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Infestations of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii, are at their lowest levels since this pest first became widespread and seriously damaging in citrus orchards of southern California. Chemical treatments have been eliminated in many areas, and in others, reduced to applications every one to two years. The activities of minute hymenopterous parasites, particularly the golden chalcids, Aphytis melinus and A. lingnanensis, are credited primarily with this reduction of the scale.

The height of poinsettias for pot plant marketing can be effectively reduced by using soil applications of the chemical, CCC, according to tests conducted with the cooperation of growers in San Mateo and Alameda counties. Difficulties in keeping potted plants from growing too tall were solved by using 2 ounces of a solution containing CCC at the rate of 1/2 to 1 ounce of the 50% material per 3 quarts of water. When applied just before, or immediately after transplanting from the 21/4-inch pots to the 5- or 6-inch pots, the CCC treatment resulted in well-proportioned plants of high commercial quality.

Environmental studies have been essential to understanding the distribution and spread of lettuce mildews in California. Downy mildew has been found to increase with cooler temperatures of the late fall, winter and spring in the Salinas Valley, while summer temperatures restrict it primarily to the coastal areas. Powdery mildew, however, is not found in the cool, northern and coastal portions of the valley, but rather increases toward inland areas and with warmer spring and summer temperatures.

Forcing pigs to stand on their hind legs to feed may decrease their weight, but increases the percentage of ham, or ham and loin, according to recent tests at Davis.

“Confined” hogs given 20 square feet of space each, gained weight more rapidly than those allowed 5 or 10 square feet each, in recent tests at Davis. However, the cost of extra space must be balanced against net returns for optimum profit.

Outstanding fungicides for control of rose powdery mildew during two years of testing at Berkeley included sulfur, dinocap and cycloheximide.

The beneficial effects of using a wetting agent to increase the infiltration rate while irrigating highly water-repellent soils are variable, depending upon the amount of water, dryness of soil and possibly the product used, according to field tests in San Bernardino County.

A feeding trial conducted in Tulare County indicates that dust from feedlots in summer can be controlled by reducing allotted space as low as 50 square feet per head, without adversely affecting performance of cattle.