Vol. XVIII. No. 442. 



THE AQKICULTURAL \EW», 



123 



At the present time the work of poisoning lor control of 

 boll weevil is most encouraged in the fertile soils where the 

 greatest weevil damage is experienced, and where the possible 

 crop is highest. The machinery to be utilized in weevil 

 poisoning work may be divided into two classes: the larga 

 power dusters, and small hand dusters or powder guns. These 

 machines are on the market, and as manufactured at present 

 are capable of doing very good work, but this class of machin- 

 ery is not yet perfect, and it is likely that further improve- 

 ments will be made. 



The poison found useful in this work is a calcium arsen- 

 ate conforming to the following specifications- — 



Not less than 40 per cent, arsenic pentoxide. 

 Not more than 0'7-5 per cent, water soluble arsenic. 

 Density not less than 80 cubic inches per R. 



This poison is applied in the form of a dust, and the 

 machines rtientioned above are dusting machines. It is 

 suggested ihat about 6 lb. per acre will be required for each 

 applicatioQ, and the number of applications during the cotton 

 season will be from two to four, but in most cases large 

 cotton growers will not find it necessary to spray their entire 

 acreage each time. In case of a heavy rain within twenty- 

 four hours after an application it should be repeated. 



It appears that the time of day for application is quite 

 important, i he application being far more effective if made 

 when the air is calm and the plants are moist, which means 

 between -i or .5 in the afternoon and 8 or 9 in the morning. 



The power cluster mentioned above is designed to cover 

 five rows at a time, and it is expected that such a machine 

 would average at least <i acres per hour. The hand dusters are 

 capable of doing about .5 acres each per day, working three 

 or four hours early in the morning and two or three in the 

 late afternoon. 'The guns are decidely tiresome to use, and 

 it is not likely that a labourer will be able to work one 

 much more than this length of time during the day. For 

 this reason a maximum of 20 to i-j acres per week is about 

 all that could be expected of a single hand dust gun,' 



The foregoing notes have been abstracted from the 

 Circular letter memioned above, which was Issued, .March S, 

 1919. for the purpose of putting forward information that 

 had been accumulated more juickly than it could be done in 

 printed form 



The machinery referred to is manufactured by the 

 following companies. The power machine known as the 

 'Weevil Duster' is built by the Dust Sprayer Manufacturing 

 Company, 1222-4 West 9th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 

 and two hand gun.s, the '^Monarch' manufactured by the Tow- 

 Lemons Manufacturiug Company, Springfield, Tennessee, 

 and the Springfield' manufactured by the Springfield Dry 

 Powder Sprayer Company, also of Springfield, Tennessee. 



A very large amount of work in connexion with the 

 cotton boll weevil and its control has been carried out in the 

 United States since the introduction of that insect some 

 twenty-five j'ears a^o. After extensive trials it was decided 

 that this insect was net susceptible to control by poisoning, 

 but now it appears as if the use of poison was giving 

 satisfactory results It will be of interest to cotton growers 

 in the West Indies to follow this line of work in the 

 United States. The Mexican boll weevil does not occur 

 in these West Indian islands but the work being done in 

 connexion with the a[>plication of dry insecticides by means 

 of power dusters and hand guns, and the use of arsenate 

 of calcium as a poison on cotton plants may furnish informa- 

 tion which will k'.er have a bearing on the control of our 

 local pests. 



H.A.B. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 

 MARKET. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson. A.L.S., has forwarded the 

 following report on the London drug and spice market 

 for the month of February 1919: — 



The disturbed condition of the labour market which has 

 been much accentuated since our last report, has had, if not 

 a direct effect on any product coming under our notice, 

 certainly a general effect on the ordinary means of transit of 

 goods over and above that of personal travelling. In short, 

 the strike fever which at one time threatened a complete 

 collapse of trade has given a serious shock to all branches 

 of commerce, in consequence of which our present report for 

 the month of February will be somewhat meagre. 



LIJIE OIL, PIMENTO OIL, PIJIENTd, lilX^BE, 

 NUTMEGS, AKD MACE 



At the first auction on the 6th of the month there was 

 a general absence of interest in West Indian produce; lime oil, 

 and pimento oil were quoted at lower rates, distilled pimento 

 being offered at 1.5.f. 6</. per ft). At auction on the l-Sth 

 pimento (berries) were offered at hi. per lb., but some sales 

 were made at 3^d. At auction on the 20th, however, pimento 

 was firm at id. per ft)., at which price it remained at the end 

 of the month. Ginger has been in good supply and in fair 

 demand. At the beginning of the month Sierra Leone was 

 quoted at 45.>-. per cwc, and some sei-damaged Japanese 

 fetched from 27s. to -32^. 6d. A week later there was a 

 quiet market at the following rates: .Jamaica 120^-. to 140j. 

 per cwt., washed rough Cochin 95.v. to 100s., rough Calicut 

 8.5.f., Japanese 60s., and Sierra Leone 75s. At the last auction 

 on the 27th of the month some .500 odd bags of 

 Japanese were offered without reserve, and disposed of at the 

 following rates: oos. to ols. Qd. per cwt. for fair small. At 

 the last auction on the 27ih of the month as many as l,l.j6 

 packages of West Indian nutmegs were offered, GOO of 

 which were sold at advanced rates, though the consignment 

 was for the most part of poor quality. Mace was also in yood 

 supply at this sale, 67'7 packages of West Indian being offered, 

 most of which sold at advanced prices on previous rates. 



.SARS.iPAEILLA. 



This drug was in very full display at auction on the 

 13th of the month, being represente i by 89 packages of grey 

 Jamaica, 55 of native Jamaica, 17 of Lima-.Jamaica, and 10 

 of Mexican. Only 6 bales of the first were sold at •2s. 9d. 

 per Bb., part mouldy; and of the nacive Jamaica, only 1 bale 

 found a purchaser. No sales were effected for either the 

 Lima-Jamaica or the Mexican. 



CITKIC ACID, KOLA, AND AKltOWROOT. 



At the beginning of the month there was a (]uiet 

 demand for citric acid at 4j-. (id. per ft)., but later on 

 it rose to 4j. 7d., ai which price it remanied firm at 

 the close. Kola was in full supply at auction on the 13th 

 of the month, b.-ing represented by 170 packages, but no sales 

 were effected. At, the clo.=e of the month however, some 30 

 odd bags of fair dried Grenada were offered, and 20 sold at 

 from 5d. to 6d. per ft). A.X, the end of the month fair 

 manufacturing St. Vincent arrowroot was qi oted at 9 per ft). 



