INSTITUTE AND CDXLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1909-10. 33 



Research. — Progress has been made with enquiry into 

 the life histories and habits of injurious insects. The 

 more important have been the Palm-weevil, and Rhino- 

 ceros beetle, the Army worm, the Rice Swarming Cater- 

 pillar, the Deccan Grass-hopper, the Wheat Stem-borer, 

 the Pink Boll-worm, the Indigo Leaf-webber, the Dusky 

 Cotton Bug, Wheat weevil, Rice grain moth. A more 

 careful enquiry into the white ant problem has been com- 

 menced partly at Pusa, partly at Hoshangabad in conjunc- 

 tion with the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Northern 

 Circle, Central Provinces. In collaboration with the 

 Imperial Agricultural Chemist, the enquiry was continued 

 into the relation between weevil and the percentage mois- 

 ture of wheat. The enquiry into the food of birds by Mr. 

 C. W. Mason was brought to a conclusion and the results 

 will be published. The new insecticide was thoroughly 

 tested and is now on sale. An increasing number of patent 

 insecticides have been referred here for trial and report; 

 these have been tested and, with the check afforded by the 

 analysis of the Imperial Agricultural Chemist, reported 

 on as to their value for Indian conditions. Only one has 

 proved to be of any value for this country and, with this 

 exception, the insecticides introduced by this Department 

 are those at present in use; arrangements are made for 

 their sale and we maintain a register of the places where 

 both insecticides and all patterns of spraying machines can 

 be purchased, so that enquirers can be at once referred to 

 the proper places. Until private enterprise finds this 

 business w^orth taking up, the trial of insecticides and 

 sprayers must be done here and arrangements made for 

 their sale. The question of apiculture is still being 

 considered and further attempts are being made to deter- 

 mine how far bees will thrive and be profitable in the 

 plains. 



Sericulture. — The cultivation of Eri silk was continued 

 and all processes to the production of the finished cloth 

 carried on. Three weavers, an average of twelve spinners 

 and cleaners, and about fifteen rearers are constantly 



