248 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NovEMUER 22, in02 



REPTILES OF BARBADOS. 



In f'unncr jiiigos (>t' the Aijricultarid AV«/'s' refer- 

 ence has been made to the snakes and lizards of 

 Baibados. We now propose to say a few words about 

 the few remaining reptiles that occur here. The little 

 Tive-frog (Hi/l(t(lt's vi'iiiiiiiccihsi'i) though now so 

 common was probably inti'oduced to Barbados within 

 the last thirty years. It is spread over the entire 

 island and, as described by Colonel Feilden, ' until the 

 ear gets accustomed or (leadened to it, the monotonous 

 incessant chirj)ing of this frog throughout the night, 

 during rainy weather, is enough to drive a person 

 di.'.tracted.' It is found all over the West In<lies, and 

 about twelve years ago it was intnnluced along with 

 plants to the Royal Gardens at Kew. There its inces- 

 sant chirping is heard from the recesses of the hot- 

 houses even in the depth of winter. 



There is little doubt that the Agua toad {Bnfo 

 (if/iui) is another comparatively recent introduction to 

 Barbados. It is a native of South Ameiica, but is 

 found in nearly all the Lesser Antilles, and in Jamaica. 

 It is stated that it was originally introduced to 

 exterminate mice and keep off rats. The mungoose, in 

 the absence of other food, has evidently been driven to 

 prey uj)on the toad, for near the holes of the former 

 ])iles of the remains of the toad are often found. The 

 toad is still common near houses wlu^re it is coni))ara- 

 tively safe fi-om the uuiiigoos''. It is most useful in 

 destro3'ing caterpillars on sweet ])otatos and other 

 crops, and should be encouraged. It is well known that 

 an alligator was transjiorted alive on the trunk of 

 a tree from the contiuont (jf South America and 

 landed at Barbados iu 1880. It is not unlikely that 

 other reptiles occasionally arrive here in firewood and 

 similar cargo, but owing to the thickly populated 

 character of the island they are killed before they 

 become established. 



GARDEN NOTES. 



The Eucharis Lily. 



The scientitic, wliicli as it hap[iens is also tlie poimlar) 

 name of this favouiitc ganli'ii plant is derived from tlic 

 Greek meaning ' very Kracefnl'. For the successful culti- 

 vation of Eucharis lilies it ajipears to be important 

 that their roots should not lie often disturbed. The 

 Cycli>ii(i:dlit, <>l AincriciiH llortkrilture .saj's, 'When grown 

 in |)ots tliey recjuire a coarse, fibrous soil, compo.sed cliietly 

 of rotted sod, and cnriche<l witji about one foiuth of 

 dry cow manure and a sprinkling of hone dust. The pots 

 .sliould he well drained, for laiu-h water is needed during the 

 growing sca.sons, but freiiuent potting should he avoided as 

 the roots are impatient of disturbance. Shading from full 

 sunshine is recjuired.' Tlie.sc lilies .sutler considerably from 

 the ravages of a caterpillar, whicli eats the leaves and in a 

 very .sliort time defoliates the plants. These can Ijcst he 

 condiated cither hy keeping a watch for the little round eggs 

 laid in clusters under the leaves which should he crushed, or 

 by syringing the plants with I'aris green or other arsenical 

 jioison. An ounce of I'aris green in a gallon of water, with 

 a handful of lime, makes a safe mi.vture to syringe on the 

 plant-, and a plant so treated is .safe from the navagcs of the 

 caterpillars so long as the poison remains on the leaves. 



SPRAYING FOR INSECT PESTS IN 

 ENGLAND. 



It has long been recognized that to ensure a full yield of 

 hojis in the South of England .some measures nuist he taken 

 to deal with the insect pests and di.seases that attack the hoj* 

 plant. A cousidend^le amount of attention is jiaid to this 

 ]K)int in the hoji-growing ilistrict.s, and though iu England 

 as in the West Indies, far too littlu .seems to he thought of 

 attacking insect i)ests on a large scale, the hop growers have 

 faced the [irohleni and, with the aid of entomologists and 

 mechanical engineers, they have devised means of destroying 

 the insect enemies of the ho}i plant on a large scale. 

 Aiiparently the methods used in the liop gardens represent 

 the highest developments of insect destruction in England 

 and so are of special interest. 



The hop is attacked by an 'Aphis,' similar to that found 

 on cacao, corn and other West In<lian crojKs, and this can 

 be.st be destroyed by spraying, iu the .same maiuier asthrips 

 on cacao, or .scale in.sccts on orange, lime, etc., are destrojxd. 

 Roughly speaking this spraying is done in one of four ways : 

 (1) Knapsack machines, (2) Hand pumii.s, which work in iU 

 barrel or small tank on wheels, (3) Horse machines, (4) .Steam 

 jiumps. The knapsack machines employed in England do not 

 differ es.sentially from those used in the West Indies wdiich 

 are familiar to many people. The English machines are 

 however, apparently, inferior to the American outfits used in 

 the West Indies, and it is to be regretted that a really 

 reliable and satisfactory Knapsack machine seems to be 

 unknown in Englaiul. 



The hand machines, workuig from a barrel or small 

 taidc, are similar to the f'ruitall and other American machines 

 now used at the botanic Stations. They api^ear to be reliable 

 hut are usually litted with Vermorel or other nozzles wliieli 

 do not give the best all-round work. 



HorsL' machines are a distinct advance on the previous 

 machines and undoubtedly do good work. For the special 

 puri>o.se for which they are used they are very good and would 

 do excellent work on ground crojis such as sweet potatos, 

 green dressings, arrowroot, etc. The machines consist of 

 an iron tank of 30 gallons or more capacity, with a 

 ]iump driven from the axle of the wheels. The liipud 

 is pumped from the tank automatically as the machine 

 moves forward and passes through a series of nozzles fixed 

 at the hack of the machine. These nozzles can lie 

 arranged to spray down, or in any direction, and the work 

 they do on hops is first-rate. For aiiplying Taris green or 

 kerosene emulsion on sweet pitato these horse machine-> 

 woulil do adnurably, covering a far larger area than ean be 

 done with a smaller machine. 



Finally there are the steam sprays in which steam \s 

 the motive jiowcr of the pump. This woidd seem to be the 

 highest development of the spraying machine as applied to 

 agrieidture in England, and there is no cviilent reason why 

 tiie same should not be applied in the West Indies. Through 

 the courtesy of Messrs. Merryweathcr it Son.s, Mr. H. M. 

 Lefroy, laitomologist of the Dep.irtmcnt, was enabled to see 

 a special trial of the steam hop-w.ishing apparatus supplied to 

 W. L. Hubble Esip, Hunton, Maidstone. The apparatus 



