Vol. XV. No. 367. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



171 



employed until afterwards, they shoulJ be applied as nearly 

 as possible to the roots, the earth being turned away from 

 the plants for this purpose. These fertilizers, also, by 

 stimulating plant growth, facilitate recuperation from root- 

 mawsot attack. 



'There is great danger in tlie use of other fertilizers, such 

 as stable manure, cotton seed meal, and organic fertilizer 

 comcrising mouldy leaves, dead plant life, and even fish-scrap. 

 In an account of this specie.s published several years ago the 

 writer .stated that numerous instance.^ had come to his notice, 

 and still more noticeable instances have accumulated lately, 

 and a long list could be furnished — where the presence of the 

 in.sect could be traced to the causes above mentioned. It is 

 advisable, therefore, to avoid the u.se of manure of any kind, 

 rotted leaves, or other organic fertilizer, and, above all, to 

 avoid further planting in fields which have been infested or 

 (contain diseased onion plants, or where cabbage, cowpeas, or 

 any other plants have been turned under. 



'As soon as seed fails to appear at the proper time or the 

 plants show signs of wilting and miggots are found to be 

 pre.sent, the seed may be hoed out or the injured plants pulled 

 and destroyed, together with the younger maggots. 



'Most of the methods mentioned above have been used 

 with success against onion maggots and other root-feeding 

 •species, and are all that are required in many cases of ordinary 

 infestation of vegetable roots.' 



The cautions given in the foregoing as to the u=e of 

 organic manures and green dressings apply most particularly 

 to those districts where root maggot injury is known. In 

 these islands there seems to be do record of such injury 

 having been noted, and while it is advisable to keep careful 

 watch for the first appearance of these pests, there would 

 seem to be no need at present to change the existing 

 practice of manuring fields in which onions are to 

 be grown. With the first appearance, however, of root 

 maggots, onion growers will need to observe the greatest care 

 in respect to this point, and it may then become necessary to 

 make certain changes in practice in order to avoid losses from 

 root maggots' attacks. 



THE CORN EAR WORM, AND THE 



PARIS GREEN STARCH MIXTURE. 



In the Agricultural Neivs for November G last (Vol. 

 XIV, p. 362) an article appeared on the use of starch instead 

 of lime for mixing with Paris green, as an insecticide, and 

 especially for use against the attacks of the corn ear worm 

 {Laphygma frvijiperda) on maize. 



This insect makes its first attack on the young corn 

 plant by eating the young leaves and the developing tassel or 

 male inflorescence in the throat or centre of the plant. An 

 old method of checking this attack was to drop a small 

 amount of dry mould, road dust, wood ashes or lime hito 

 the throat of the plant. Later, Paris green and lime, and 

 corn meal and Paris green were used, and arsenate of lead has 

 been tried. 



The article referred to above gave an account of 

 trials in St. Vincent of Paris green or arsenate of lead mixed 

 with a cheap grade of arrowroot starch for this purpose. 

 It was found to be efficient and economical; a very small 

 amount sufficed, and the proportion of Paris green to starch 

 may be made very low. The mixture may be used at the 

 rate of 1 part of arsenate of lead to 30 of starch for young 

 plants, while for older (half-grown) plants, Paris green may 



be used with starch at the rate of I in 100. These propor- 

 tions are taken by volume and not by weight. 



The amount to be used for this purpose can be regulated 

 very nicely. In.stead of dusting the mixture in the ordinary 

 way, it is applied by means of an ordinary pen nib fixed in 

 a holder in such a way that the same amount is apolied to 

 each plant, and that amount may be varied by adjusting the 

 pen nib to meet the needs of the case. 



This poison mixture has been found useful in controlling 

 several other insect pests, such as the arrowroot worm, the 

 ground nut worm, the cotton worm, and the bronze beetle. 



Indian corn is now being planted, and will soon be large 

 enough so that attacks of this pest may be expected. In St. 

 Vincent, planters and others should be ready to meet the first of 

 these attacks by having a supply of cheap arrowroot starch and 

 Paris gieen ready for use. In other islands where arrowroot 

 starch is not so readily obtainable, trials might be made of 

 cheap flour, or arrowroot might be obtained from St. Vincent. 

 The method is worthy of careful trial by everyone who grows 

 Indian corn in the West Indies. 



H.A,i3. 



DEGERMINATED CORN MEAL. 



At the request of the Commissioner of Agriculture an 

 examination of grains of locally grown maize have been 

 made in the Government Laboratory for the Leeward Islands; 

 the results are of interest. The maize grain is not a 

 homogeneous mass, but is composed of six readily observa- 

 ble and distinctly ditt'eront physical parts known popularly 

 as (1) the tip cap, (2) the outer skin or hull, (3) the embryo 

 or germ, (4) the horny gluten, a thin layer lying immediately 

 beneath the hull, (.5) the horny starch in which the embryo 

 is embedded, and (6) the crown starch lying above the 

 embryo. 



According to Burtt Davy's book on maize, degermination 

 removes the hull and embryo. It is therefore of interest to 

 see what proportion this bears in weight to the total weight 

 of the grain. It must be remembered that maize grains 

 exhibit great variation in regard to their physical compo- 

 sition, one variety having perhaps a large embryo, while 

 another may exhibit a high percentage of starch. Plant 

 breeders have in fact evolved different strains having grain 

 of a certain physical composition in order to produce grain 

 most suitable for certain special purposes, as for instance, 

 the production of oil. 



The following two columns of figures show the physical 

 composition per cent, of a grain grown in Antigua, and of 

 another analyzed by Hopkins at the Illinois State Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station:— 



100-0 



100-0 



The above figures show that there is great variation ia 

 the physical composition of maize grain, but as regards 

 Antigua corn, and probably most corn grown in the West 

 Indies, the }jreparation of degerminated meal would result in 

 an output of some 82 per cent, of meal, if other los.ses, such 

 as water, are lefc out of account. 



