Vol. XVIII. No. 460. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL XEWS. 



39.5 



No numbers of the Pamphlet Series have been issued 

 during 1919. Only one paper on an entomological subject 

 has appeared in the IVesf Indian Bulletin during the year, 

 that by H. A. Ballou, M.Sc, on cotton and the pink boll- 

 -worm in Eijypt, which is con ained in the last number of 

 Volume XVII. A paper in the West Indian Bulletin 

 (Vol. XVII, p. 162) byjJS. C. Harland, B. Sc, on 

 the inheritance of immunity to leaf-blister mite 

 (Eriophyes gossypii) in cotton, has a bearing on an 

 entomological aspect, since it is shown that plant strains 

 can be bred immune to the attacks of leaf blister mite, and 

 therefore that there is a possibility that attacks of this pest 

 may be obviated by the production of immune varieties or 

 strains of cotton. The number of the Weit Indian Bulletin 

 containing these tv7o papers was reviewed on page 376 of 

 the last issue of the Agricultural News. 



The Ins'ct Notes dealing with sugar-cane pests con- 

 sisted of an article at page 218, 'Sugar-cane and H*rd 

 Back Grubs in Antigua.' The Information contained in 

 this article was taken from a report of the Entomologist 

 on the staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 after a visit to Autigua. An interesting series of articles 

 on an investigation of the froghopper pes: and disease 

 of sugarcane appeared in the columns devoted to 

 Plant Diseases. They comprise the report of the .Mycologist 

 after a visit to Trinidad to study the relationship 

 existing between the serious outbreaks of froghcppers 

 in the sugarcane fields in that colony, and the fungoid 

 diseases of that crop. These articles are four in number, and 

 they are to be found at pages 174, 190, 206 and 222. 



Cotton insects are referred to in an article on the 

 chinch bug fungus at page 154, where an account is given 

 of this fungus attacking cotton stainers in Antigua; notes on 

 the relation of certain wild food-plants to the abundance of 

 stainers are given on pages 1-55 and 27S, and on page 5 

 a note is given on the value of honey bees in the pollina- 

 tion of cotton blossoms. The destruction of the food-plants 

 of the cotton stainers in Montserrat forms the subject of a 

 short note on page 153. 



Insects attacking citrus trees are referred to in an 

 article on page 11, where a new pest (Clytus devastator) of the 

 orange in Florida is mentioned. Cacao thrips in Grenada 

 is the subject of the Insect Notes on [age 122. The 

 spread of the Mexican boll-weevil in the cotton -growing 

 districts of the United States is discussed on page 234, 

 and a note to the effect that the pink boUworm appeared 

 to have been eradicated in those districts in Texas to 

 which it nas accidentally introduced was ^iven on page 

 187. 



An article on the control of the onion thrips (p 314) 

 recommends tlie use of nicotine sulphate, soap and water, as 

 a spray. This has given good results in the United States. 

 The protection of stored grains against insect attack 

 forms the subject of several articles. The protection of 

 Indian corn against weevil, is discussed on page 314, and 

 the nature of the attacks of the pea and bean weevils, and 

 the control of these pests by fumigation and carbon bisul- 

 phide, treatment of the seed by heat, and protection by 

 the use of naphthaline in the sacks in which the grain is 

 stored, are discussed at pages 266 and 282, while another 

 article (p. 303) records the successful employment of air- 

 slaked lime as a protection against cowpea weevil. 



On page 202 an interesting account is given of the 

 means adopted in Australia to protect the wheat stored and 

 awaiting shipment in 1918 from the attacks of weevils. 

 Attention to the proper construction of the stacks, and 

 the use of naphthaline on the ground where the weevil had 

 been breeding in scattered grain served to protect from 



renewed attack, and the application of heat, and a machine 

 for removing the weevils and dirt, checked the attacks 

 which had already begun, and cleaned the grain and 

 rendered it suitable for huiian consumption. 



A report on entomology in .Jamaica was reviewed at 

 pages 10 and 26, where a large number of insects is 

 mentioned, and remedial measures for many of them 

 discussed. 



(To bt continind.) 



WASTE IN MOVEMENT STOPPED. 



T7ie Times draws attention to an interesting experiment 

 in reducing effort, and at the same time increasing output, 

 which was undertaken recently at the Derwent Iron Foundry, 

 Derby, and is described by Dr. Myers in a report to the 

 Industrial Fatigue Board. 



In May 1915, the iron foundry began to work for the 

 Ministry of .Munitions. Its estimated capacity for the articles 

 produced was .3,000 weekly. Mr. Jobson, the managing 

 director, began in August 1915 to app'y new methods, 

 and these were so successful, that by August 1918 the 

 output was 20,000. During the period August 1916-18, 

 the value of output increased fivefold, though the price paid 

 by the Ministry had been reduced meanwhile by 13 3 

 per cent. 



Th« methods employed to obta'in this startling success 

 were as follows : Mr. Jobson approached bis employees with 

 the statement, ' We are out for higher wages, less hours, 

 and more output. Will you help us ? Are you willing to 

 have your movements studied so that we can find the best 

 way, adopt this as standard, and cut out useless and 

 unproductive movements '.' 



The study of movements, and the training based on that 

 study, were then begun. The movements were examined in 

 various directions. 



1. Various jobs were analysed to their elemental units, 

 and each action wis followed with a stopwatch in order 

 to arrive at the best and quickest method of performing it. 



2. Tools and materials were arranged in a standard 

 manner, and thus all unnecessary movements to obtain 

 these were eliminated. 



3. A standard set of movements for each process was 

 established, with a stand \rd time for the employment of each. 



4. Such movements as could be performed simultan- 

 eously were combined. 



During training, typewritten instructions in each move- 

 ment, with times necessary for its accomplishment, were given 

 to each student. The number of elements standardised in the 

 process of moulding alone ran into hundreds. Men were 

 trained individually rather than in groups. As soon as 

 training was begun the hours of work were reduced from fifty- 

 four to fortyei^ht per week. Instead of starting at 6- 30 a. m., 

 the employees started at 8 a.m., and worked till bV) p.m., 

 with an hour's interval. 



It was argued that a man who produced a greater 

 number of pieces is entitled to a higher price per piece, and 

 so a method of differential piece-work pay was introduced. 

 As soon as a man's output reached 60 per cent, of the stan- 

 dard ho began to receive a bonus. By this system one man 

 increased his earnings 200 per cent, over the sum received 

 before the new methods were introduced. In ;iddition to 

 the great increase of output, the system was found to be lejs 

 tiring. An employee described it as 'beat for yourself as 

 well as best for the boss.' {fournal of the Royai Society of 

 ^r/iforOctober 24, 1919.) 



