Vol. XVII. No. 415. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



9i 



only be practicable where the plants are spaced widely 

 enough to avoid interlacing of the cotton branches. Weed.s 

 can be killed by spraying them with a solution of 1 St), of 

 sodium arsenate in '20 gallons of water. 



Jieprcsskr iiuMsiiirs. These include measures which 

 have to be taken against the red spider after it has invaded 

 the cotton fields. Dispersion in an infested cotton field may 

 usually be prevented by pulling up and destroying the first 

 infested plants. This mu.st be done before the infestation 

 has gone very far. Otherwise, in the case of a general attack, 

 spraying should be resorted to. And since the red spiders 

 as a rule are found only on the underside of the leaves, 

 great care must be taken in spraying to hit the entire 

 underside of every leaf of an infested plant. Further- 

 more it has been shown thit no safe insecticide is known 

 which will destroy red spider eggs, so that a second 

 spraying is necessary to kill those mites which have hatched 

 out since the first spraying. 



Out of seventy-five different spray mixtures tried against 

 the red spider on cotton, the following have proved entirely 

 .satisfactory: (1) potassium sulphide (1 ounce to 2 gallons of 

 water); (2) lime-sulphur (home-made or commercial); (3) kero- 

 sene emulsion; (4) flour paste solution. It may be mentioned 

 here that arsenical sprays are of no use against the red spider. 



THE RED SPIDER IN THE LESSER ANTILLES. 



The red spider cannot be regarded as a serious pest in 

 these islands, judging from the monthly and annual reports 

 of the agricultural officers in the various islands, and from 

 personal observations. 



It is sometimes fairly common on sweet potato, and on 

 .some peas and beans, and occurs on cotton, but its attacks 

 usually oc'Ur only in the dry season, and are not of long 

 duration. In Birbados the writer has observed the larvae 

 and adults of a minute staphylinid beetle attacking the red 

 spider, mainly in the immature stages, and it is claimed that 

 this small predator is very effective at times. A predaceous 

 tlirips has also been observed on leaves of Lima bean infested 

 with red spider. 



J.CH. 



MULES. 



We are indebted to the London correspondent of the 

 North Qui'eiis/niiJ Rt\s[isUr for the following notes on mule.', 

 which will doubtless be of some interest to our readers. 

 In a series of articles recently contributed to the 

 Brisbmie Courici there are some interesting notes about 

 mules, which are to be introduced into Queensland in numbers. 

 The usefulness of mules depends in a great measure upon the 

 circumstance that they combine in a remarkable degree 

 the constitutional attributes of their parents on both sides. 

 Descended originally from the species of wild ass inhabiting 

 the rocky semi desert of Upper Egypt, where food is scarce 

 and the heat intense, the jacks transmit to their hybrid 

 progeny the faculty for resisting privation and withstanding 

 tropical heat, which horses do not possess. 



The value of mules can hardly be overestimated. This has 

 for a long time been realized in most parts of the world, 

 although in England and .Vustralia ignorance and prejudice 

 have debarred their use on any big scale. 



The testimony of those who have had experience of both 

 horses and mules is convincing as to the superiority of the 

 latter in tropical regions. They live longer, and are able to 

 withstand the effects of hard work for a greater number of 

 years; they are constitutionally stronger, and less liable to 

 sickness to which horses are subject; they can be kept oa 



coarser and cheaper food, and they are hardier and able to 

 resist extremes of temperature, especially heat. Their narrow 

 and small hoofs make them more sure-footed than horses, and 

 they can pick their way over mountains and on the edge 

 of precipices without much risk of disaster, and in positions 

 such as these show more pluck and caution than hor.ses. 



The all-round advantages of mules over horses in the 

 way of economy or keep outweigh the disadvantages with 

 respect to certain uses. It is conceded at once that a mule 

 is not as fast as a horse, and the heaviest draught mules are 

 not as good as the heavy Clydesdales for actual pulling 

 power; but an ordinary team of mules will beat the ordinary 

 team of horses for pulling and for travelling great distances 

 where food is scarce. 



There are two distinct types of jacks in Europe. Those 

 for getting heavy draught mules are bred in Poitou, in the 

 west of France. The height of these is about 15 hands. 

 In America, where hundreds of thousands of mules are bred 

 each year, the Spanish or Catalonian jacks are the most 

 popular. The Kentucky mules are famous all over America, 

 and owe their fame to two Catalonian jacks imported to 

 America about 18.30 or 1810, and crossed with the ordinary 

 female donkeys of the State. They have produced a most 

 useful strain of mule-breeding jacks. It is faid that all the 

 best mules in America owe their quality to their descent from 

 those two jacks. So highly appreciated are mules in the 

 Western States that in 1890. 150,000 were foaled. At the 

 present time something like 200,000 mules are foaled 

 annually. 



Anyone who has visited America must be struck with 

 the numbers used. One sees them doing heavy dock work 

 and railway work in the country, ploughing and ordinary 

 farm work, and they are invaluable in mining and pack 

 work. They will carry more than 200tt>. over rough, high 

 country, if properly loaded. 



It is generally considered that three mules can be kept 

 on fodder that would only be sufficient for two horses. 

 They are peculiar creatures, and it has been proved 

 they will pull better if a mare is in the lead, for, having 

 been foaled and brought up by mares, they have a great 

 affection for horses, and a corresponding dislike for asses. 

 The objection that is taken to mules on the score of bad temper 

 and obstinacy may be dismissed by the remark that, in the 

 opinion of competent judges, the.se so called vices are the 

 outcome of mismanagement and cruelty to beasts of highly 

 nervous temperament, which require kindness and intelligence 

 in handling. 



Production of Beeswax in British East 



Africa — A brief note appears in the y(w/7/(?/^^///t' Royal 

 Socii-ty of Arts for February 8, 1918, on this subject. The 

 gathering of beeswax in the East Afrifti Protectorate is said to 

 be almost entirely in the hands of the natives, who obtain the 

 product from wild hives in the country. Very little scientific 

 apiculture is practised, and that only by the European settlers 

 in the highlands. Notwithstanding the present small 

 production of honey and beeswax, writes the United States 

 Consul at Mombasa, the higher altitudes of the colony are 

 peculiarly well adapted to apiculture. Clover is an abundant 

 crop, and other flowers are plentiful. There are two rainy 

 seasons, no winters, and so far no serious bee diseases have 

 developed. The Government is giving every encouragement 

 to the industry, and the active interest of the settlers is being 

 aroused to the opportunity. It is believed that the near 

 future will witness a substantial development of the industry 



