21 12 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Juki 19, 1915. 



V£_ 





VAX- 



INSECT NOTES. 



LOCUSTS. 



According to the Trinidad newspapers the recenl out- 

 break of locusts is Venezuela, although not as si vere as one 

 which was experienced in 1885, is of considerable propor- 

 i The fears that the flying adult locusts mighl invade 



Trinidad appear to have- been justified, since specimens of 

 this insect were taken at Chacachacare in that island on 

 May 30, when large swarms began to arrive at that place. 



The insect concerned in this outbreak and invasion is the 

 South American migratory Locust (Sc/tistocerca paranensis). 

 A related form, ScMstocerca patient, is the common grass 

 hopper in these islands, whilst another species, ScMstocerca 

 americanv, is the abundant and sometimes seriously 

 injurious locust of the Southern United States. 



Mr. W. G, Freeman, Assistant Director of Agriculture, 

 and Mr. A. E. (Alliens. Assistant Government Analyst, 

 visited Venezuela to study the conditions under which the 

 attack was occurring in that place, returning to Trinidad on 

 the day following that on which the swarms of locusts were 

 observed arriving in that colony. 



It was found that in Venezuela the locusts readily 

 attacked leases of the coco-nut, Palmiste and gru-gru among 

 the palms, and corn, beans and peas appeared to be accept 



able f Is: banana and the Anauca [mmortcl were also 



attacked. Cacao, coffee, Saman, and the Bucare Immortel 

 trees were not eaten: tomato and Guinea grass were likewise 

 left untouched. It is mentioned as a noticeable fact that the 

 locusts avoid the shade, settling and feeding on plants which 

 are iii full sunlight. 



In anticipation "I an invasion by this insect, the Board 

 ol Agriculture issued Circular No. 13 by Mr. K. W. CJrich, 

 Entomologist, giving information in regard to the life-history 



of tlie>e insects and the mean- which would be likely to be 

 ol value iii controlling them. Tile following is extracted 

 from the circular. 



The swarm of'invading loousts will consist of winged 



adults of both sexes. These feed voraciously, and the females 



deposit the eggs in the ground. In about three months tin- 

 eggs should hatch and the young appear. The young are 

 wingless 'hoppers' which feed activelj md require another 

 three months or thereabouts to complete their development. 

 The locusts, both young and adult, may lie killed bj 

 of arsenical poisons, and fortius purpose sprays ol 

 arsenate of lead, arsenate ol soda and a poison bran mash are 



recommended. 



The arsenate ol lead is used for this purpose at the rate 



of i D). tO "ill gall. Mis ..I water, and it is .suggested thai 1 II). 

 Ol lone lime should be slaked in the water. 



The iisenate ol soda mixture is prepared by boiling 

 together until dissolved 1 ft', white arsenic. 1 Hi. washing 

 soda in 1 gallon of Water; water should be added to in ike up 



for that lost by evaporation during the boiling, 



Tins is a stock solution: for »><■ as spray, slake 2 to .'i ft>. 



stone lime in 50 gallons of water and add 1 pint of stock 

 Solution and 1 gallon of molasse! 



These two spray, mixtures are to be sprayed on to the 



f 1 plants when the adults or the young are feeding. 



The poison Iran mash is made as follows: - 



Pari -i n oi white arsi -.'. ft. 



Bran 01 pollard 50 tti. 



■ These are mixed dry. 



six lemons, sour oranges or limes chopped upline, rind and 

 all, 1 gallon oi mo I 5 gallons of water are thoroughly 



mixed together, and when needed for us.-, i.e., the same day 

 it is to be applied, stir the bran and arsenic mixture into 

 this. 



This poison is scattered on the ground where the locusts 

 are feeding It should be applied early in the morning so 

 that the locusts may have a good opportunity of eating it 

 before the sun dries it up. This poison bait, flavoured with 

 fruit juice, has been verj successful (often destroying as 

 many as 90 to 95 per cent, in one application,) in the United 

 States, and should prove useful in Trinidad. 



In dealing with an outbreak of locusts it is necessary to 

 destroy as many of the adults as possible to prevent the 

 laying of eggs, as far as this may be accomplished. The 

 destruction of the eggs by ploughing or forking the ground 

 where this can be done will further reduce the numbers, and 

 when these methods are followed by a determined attack on 

 the newly batched 'hoppers', a very fair degree of control 

 ought to result. 



The Pink Boll Worm. According to Current 

 Notes in the latest issue of the Journal of Econ-miic 

 Entoiiiolotjti. a general conference was held on December 18, 

 at Washington, to consider the danger of the introduction of 



the pink boll worm into the United States. Tin ncensus 



ol opinion expressed was that the present situation demands 

 a quarantine against all foreign lint, with a provision for the 

 importation of such cotton only in States outside of the 

 cotton belt. It was also proposed that such southern mills 

 as require foreign cottons be allowed to obtain it from stocks 

 which have been in storage in the northern localities for at 

 least a year's time. 



A Cricket Predaceous on Termites. 'During 

 a flight of termites i Femes lucifugus, Rossi) at Manhattan, 

 Kansas, ..n Octobei 6, 191 I. a common held cricket (dri/llus 

 penntylvanius, I'.uriu.) was observed feeding on the termites 

 as they emerged from the ground. The cricket was between 

 two of the holes from which the termites were emerging 

 and was devouring one termite after another. During the 



fifteen minutes that the cricket wis under observation it 

 caught and devoured eleven termites.' (Journal of Economic 

 Entomology, April 19 I 5. | 



The Agricultural Superintendent, St. Lucia, viaited 

 Soufriere during May and held a meeting at the Court House 

 in connexion with the Soufriere Agricultural Credit Society. 

 ( me of the objects of the meeting was to ask the Administra- 

 tor to appoint a < hairman to succeed the late Mr. Kennaway. 

 Great interest wis displayed during the course of the 



ii ting, and manj of the general public were present in 



addition to every member of the Society. It is believed that 



with careful guidance and more capital this society could be 



rapidlj extended. 



