Vol. XVII. No. 423. 



THE AGRIUULTUJIAL NEWS, 



219 



carefully applied in the first instance. These mixtures are 

 especially suitable for use in these islanc's where starch i- 

 easily available, and where the areas under corn are compara- 

 tively small. A 1 ; 60 Paris green stirch mixture has been 

 used by Harland in 8t. Vincent against the arrowroot worm 

 {Calpodes ethliin) with the result that 90 per cent, of the 

 caterpillars were dead in less than twelve hours after the 

 application of the poison. 



The writer has seen the results of the use of this lead 

 arsenate starch mixture in St. Vincent against the cnrn worm 

 and considers that this poison is decidedly worth a general 

 trill by corn growers in the West Indies. 



PRIMARY EDUCATION 

 GUIANA. 



IN BRITISH 



THE CONTltOL t)F C(.)i;X CATERPILLARS, 



THE CORN EAU wocM {L'lpkygma fnigiperda). 



THE BOLL woiiM {Cklorido.i [Heliothis] ol'sokla). 



Both these pests attack Indian corn in much the same 

 way by feeding on the leaves and by boring into the ears. 

 While the two species of caterpillars are alike in their habits 

 of feedinji, the adult moths differ in their egg-laying habits. 

 The female of Liphygma deposits eggs on the leaves in 

 clusters which are more or less thickly covered with greyish 

 down from the moth's body, while the Heliothis fem.le lays 

 eggs singly on various parts of the plants. In the I'nited 

 States the number of eggs in a cluster of Laphygma range 

 'from fifty to several hundreds' (I'lirmcrs Biiili-tiii^ 7S-^i 

 while Heliothis lays 'from nearly -"lOO to almost 3,000 eggs' 

 {Foniifrs' Biilktin, Syj). 



CONTROL. The collection of eggs is hardly a practicable 

 measure against either of the above pests, at any rate where 

 coin is grown on fairly large areas, Ifarland found that the 

 collection of Laphygma egg-clusters was practicable over 

 a ^mall area, since the clusters are easily seen, but even r<n 

 half an acre of corn the masses were being collected at the 

 rate of 300 per day. 



The best method of controlling Liphygma in the West 

 Indies is the application of the lead arsenate starch mixture 

 in the manner described above. The boll worm often attacks 

 corn at the time when this plant is 'silking' and lays its eggs 

 on the corn silks. The hatching larvae eat their way thrDugh 

 the silks and attack the immature ears. ,'Vdvantage is 

 sometimes taken of this egg-laying habit to dust the corn 

 silks with a poison mixture. It is suggested that the lead 

 arsenate and starch mixture be tried against Heliothis. 

 THE Mom HiuiEi; {Lh'a/iiU'i sacchara/is). 



The moth borer often attacks corn in a manner very 

 similar to that in which it injures sugarcane. The best 

 method of controlling this pest is by ■..ollecting the egg-masses 

 which are laid on the leaves. These masses are often well 

 parasitized. The darker egginasses should be left on the 

 leaves, if possible, to allow the parasites to emerge. The 

 lighter masses should be collected and destroyed. 



Harland (St. Vincent Annual Report, 191.5-16) has found 

 that Diatraea shows a marked preference for laying eggs on 

 Indian corn rather than on sugar-cane, even when I'orn is 

 pl.inted along the edge of the cane plot. The old corn stalks 

 should always be removed after the crop, as if these are left 

 standing in the field the infesting la: vae will be able to coui- 

 plct^ their development. 



The stalks can be cut as soon as t he crop is harvested and 

 Used for litter in cattle pens; the stui..ps should be removed at 

 tlie ;-ame time. This method will destroy most of the larvae 

 asd |pupae, and is a very effective measure of control. 



J.CH, 



The report of Mr. H. W. Sconce, the Director of Primiry 

 Education, Hritish Giiiaiia, for the year 1917, his lately been 

 received at this OfHce. Much of it is, of course, more or less 

 of local interest, but it touches upon nuny subjects which 

 are of general impurtance with regard to primary education 

 in all these colonies. 



One of the sub-Inspectors, Mr. Lawrance, makes some 

 pertinent remarks as to training in uunual occupation. 



Time spent on work of this kind, says Mr. Lawrance, 

 is regarded in some quarters as time wasted, and so it is, 

 when the work is not done properly; but that does not 

 appear to be a conclusive argument against the utility of a 

 subject \i'hich undoubtedly introduces a welcome variety into 

 the school course. Besides that, however, such manual work 

 has an educational value of its own, in fostering habits of 

 close attention, in co ordinating hand and eye, and in provid- 

 ing the means of self-expres.sion. 



The same sub-Inspector criticizes the teaching in nature 

 knowledge as very often lacking in interest. Provision Ls 

 seldom made for first-hand examination of objects. Too much 

 stre.ss is laid on the memorizing of facts, and too little on 

 preparing the mind to recognize and receive them. 



In connexion with nature study, the subject of school 

 gardens naturally presents itself. It seems that, on the whole, 

 there is a considerable amount of useful work done in the 

 school gardens throughout the colony of British Guiana ia 

 the course of a year. The report truly remarks that the 

 object of a school garden is to lead pupils of suitable age to 

 a first hand knowledge of natural processes, to give a practical 

 turn to their instruction, and to create and foster in them 

 a liking for agricultural pursuits. This, it may be said, is the 

 object to be aimed at by the establishment of school gardens 

 everywhere. 



Part of the report is caken up in the discussion of certain 

 clauses of the New Draft Education Code of 1917. The 

 Director of Education says that the chief mistake in the past 

 has been the tendency to treat all schools alike, but that ia 

 any system of payment by individual results such a tendency 

 is practically unavoidable. Now, however, it is proposed to 

 abolish in its entirety the money value of a subject of 

 instruction, or of an individual pass. It will be quite 

 feasible, therefore, to allnw a large amount of freedom to 

 school authorities in the drawing up of a course of instruction, 

 the promotion of pupils, etc , and at the sime time to enable 

 the government to have complete control over the eflioiency 

 of the schools and the teachers. The cast iron system 

 of a uniform curriculum, and of a uniform number of 

 classes and standards for schools in all parts of the 

 colony, and for all the children of the six different 

 races which inhabit it, is, the Director trusts, departed 

 forever. Every school, however, will be required to pay due 

 attention to the reading, writing, and speaking of English, to 

 arithmetic, manual work, hygiene, and physical training. 



With regard to school gardening in the future, the 

 iJirector quotes with approbation some remarks of a Trinidad 

 Education Commissson on the subject: 'We recommend 

 that every country schoni should have a garden in which 

 practical gardening should be taught cin lines to be approved 

 of in advance by the Director of Agriculture There should 

 be no special bonus for school gardening, but no country 

 school, which did not possess a suitable and properly equipped 

 garden and a qualified te.icher for it, should be graded as 

 a first class school, however satisfactory its work in other 

 respects might be' 



