18:5^ 



In the West Indies, by far the greater part of the 

 stomach poisons are applied in a dry condition. The 

 powder gun has been used to a small extent, but on 

 account of its cost and the number of working parts 

 planters do not care to put it into the hands of irresponsi- 

 ble labourers. In this form, the poison is contained in 

 a receptacle, from which it is forced by an air-current 

 generated by a revolving fan through a discharge tube, in 

 a fine cloud of dust. The fan is operated by a wheel 

 turned by the labourer. 



The powder bellows is an instrument of the ordinary 

 bellows type ; in this is placed a suitable amount of 

 insecticide, which is forced out as a cloud of dust by 

 successive puffs. An inverted funnel attached to the out- 

 let serves to spread the discharge. (Fig. 175.) 



Fig-. 175. Acme powder bellows. 



The most generally employed method of distributing 

 dry poisons m the West Indies is by means of the cloth bag. 



Ticklingburg bags, of a suitable size held in the hand 

 of the labourer have given every satisfaction in distributing 

 Paris green and London purple, for combating the cotton 

 worm. The bags are cheap, they cannot get out of order, 

 and a very even application of the poison mixture can be 

 made with them, a slight shake of the hand producing a 

 fine cloud of dust which settles down on the plant. Tin 

 shakers, consisting of a tin vessel with a perforated 

 bottom have also been used in the same manner as the 

 cloth bags. These do not generally distribute the poison 

 in such a fine condition, with the result that a larger 

 amount of insecticide is used. 



