250 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 12, 1905. 



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INSECT NOTES. 



Wild Bees. 



Li the publications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture reference has frequently been made to the «-ild 

 bee, the cow bee, and the .Jack Spaniard, or maribunta. 



The scientific names of some of these insects having 

 been ascertained, the following notes are given in order that 

 more definite references may be made to these species. 



The wild bee (Pulistes annularis) is found in Barbados 

 and St. Vincent. It is distinguished bj- the large, yellow 

 spot on the first segment of the abdomen. The antennae are 

 black in the middle and lighter at base and apex, the thorax is 

 black and reddish, and the legs are black, banded with light 

 yellow. In St. A'incent this species is of a lighter colour 

 throughout. 



The cow bee (Polif^tes hellicoms) is stouter than the wild 

 bee. It is found in Barbados. The face is bright yellow, 

 the thorax has narrow, yellow markings, and each segment of 

 the abdomen is bordered with a narrow, yellow band. 



The Jack Spaniard or maribunta {Polistes fuscaius 

 instahilis) is found in Barbados, Jlontserrat, and St. Kitt's. It 

 is smaller and more slender than the two preceding and there 

 is a greater contrast of colour, the black being a deeper black, 

 and the j'ellow of the thorax and abdomen more conspicuous. 

 The face, antennae, and legs are coloured and marked as in 

 the cow bee {P. hellicosi(s), while the yellow markings of the 

 body are more like those of the wild bee (/■'. anindan's). 



Insect Pests at Barbados. 



During the last few weeks reports have come to hand 

 of the occurrence of the cotton worm in the fields of young 

 cotton at Barbados. In many cases the insects have 

 apparently spread from fields of old cotton which planters 

 have, contrary to the advice of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, omitted to destroy. Planters are again urged 

 to be on the watch for this insidious jiest and to lose no 

 time in applying Paris green to their cotton. 



At the same time reports have been received of damage 

 to tobacco and cow peas by cutworms, and of the occurrence 

 of the corn worm in the crown of the plants both in Indian 

 and Guinea corn. Woolly pyrol has also been attacked in 

 some localities by the well-known woolly pyrol worms. 



The somewhat early appearance of these pests would 

 appear to indicate that this is to be a season of abundance 

 of insects. In the case of leaf-eating insects ajiplications of 

 Paris green at the first appearance of the caterpillars will 

 check the outbreak. Insects in the crown of the corn plants 

 may be controlled by the use of Paris green and corn meal 

 at the rate of one teaspoonful of Paris green to one quart of 

 corn meal. The mixture is applied by means of a shaker, 

 from which it is sprinkled or shaken into the centre of the 

 plant (see Ar/ricultural N'etcs, Vol. IV, p. 90). 



Succe.ss has been reported in combating the cutworms 

 by means of a poisoned bait of bran and Paris green. One or 

 two pounds of Paris green to 50 fi). of bran is made into a stiti" 

 mash by stirring in a mixture of molasses and water. 



A tablespoonful or small handful of this bait is jiut on the- 

 ground at the base of the plants, and when the worms come 

 to the surface of the ground to feed at night the bait is 

 found readilv. 



SISAL HEMP CULTIVATION. 



The following note i-s e.xtracteil from the J uyhi- 

 Iiidian Revleiv, London, March 1905; — 



The cultivation of sisal hemp continues to increase in 

 South America, while in Egypt it has now been clearly- 

 proved that the fibre can be i)roduced easily and profitably. 

 One of the difficulties with which growers hitherto have beer» 

 met is the fact that the London quotations are dependent 

 upon New York. Accordingh', if a sample is sent over from 

 Egypt the [irice quoted for bulk here would be that ruling ia 

 New York to-day. The market in New York Huctuate.s, and 

 English fibre brokers would be glad to see imports coming to- 

 London direct in cu'der that the centre of quotations might 

 be changed. 



In Uganda recent experiments have proved that sisal 

 can be grown. The crop is one which takes some years to 

 come to maturity, but a ready use is always found for the 

 product at remunerative prices. In Queensland, also, experi- 

 mental plantings are being made. It is reported that the 

 suckers there require three to four years to mature, and this 

 is true of other countries ; but after that, once or twice 

 a year, a large amount of leafage containing the fibre can be 

 gathered for a period of over ten years, while land which is 

 practically useless for other purposes can be utilized for 

 growing. The plant is said to thrive well in rocky, volcanic 

 soil, on hilly slopes, amid blocks of stone and heaps of 

 boulders, and, in fact, in places unfit for the plough and the 

 growth of other vegetable products. In 1893, the Queensland 

 Agricultural Department obtained 1,000 plants from Yucatan. 

 The penal establishment at St. Helena is the only place 

 where the cultivation has passed beyond the experimental 

 stage, and there some fine specimens of the fibre have 

 been produced by hand labour ; the Government is ini[iort- 

 ing the necessary machinery, and the industrj" 

 pressed forward. It should be mentioned that 

 many fibre-stripping machines on the market 

 for sisal hemp purposes, but before any particular one is 

 bought it would be well to obtain samples of the fibre a.s 

 treated by it, as the price largely depends upon the appear- 

 ance of the fibre produced. It should be clean and white 

 and free from all appearance of cru.shed vegetable matter. 



IS being 

 there are 

 adaptable 



SISAL HEMP IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



]Mr. A. W. Bartlett, Government Botani-st in 

 British Uuianii, refers as follows in his Annual Report 

 to experiments with sisal hemp in the colony: — 



Last year a few plants of sisal hemp were sent to 

 various Government Stations to be tried. Reports show 

 that the plants are doing well at most of these j)laces. 



Some plants are making capital growth on sandy soil 

 near a station about half-way along the I)emerara-Esse(]uibo 

 railway, and the leaves have reached a length of 4 to 5 feet. 



Samples of the fibre, prepared from plants growing 

 in the ]5otanic Gardens and shipped to England for examina- 

 tion, were very favourably reported upon and valued at 

 from £3G to £38 per ton, c.i.f., net, by various agents. 



The plant grows excellently in many of the soils of the 

 colony and it only remains to be determined whether it 

 produces a sufficiency of fibre to [lay to grow it on a com- 

 mercial scale. 



