistency when mixed with sugar sirup, which the bees could not handle, and the other soured soon after it was mixed. The i) amount of water used by. the colonies was directly proportional to the amount E of brood reared under the same environmental conditions. Colonies in the greenhouse with low humidity used nearly twice as much water as did those in | a greenhouse with high humidity. Probably an average of less than 20 per= | cent of the eggs laid in all test colonies were developed into bees. Fifty= four percent as much sealed brood was measured as unsealed eggs and larvae; | -however, measurements were made at 12-day intervals, the normal period for | sealed brood, whereas the unsealed brood represents 8 days of egg laying. Thus the ratio should be reduced from 54 percent to a theoretical 36 percent | had none of the eggs or larvae been removed. The measured ratio of sealed a to unsealed brood for the pollen colonies was 60 percent; expeller flours pie ‘A plus pollen, 61 percent; chemically extracted flours plus pollen, 59 percents expeller flours alone, 49 percent; chemically extracted flours alone, 46 per cents; and check colony 32 percent. The theorctical ratios in each case would | be two-thirds the measured ratio, which would obviously be too high. Light : nosema infections were found in 18 of the 30 colonies in the test. In laste year's tests, severe nosema infections were found in all 30 colonies. The © ; reduction this year may be due to the use of inverted "pepper—box" feeders; | is whereas last year water was provided in open vessels. In both years the | water containers were washed in hot water every 3 to 4 days. t Lecce act: CO ee Te gw Sap Gd. CA ee A oo eae See ae pe en ot ee