110 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 16, 1902 



INSECT NOTES. 



Uses of Carbon Bisulphide. 

 Tliis li(jiii(l has been recoiniuended for the destruc- 

 tion of weevils in grain, (General Treatment of Inaeet 

 Fedii. Pamphlet 5, Department Series) and has 

 many uses in agriculture. Up to the present it docs 

 not appear to have been generally tried in tlie West 

 Indies. It is used in Grenada as a means of freeing 

 nutmegs from weevils, and in Trinidad against ants 

 and for pests of grain, seed, etc. ; but as an insecti- 

 cide it is by no means so generally familiar as it 

 shouW be. 



The United States Department of Agriculture has 

 recently issued a bulletin on Ctii'bon, Bluuliihide an an, 

 Inaeetiel'le, (Farmern' Bulleti.it, No. 14.5, by W. E. 

 Hinds,) which should be in the hands of all who contem- 

 plate employing this valuable substance. The bulletin 

 describes the properties of the liquid and its vapour 

 -with the effects it produces on human beings if 

 inhaled. Evidently carbon bisulphide can be confi- 

 dently recommendefl as a general insecticide and can 

 be handled with perfect safety if the user is familiar 

 with the i)roperties of the liquid and its vapour. 



Carbon bisulphide is said to cost from 35 cents 

 j)er pound retail to 10 cents or less a pound if bought 

 ill 5011). cans or drums. Its u.ses in agriculture in 

 America antl Eiux)po appear to have been very varied. 

 It has a special value against underground pests, such 

 as the J'liylloxeju of griii>Q vines: the liquid injected 

 into the soil vapoin-ises, and the vapour while proving 

 fatal to the insect does not remain long enough in the 

 ground to prove injurious to tiie j)lants. Whethiu" 

 there aie any root-infesting insects in these islands 

 iigaiust' which carbon bisidphidc^ cnuld 1)(' used is 

 doubtful; none have yet been found sutticiently 

 destructive to warrant the recommendation of this 

 rcmody. The; litjuid has also been used against root 

 mafgols and ants. Tin; latter are often a source 

 of trouble here, and were carbon bisulphide obtainable, 

 it would fre(iuently be used to destroy ants' nests. 

 The many household ants whicli iiave nests outside 

 can be ivadily destroyi;d by pouring the licpiid into 

 the nest and jjlugging it up with clay. This is the 

 simplest nuthod of ridding a house of these ants. 

 Carbon bisuljihide is also recomuiended against 



mole crickets, one ounce being injected into the soil 



in three or four injections for ev(;ry s(piare yard. 



Whether this method woidd prove successfid in St. 



Vincent and St. Lucia is not certain, but it is at 



least worth a trial. 



Another use is found in destroying borers in trees. 



In I lie case of large borers it should give good results, 



the licpiid being injected into the l)urr<iw by means of 



a spring-bottomed oil can, and the burrow then sealed 

 with wax or damp clay. 



In the case of plant lice and siiuilar pests, on melon 

 vines and low growing plants, the carbon bisulphide 

 is used by covering the jjlant with a small tight bo.x 

 and then introducing one or two teaspoonfuls of the 

 liquid, either through a hole at the top or by placing 

 it in a saucer under the box. 



All of these methods are applicable in the West 

 Indies. But this liquid should especially be used for 

 treating stored products such as Indian corn, guinea, 

 corn, etc. It has a great use for this purjiose in 

 the United States, and is constantly employed to 

 fumigate buildings. There is at present a gi'eat 

 scope for this insecticide against pests that destroy 

 corn, seerls, cacao beans, nutmegs, flour, groceries and 

 household articles. Its use is simple and the treatment 

 is chea]). The odour is somewhat unpleasant, but 

 the vapoin- will entirely disappear after a short exj)osura 

 to the air. 



The alxjve bulletin contains much information that 

 cannot be sunnnarized here. It gives full information as 

 to the uses of carbon bisidphide, and any one wlio 

 reads it v\ill readil}' appreciate the value such an 

 insecticide has in the treatment of many agricultural 

 and hou.sehold pests. It is to be hoped that jilanters 

 and merchants may see the applicability of it and test 

 it. Until then.' is some demand for it, it cannot be 

 imported in large quantities and so is not as cheap as 

 it should be ; but even at the retail price in the West 

 Indies (48 cents), it would jirove a cheap way of 

 fighting many pests. 



Preserving Books. 



In the tropics books are often seriously damaged 

 by cockroaches, moths and other insects. As a means 

 of preserving them from the attacks of these pests, the 

 covers of books IidIIi insiAle iinil oiiJxiilr should alwa^'s 

 be slightly painted over with the following mixture, 

 put on with a brush : — 



1 oz. corrosive sublimate 



1 oz. carbolic acid 



2 pints methylateil or rum spirit. 



This solution does no damage to the books, and 

 hsis been proved by many years' test to be an etticient 

 protection. Books should be repainted with tlie 

 .solution every two or three 3ears. 



The solution nuist r.ot be \>nt into a metal plate 

 or dish, unless it is enauK'Ued. An ordinary saucer is 

 the best. 



The solution is ])oisonous and should be kept away 

 from children or animals. After it lias dried the books 

 may be handled without any ri.sk of danger. 



An Attic Full of Honey. 



An extiaordiiiiuy di.scovery of honey has been made. 

 It was found in the roof of Strawberry Hall, at Tydd 

 St. ^[ary. Two swainis of bees have liived there for 16 year.«, 

 and the proprietor has many times otfered the honey to 

 any one who would shift tlie l>ees ami make the roof good 

 again. This task has been at last aeconipli.slied hy a builder, 

 who obtained 280 Ih. of homy as his guerdon. 



