Pyrethrum Flowers

Pyrethrum is regarded as a section of the genus Chrysanthemum, family Compositae. Besides their ornamental importance, pyrethrum flowers have been widely used as a source material for preparation of insecticides. Being non-poisonous to man pyrethrum is particularly adapted for controlling household insects, however its use for preparing horticultural dusts and sprays, and livestock sprays is no less popular. With a brief introduction to the cultivation and harvesting of different varieties of pyrethrum, this book is a valuable source of all the necessary scientific information related to evaluation of pyrethrum (by chemical as well as biological methods) and manufacturing of various pyrethrum products- powder, extracts and sprays, etc. Also discussed are the effects of storage, light and heat on pyrethrum products, and the methods of detecting adulteration of pyrethrum. There are 100 tables of scientific data, numerous illustration, an exhaustive index and an extensive list of about 1000 reference for further information. Chapter 1: Description and History of Pyrethrum; Definition, Botanical Description, Otehr Species, Early Ues in Persia and Europe, Introduction into United States, Trade Beliefs, Chapter 2: Commercial Sources of Pyrethrum; Dalmatian Pyrethrum: Cultivating, Harvesting, Marketing, Crop Statistics, Japanese Pyrethrum: Cultivating, Harvesting, Marketing, Production Statistics, Consumption of Pyrethrum in United States, Other Sources, Chapter 3: Active Principles of Pyrethrum; Early Investigations, Work of Staudinger and Ruzicka, Active Principles of Japanese Pyrethrum, Isolation of Pyrethrins by Physical Means, Action of Pyrethrins on Cold Blooded Animals, Effect of Pyrethrum on Warm Blooded Animals, Chapter 4: Evaluation of Pyrethrum by Chemical Methods; Methods of Staudinger and Harder, Early Methods of Tattersfied and his Associates, Copper Reduction Method by Gnadinger and Corl, Later Methods of Martin and Tattersfield, Sell’s Acid Method, Ripert’s Method, Haller Acree Methods of Pyrethrin II, Gnadinger Corl Acid Methods, Comparison of Results Obtained with Various Methods, Comparison of Seil and Gnadinger Corl Methods, Interference of Altered pyrethrins with Assay Methods, Presence of Interfering Compounds in the Flowers, Summary, Chapter 5: Biological Methods for Evaluating Pyrethrum; Dusting Experiments, Tattersfield’s Method Using Aphis rumicis, Hartzell and Wilcoxon’s Procedure, Peet Grady Method, Adoption of Peet Grady Method as an Official Method, Gothard’s Criticism of the Peet Grady Method. Method of O’Kane and Associates, Richardson’s Method, The Roach Test, Ueno’s Method, Gersdrorff’s Method, Nelson’s Method, Campbell’s Method, Other Method, Chapter 6: Correlation of Chemical Assays and Biological Tests; Ratio in which the Two Pyrethrins Naturally Occur, Relative toxicities of Pyrethrins I and II. Staudinger and Ruzicka on Relative Toxicity, Tattersfield’s Work on Toxicity and Pyrethrin Content, Gnadinger and Corl on Toxicity and Pyrethrin Content, Wilcoxon and Hartzell on Relative Toxicity of Pyrethrins, McDonnell’s Experiments, Richardson’s Work on Toxicity and Pyrethrin I Content, Other Investigations, Chapter 7: Comparative Value of Commercial Grades of Pyrethrum; The Open and Closed Flower Controversy, Distribution of Pyrethrins in the Flower Head, Comparative Value of Japanese and Dalmatian Pyrethrin, Study of Dalmatian Pyrethrum, Pyrethrin Content of Japanese Flowers, Pyrethrin Content of Kenya Flowers, Flowers from Other Sources, Chapter 8: Effect of Storage Light and Heat on Pyrethrum Products; Effect of Short Exposures to Sunlight, Ultra Violet Light and Heat, Tattersfield’s Experiments with Pyrethrum Dusts and Antioxidants, Effect of Prolonged Storage Under Commercial Conditions, Effect of Cold Storage of Pyrethrum, Relation Between Maturity of Flowers and Decomposition in Storage, Effect of Balling on Loss of Pyrethrins During Storage, Experiments with Isolated Pyrethrins, Effect of Antioxidants on Concentrated Pyrethrum Extracts, Effect of Storage on Pyrethrum Household Sprays, Summary, Chapter 9: Adulteration of Pyrethrum; Types of Adulteration, Former Methods of Detecting Adulteration, Labelling Pyrethrum, Simulation of High Pyrethrin Content, Chapter 10: Powdered and Ground Pyrethrum; Production of the Fine Powder, Grinding for Percolation, Chapter 11: Manufacture of Pyrethrum Extracts; Selecting the Flowers: Standardization, Direct Extraction Process, Manufacture of Concentrated Pyrethrum Extracts, Effect of Storage on Concentrated Extracts, Oleoresin of Pyrethrum, Chapter 12: Pyrethrum Household Insecticides; Correct Pyrethrin Content for Household Insecticides, Proper Oil Base, The Steam Sprayer, Perfume Materials and Other Chemicals, Color of Household Sprays, Addition of Rotenone to Household Sprays, Chemical Methods for Assaying Pyrethrum Oil Sprays, Notes on the Analysis of Pyrethrum Extracts, Substitutes for Pyrethrum, Labelling Household Insecticides, Chapter 13: Pyrethrum Live Stock Sprays; Specifications, Physiological Effect of Sprays on Stock: Type of Oil, Repellent Action, Killing Power, Labelling Live Stock Sprays, Chapter 14: Pyrethrum Horticultural Powders Dusts and Sprays; Powders and Dusts, Pyrethrum Soap Sprays, Other “Spreaders”, Newer Type of Pyrethrum Oil Soap Spray, Effectiveness of Pyrethrum Against Various Insects, Pyrethrum Oil Horticultural Sprays, Use of Rotenone with Pyrethrum, Other Experiments with Pyrethrum Sprays, Chapter 15: Miscellaneous Uses of Pyrethrum; Mosquito Control, Ant Control, Pyrethrum Smudges, Pyrethrum for Internal Parasites, Minor Uses, Chapter 16: Possible Sources of Pyrethrum Flowers in the United States; Pyrethrum Investigaitons in Colorado, Effect of Different Drying Method on Pyrethrin Content, Effect of Shading the Plant on Pyrethrin Content, Effect of Different Treatments Previous to Drying Flowers, Variation of P. cinerariefolium, Non Variable Botanical Characters, Variable Botanical Characters, Variation in Yield of Flowers and Pyrethrins, Effect of Fertilizer on Yield of Flowers and Pyrethrins, Winter Hardiness of Pyrethrum, Foreign and Domestic Strains of Pyrethrins, Test Plots Under Varied Conditions, Effect of Irrigation on Plant Losses, Effect of Spacing Interval on Yield of Flowers, Other Experimental Plantings, Instructions for Growing of Pyrethrum, Attempts at Threshing Pyrethrum.