Vol. XVII Xo. 43ii 



THE AGRICULTURAL N£Wb 



363 



ledge of the requirements of the trees ' on the part of the 

 planters. The Government is not likely to be greatly attracted 

 a policy of compulsion to control iiu insect which, on the 

 whole, has not seriously interfered with the development of 

 the industry. 



Mr. Urich can be supported in so far as his recommend- 

 ations are to the effect that every cacao planter ought to supply- 

 himself with spraying apparatus, which he should know how 

 to use, and with insecticides, the use of which also he should 

 understand, and he should be energetic in spraying, 

 whenever thrips develop to such an extent as to cause 

 actual damage, either in the amount pf the crop, or by 

 injury to his trees. 



In the section of the report under the heading 'L)oes 

 Spraying Pay?', the result of an experiment carried out in 

 Trinidad is quoted to show that spraying does pay. But the 

 experiment was one in which a combined object was sought — 

 the control both of an insect pest and of fungoid diseases. 

 Bordeaux mixture and 'Black leaf 40' were used together, 

 the former against the Phytophthora diseases (canker and 

 pod rot), and the latter against thrips. There is nothing 

 in that experiment to show that spraying for the control of 

 thrips pays. 



In the section of the report on black ants, Mr. I'rich 

 states that the 'black ants do no direct damage on the trees 

 they inhabit, but they live on the secretions of scale insects, 

 ■iphide-s, and other Homoptera. 



The insect referred to is the acrobat ant (CremMto- 

 gaster brevispinosa, var. miiiu/ior), of which an account was 

 given in the AgricHlfural News in 1914 (Vol. XIII, p. 298). 

 In 1915 it was stated to possess great possibilities as a pest 

 of cacao in that island in an abstract of a report on a visit 

 to C4renada published in the Agricuitiiral Neivs (Vol. XIV, 

 p. 314). This insect ,is a direct and serious pest of cacao 

 and other trees. It invades pruning cuts, wounds caused by 

 the breaking of branches, or other injuries and attacks the 

 living tissues of bast, cambium, and sap wood, preventing 

 a proper healing over of the exposed surfaces, and is res- 

 ponsible for many cavities in the tissues of the trees. 



SUJI.MAKV. 



Mr. Urich finds thrips a serious pest in Grenada, and 

 makes very strong recommendations for universal spraying 

 for its control. He considers this insect to be increasing in 

 destructiveness He believes that cultural measures for the 

 improvement of the condition of cacao trees are useful, but 

 not of fundamental importance. 



The Imperial Department of Agriculture maintains that 

 cultural measures are fundamental, and spraying a pallia- 

 tive, and that as the agricultural problems are resolutely 

 faced and overcome, the necessity for spraying for the 

 [ control of thrips will become less and less. 



The argument to the effect that thrips is increasing 

 in destructiveness in Grenada would seem to be met 

 eflfectively by reference to the figures showing the amount of 

 cacao exported for the past seventeen 3ears, during which 

 thrips has been known to occur in Grenada, while the 

 figures for the years 1916 and 1917 appear to dispose of the 

 serious menace to the staple industry of the island, which was 

 complained of by the members of the Agricultural and 

 Commercial Society. The crops of 1916 and 1917 were 

 about 12,000 bags above the average for the ten-year period 

 (1906-15) just preceding. 



With regard to the black ant, Mr. Lrich .says it does 

 no direct harm. In making this statement he apparently 

 had in mind the harmful indirect action, of the acrobat ant 

 in prelecting scale insects. The attacks of this in.sect on 

 the tissues of the trees are very real and serious. 



HA.B 



HINTS FOR COOKING JERUSALEM 

 ARTICHOKES. 



Professor Cockerell, at the close of the article retjrred 

 to on page 365 of this issue of tlie Agricultural Newi, gives 

 the following directions and recipes for cooking Jerusalem 

 artichokes, for which he says he is indebed to Jlrs. Cockerell. 



The tubers have a delicious aroma (due to essential oil) 

 when cooking, and this should be preserved, as far as possi- 

 ble, by keeping them covered. They should be put in 

 boiling water, a few tubers at a time, so as not to lower the 

 temperature; steaming would probably be still better, reduc- 

 ing the loss of soluble contents. The boiling should continue 

 fifteen to twenty minutes (| ossibly less at sea-level) when 

 the skin i« easily removed. At this stage the following 

 recipes may be employed, but in the case of the salad 

 (No. 2), the preliminary cooking should last a little 

 longer: — 



1. Soup may be made with the addition of celery tops 

 rubbed through a colander, with milk, or stock, or cream 

 added. 



2. The cooked tubers, sliced with egg, or celery, or 

 endive, .served with French dressing or mayonnaise, make 

 a delicious salad. 



3. Slice the boiled or steamed tubers, cover with milk 

 use salt and pepper to taste, cover with bread crumbs, and 

 then bake for an hour. Grated cheese may be added to 

 this dish. 



4. Slice boiled tubers, and fry with ."teak or chops. 



5. Slice boiled tubers, mash, and cream, salt and pepper, 

 or cream them by adding sliced tubers to rich, white sauce, 

 and serve with toast. 



In Cuba, it is said, that the tubers, after being boiled, 

 are mashed, with the addition of flour and seasoning to taste, 

 and are then formed into cakes, and fried. 



The Four O'Clock (Mirabilis Jalapa).— In the 



International Rei'ieu^ of the Scie/iee and Progress of Agricul- 

 ture, July 1918, there appears an interesting note on an 

 article by a writer in La fievista Agricola, May 1, 191.S. on 

 studies made on a plant well known in the West Indies as 

 Four o'clock {Mirabilis falapa). This plant was introduced 

 from South America into Europe under the name of 'Marvel 

 of Peru', and a description and a very accurate engraving of it 

 is to be found in Parkinson's Garden of Pleasant flowers, 

 published in 1522. The West Indian name doubtless arose 

 from the fact that the Howers always open about 4 o clock in 

 the afternoon. 



The author of the article referred to above has made a 

 long study on this plant, and concludes that its cultivation 

 for various industrial uses is advisable. 



When grown in gardens it flower.s excessively, to the 

 detriment of the seed, which is small- In arid soil, however, 

 especially with ashes, it flowers less, and the seeds are much 

 larger and richer in starch. 



The stamens, pistils, and perianth (which dries uf 

 without separating f lom the seed) give a fast, purplish colour 

 which dyes silk. 



The starch contained in the seed is of very good quality. 

 When freed from the husk and germs, the seeds give a fine 

 flour which may be used for making bread, paste, biscuits, etc.; 

 they may also be subjected to fermentation, as they contain 

 a sugar. 



The cultivation of this plant in malarial districts might 

 be advantageous; the flowers open in the evening, and during 

 the night give off a smell which is said to keep awaj 

 or to stupefy mosquitoes, thus making thein inoffensive. 



