IvL. XVllI. 5lc, 457. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



^iT 



Id 1917, Ihere was a severe attack r.n one estate by 

 the iarget Hack hardback {DyscineUts gemifiat'ts), the grubs 

 ■of which bored into the cane tops, killing l-irge r'lmbers 

 €)f them. It is stated that tho grubs spread to tin: canes 

 from the large masses of decay inj; vegetable matter i)i the 

 fields, and from the rank giovn,j oi grass that UiioUd 

 jiilor \(^ replanting. 



J.,ocu3ti^ appeared in great Qiimber,.^ in 1917 in 

 Es.sequibo. They were collected by means of a sheet smeared 

 wi'.h molasses and tar. again.st which the hoppers were 

 driven. They were driven into a large canal, where boys 

 beat them under the water with branches. Millions of eggs 

 wtia collected. This insect skaia {Sckistocena paranensis), a 

 Biii^ratory locust. The ordinary \oi'mt(Sckistocerca, paliens) 

 ♦"curred as usual but without any particular outbreak. 



Tb- leaf-eating caterpillars were not particularly in 

 •evidencfc- either in 19! 7 or 1918 



The weevil borer and white-ants were locally abundant. 

 These two insects appear to work together. 



Froghopper attacks occurred only in limited areas on 

 tbiee widely separated esiales in 1918. 



The following paragraph is (juoted, as showing the 

 standing given to this insect as a pest in British Guiana : — 



• Undoubtedly the froghopper is a pest, and does a 

 certain amount of harm, but I have not yet n(iticed it ram- 

 pint in fields where things were more or less in favour of the 

 cane. In other words, it has a predilection for weak canes, 

 those whose surroundings are insanitary. It can hardly, 

 then, 1 would say, be described as an unmitigated pest, as 

 :jt would seem that it can be made tr> serve a useful purpose 

 {jy pointing out that all is not right with the canes in the 

 X-.ds in which it abounds. ' 



In regard to the control ijf froghopper, it is stated in the 

 report M918) that, 'v;hile direct ways of combatini; the 

 post are all very well ani good, the principal points to be 

 kept in view ire that c'.ay soils, during the mid-year lainy 

 ae.isim f artic ilarly, ,sh(. uld, as f ar as possible, he in such a 

 condition a^s to be always warm and open, not old, heavy 

 and wa^;(ir-logged, and th-at the i^urest and best safeguard 

 against att;ick is aj environment that, tends towards the 

 production of healthy and vigorou>: ;anes.' 



The follov.nng < gures, which show the numbers of insects 

 collected by the insect gangs -during 1918, indicate the 

 ■e-x-tent of the woi-k in the direc; control of these peats : — 

 Large moth borer, moths and caterpillars 2,693,70* 



Small moth borer, caterpillars and egg clusters 27,680,621 

 Hardback beetles 

 Weevil borer, beetles and grubs 

 Wood-ants' nests 

 Locusts 

 Froghoppers ... ... ••• 



The work in practical entomology which is reviewed 

 above, appears to hz conducted on sound lines, and should b? 

 produetivo oi much good. The dtstruction of large numbers 

 of insects, and a p opt r appeciatim of the need for greate: 

 c;rs in tho seloctioa ct the t agar-ranc cuttings for plantiOji, 

 aud of th^. im,iortati':,e oi pvjper cleaning up after the cro,) is 

 t.-,apad, are bound to have offect in the improvemeiit 

 of the gensrb-l cmditiois. Tie recognition of a basic 

 p-i-inclple st.ch as that to be found in the p.iragrajh quoto"! 

 o.n tha froghcppar, is bound to have its effect in improved 

 aivicaltii.'e. I; steois safe to assert, that the production of 

 souud, healthy, canfs will be accompanied by a reduciou of 

 tiie severity of attack by frogheppor liud certain other insects. 



H.A.B. 



179,771 



828,828 



172,865 



32,611 



2,611,28.5 



JAriAICA LOGWOOD. 



As the result of complaints regarding the disproportioa 

 between the ptico of log-rood crystals in London and tha 

 amount received by Jamaican growers for their produce, the 



g'o.vore, suggesting certiin steps for protecting the local 

 industry from ua.'air ei'ploitation. 



After pointi.ig out that, the crude material employed in 

 making a ton of crjsials costs not more than £10 io 

 .Jamaica, and that the ptico of crystals in London was from 

 £200 to £220 per ton, t'le Association's 1-lter states that the 

 highest possible ireigiit r.«te will not account for this greats 

 difference, and asser's that log>vood piodjctrs are being 

 exploited. It invites producers to say whether they ar» 

 prepared : — 



(1) To form a Logwood Growers' Association t* 

 co'itract for the sale of ivoo.i belonging to its members so as 

 to yusure the p-iyme-it of fair prices. 



(2.' To con';ribr.te to a faud out of whii-.h loans at» 

 interest might hi made to small growers, or purchases mai© 

 of wood of suiill growers. 



(3) To subscribe to the fund £1 per ton of their 

 estimated annual output. 



It is -alao proposed that the Association should hav& 

 power toeract a faotoiy for the manufacture of logwood 

 extract, if deemed necessary. 



Lo;]wood producers are supporting the eSfjrts of tha 

 Jamaica Imperial Assorialion, and several large property 

 owners are Viilling to furnish a portion of the capital for tha 

 erfcotio.1 of a f^ictory, if such a step be found necessary. There 

 are two largo logwood extract factories in Jamaica. One is 

 owned by an English firiu. British capitalists are complet- 

 itig a tliisd factory in the colony- Shortly after the outbreak 

 of war, logi.rood, which had fallen to a price which made it 

 anything but a paying business, jumpad to figures that 

 brout'hb fortunes to many producers of the article. Tha 

 high prices lasted some time, and then there came another 

 decline, from wl'.i:h the locil Imperial Ass''ciation is trying 

 to lift the industry. {The Times Trade Supplement, August: 

 2. 1919.) 



Momordica Oocbinchinensis.— The receipt of 

 seeds of this plant and their disliibutiou to Agdcuhural 

 Departments, in the West ladies for trial was noticed in tha 

 AgnctiUural Navs, February 22, 1919- Mr. J. Jonea, 

 Curator, Botanic Gardens, Drmiiice, has recently forw.irded 

 to the Imperial Comtaiisionec of & JricnUare, a fruit prodjced. 

 by a piat:t grown ffOia ilie seed Sijac him iu Fe'n'uary. He 

 states tLit only a few of the see''' ge-.T-!--' •• ".v^ '• - r.iinta 

 mac'e buc little progress ou aosoaiiC of th'* dry weather up to 

 t.'ie end of Jcne. When rain fell in .July the plants grew rap- 

 idly, .i:.d male and frm-.li* .HoTers wore pioduied cu separata 

 plants. Duriug the i;3C week ia At.ig.i3-,. pirii.acioa wad 

 effc ;tod i;r'.r.ciiUy, w;;h the re.iaH. th.\t fi-ults a c ulav ripening. 

 Mr. joncs believes tlii't tiiis plan-may ;J0.''je3c a considerable 

 polcQiial value onacco'iii. of tbi; oil ( mtaiaed in its scids, 

 whichis r.-tmurkabic for its drying properties. Tho flovrers of 

 this species are pale-jellow in colour, and are distlncrly hand- 

 some, ptrticiilaily the mile ors*-nmioate outs •.vhicbare larger 

 thnn the pis.illate tlov.(>is protlucJ ou ihe f^mJe plant. 



