26 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 28, 1905. 



INSECT NOTES. 



Larger Moth-borer of the Sugar-cane. 



This moth-borer of the Sugar-cane, to whifh reference 

 was made in the Agricultural Keifs (Vol. Ill, \>. 426) as 

 being a pest at plantation Enmore, British Guiana, has been 

 identified by Entomologists in the United States as Cnstnia 

 licus, and it is stated that 'this moth has been collected in 

 Brazil, Ecuador, Denierara, Surinam, Trinidad, I'jiper 

 Orinoco, Nicaragua, and Costa Rico.' 



A note regarding its occurrence in Trinidad appeared in 

 Inject Life, Vol. V, p. 268, quoted from the Journnl of the 

 Trinidad Field Xatiiralift's Club, February 189-3. It was 

 then recorded as a pest in banana iilants, laying its eggs near 

 the base of the plant in the dead leaves, and burrowing into 

 the stem and uii through the centre toward the crown or 

 growing point. Dr. C. J. van Hall, Director of Agriculture 

 for the Dutch West Indian Colonies, in reply to inquiries, 

 states that a similar pest occured some five or six years ago 

 at Marienbiirg, Surinam, whei'e it was abundant for two or 

 three years and then disappeared. 



This would ajipear to indicate that Caatnia liens is not 

 a new pest to canes and bananas, and that it iirol)ably will not 

 endure over a long period of years. It seems probable that 

 parasitic and predacious forms of life .soon learn to accept it 

 as a host and as a source of food, and o\ercome it to such an 

 extent that it disajipears. It is believed that the buttcfly 

 migrates long distances, and fresh attacks of the larvae in 

 canes or bananas jirobably result from these migrations. 



A Poison Caterpillar. 



Durino; the recent Agricultural Conference at 

 Trinidad one of the delegates made the actinaintance 

 of a caterpillar that i)os.sesses an efWcieiit defence in its 

 poison hairs. His experience is given as follows: — • 



It was at the Pitch Lake that I found a large caterpillar 

 feeding on the leaves of Clxsia rosea. It was fairly common, 

 several .specimens being taken in a few minutes. It was 

 a milk-white caterjiillar with long, silky, reddish-brown hairs 

 arranged in tufts in two rows down the back and two rows 

 along each side. At the base of these long hairs are short, 

 stiff spines. These are the poison hairs. A gentleman from 

 Demerara said that the poison from this insect caused 

 extreme pain and resulted in a swelling of the glands of the 

 axils of the arms. I chanced to touch these poison hairs with 

 the back of the right thumb and the back of two fingers of 

 the left hand. The irritation from the stings was severe and w'as 

 noticed at once. No swelling of the thumb or fingers was seen, 

 and there was very little sign of inflammation. In about ten 

 minutes pains were felt under the arm and in twenty minutes 

 this pain was very severe. The pectoral muscles seemed 

 drawn up, breathing caused .sharp pains, and a feeling of 

 general depression accom]>anied tlie other symptoms. In 

 about an hour the )}ains began to subside, and in an hour 

 and a half from tlie time of tfiuching the cater|iillars nothing 

 was felt except the irritation on the thund) and finger. This 

 continued till the time of retiring for the night some ten or 



twelve hours from the time of the sting. On the following 

 morning, however, the irritation had all passed away, and 

 there were no marks to show that there had been any sting 

 or infiannnation. The latest sensation from this poison was 

 that of a .severe burn with steam or \v<t water just at the 

 places on the thumb and fingers which had come in contact 

 with the caterpillar. It is interesting to note that no pain 

 was felt in the wrists and arms, and that the axils of the 

 arms should have felt the inHuence of the poison so .soon 

 after its introduction into the thumb and fingers. 



EDUCATIONAL 



Agricultural Instruction for Teachers in 

 Jamaica. 



The Board of Agriculture in Jamaica has issued 

 a pamphlet dealing with the ' Annual JUeting of 

 Elementary School Teachers for Agricultural Instruc- 

 tion at the Mice Training College and Hope Gardens,' 

 January 1905. 



The general arrangements are as follows : — 

 The Teachers will assemble on Monday, .January 2, at 

 4. .30 p.m., at the Mieo Training College, when they will be 

 addressed by the Hon. H. C. I'ourne, Chairman of the Board 

 of Agriculture. 



7 9.30 a.m. Practical work and Demonstrations at the 

 Jlico Training College on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and 

 Saturdays ; and at Hojie Gardens on Mondays, 

 Wednesdays and Fridays by Messrs. W. Cradwick, 

 W. 3. Thompson and W. M. Cunningham. 

 11.30-2.30 Agricultural Science Course by Mr. Tever- 



•sham. 

 Afternoon — On three afternoons each week (Tuesdays, 

 Thursdays and Fridays) addresses on syiecial 

 subjects will be given at the Mico Training College. 

 These addresses will commence at 4.30 p.m., and 

 will be open to the public. 

 Evening — ^lessrs. Peet and Skyers will hold classes in 



Manual Work as prescribed by the Code. 

 The syllabus of practical work and demonstrations 

 includes : the u.se of the line, the fork, and spade, trenching; 

 the preparation of a .seed bed : demonstrations on the chief 

 crops of the island and the princiiiles involveil in their 

 cultivation (cacao, coffee, sugar-cane, iiine-aiiple.^ vanilla, 

 bananas, citrus fruit.s, tobacco, etc.): tillage, drainage, 

 manuring: and knife work (budding, grafting, etc.). 



Special attention was to be paid to the laying out of 

 school gardens. It is suggested that a .systematic method 

 should be followed, and a plan is given for a suitable ]-acre 

 garden. 



The Agricultural Science course is divided into two 

 parts : (i) Elementary Science (Physics and Chemistry), and 

 (ii) Agricultural Science. The latter includes a study of 

 the i)lant (.seed, root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit) ; the 

 feeding of plants ; the soil ; manures and manuring ; 

 propagation of plants ; diseases and insect pests ; foods and 

 feeding of animals. 



The lecturers at the afternoon meetings include his Grace 

 the Archbishop, the Hun. Lt. Col. Pinnock, the Hon. Henry 

 Cork, Mr. H. H. Cou.sin.s, Mr. Geo. Hicks, and others. 



From reports received by last mail we learn that 

 the teachers had entered upon their work with con- 

 siderable enthusiasm, and th" course is likely to be 

 a very successful one. 



