250 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 30, 1904. 



INSECT NOTES. 



Dry Powder Gun. 



Several of these 'guns' have been imported into 

 the West Indies for the application of Paris green to 

 cotton and other crops, and appear to have given 

 satisfaction. The following description is given in 

 Messrs. Peter Henderson & Co.'s catalogue : — 



For ai>plying any dry powder, such as Paris green, 

 hellebore, insect [lowder, plaster, etc., on plants or trees, the 

 powder being evenly distiubuted over a wide space and with 

 the least iiossible waste, the work being more rapidly done 

 than by any other known instrument. It is 27 inches long, 

 with extra tubes for dusting trees and holds 1 (piart of powder. 

 By turning the crank a fan is rapidly revolved which forces 

 a current of air through the tube.s, that carries with it 

 a small portion of powder. The (juantity may be increased 

 nv diminished as desired. 



The Auto-spray. 



This is an automatic, compressed air sprayer in which 

 the pumping is all for the purjiose of compressing the air in 

 the receptacle, while the s[iraying is accomplished by the 

 expansion of this compressed air. 



The sprayer consists of a plain, brass cylinder containing 

 an air pump, a sling for carrying the whole, and a discharge 

 pi[>e and nozzle. 



The Auto-siiray is cheuiier than the Success knapsack 

 sprayer, and although perhaps not (juite .so durable, i.s 

 a very simple and pi-actical machine. A certain amount of 

 care must be exercised, as, if too much pressure be put on, 

 the tank might burst at the seam. 



The nuzzle which is sold with this mai'hine is a special 

 feature, since it combines the Vermorel princijile of spray with 

 an automatic cut-oB', and the needle used for clearing the 

 nozzle vent forms also a ^lart of the cut-off arrangement. 



The cost of the Auto-spra)' in the United States is 

 from $5 to $7, while the knapsack sprayer eo.sts $12. The 

 former can be purchased in Barbados, complete with ho.se 

 and nozzle, for $10. 



Black Grub or Cut Worm. 



The various species of insects known as Black Grubs or 

 Cut AVorms are made the subject of one of the Circu/ars of 

 the Ceylon Royal Botanic Gardens, Vol. II, no. 2, March 

 1904. The depredations of these insects in tea nurseries are 

 mentioned, and remedies given. The remedies include 

 poisoned baits anil traps. Poisoned baits include freshly cut 

 gra.ss and clover dipped in Paris green mixture, and bran 

 mixed with Paris gi-een at the rate of 1 V>. Paris green to 

 1 bushel bran. These baits are put about in small piles at 

 frecjuent intervals in the field. Growing the plants in 

 a cylinder ot tin or paper prevents the grub from getting at 

 the stem of the plant. 



Kainit and nitrate of soda are known to act as deterrents 

 to the cut worms, when applied to the fields as top dressing. 



Small conical holes in the ground, empty jam tins, etc., serve 

 .1 useful purjiose as traps into which the grubs fall, and from 

 which they are unable to crawl out. 



Last season, cotton in some parts of the West Indies was 

 attacked by cut worms. In case of other attacks probably 

 the l)est bait would be a mixture of bran, molasses and Paris 

 green. The tin.s, etc., have been successfully used at 

 St. Kitt's as traps for the mole cricket {Agncidtunil A'ews, 

 Vol. II, p. 200). The bait of liran, molasses and i>oison 

 should be valuable for use in fighting the mole cricket. 



RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON. 



A\ e extract from the annual report of the Director 

 of the Royal Botanic Gardens for 1903 the following 

 account of the efforts that are being made to establish 

 a rubber industry in Ceylon: — ■ 



The planting of rubber, jp.ore e.specially the Para kind, 

 has been ]iushed on very rapidly during the year, and it is 

 l)robable that about 12,000 acres are now devoted to this 

 product, which bids fair to become the largest of the 'minor' 

 agricultural industries. The export for IDO-'! was 389 cwt. 

 (43,.')GK It).). Its success is a .source of legitimate .satisfaction 

 to this Department and to the Governments concerned. It 

 must not be lost sight of that Ceylon is now reai)ing the 

 benefit of the action of the Indian Government aided by the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The distribution of the tree 

 in the island and the elaboration of the methods of cultiva- 

 tion and of tapfiing and prejiaring the rubber have been the 

 work of this Dejiartment. The cleanliness of the Ceylon 

 ' biscuits ' meets with nuicli favour in Europe, and high 

 prices, reaching at times even as much as .5.<. per lb., have 

 been paid for them, prices considerably exceeding those paid 

 for the best ' wild ' rubbers. It seems not unlikely that the 

 latter will in time be largely driven out of the market by 

 the cultivated rubber, as occurred in the case of cinchona. 

 At the .same time, recent scientific investigations into the 

 nature of rubber latex have thrown a good deal of light on 

 the probable synthesis of rubber, and brought its artificial 

 jiroduction measurably nearer. There is no need for alarm 

 as to the future of rubber planting, for it is hardly to be 

 expected that any efficient substitute or .synthesizetl rubber 

 \\i\\ be produced on a large scale for many years to come at 

 a jirice that will render rubber cultivation unremunerative. 

 At [iresent profits are large, and planters can face a consider- 

 able reduction in the price of rubber; but now, while profits 

 are good, is the time to study improvements, to try experi- 

 ments on the best methods, and to reduce the cost of 

 production. Careful attention is required to the methods of 

 preparation, which at present are open to great improvement. 

 It is of great importance to keep up the name which Ceylon 

 rubber is accpiiring for good quality and cleaidiness. Some- 

 samples which have been exjiorted show that the milk has 

 not been proiieily filtered, as recommended by Mr. Parkin,, 

 and others have been taken from too young trees, the 

 rubber consecpiently lacking tenacity. 



Planting is going on in all directions, and even in some 

 unsuital)le places, where disappointment is likely to ensue. 

 Preparati'ins are being made to try Hevea trees under 

 irrigation at the Cotton Exjieriment Station at .Maliailuii- 

 palama: should this jirove successful an important industry 

 will be thrown open to cultivators in the dry zones. Sonre 

 alarm has been caused by the attacks of a canker fungus in 

 many districts, but prompt steps have been taken for its 

 treatment under the advice of the Mycologist, in whose 

 report details will be found. 



