26 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 20, 1900 



INSECT NOTES. 



Cotton Insects in Cuba. 



Mr. F. f>. Eaile, L)irector of the Agricultural 

 Department of Cuba, writing to the Havana Post late in 

 1904 (see Agrmdtuml News, Vol. Ill, p. 421) stated that 

 the indications were that all the conditions in that island 

 were favourable for cotton cultivation with one exception. 

 The exception was the cotton boll weevil, which is supposed 

 to be native to Cuba, and which was thought likely to prove 

 very troublesome. It is understood that during the past 

 season one company, which uiulertook the cultivation of cotton 

 on a large scale in Cuba, found it impossible successfully to 

 combat the cotton worm on account of the limited labour 

 .supply. This latter difficulty may be overcome as labourers 

 Ijecome more accustomed to cotton as a crop, or by the 

 introduction of labour from other sections of the island. It 

 should, however, be always borne in mind that it will be 

 impossible to cultivate cotton successfully unless a sufficient 

 amount of reliable labour is to be had. In case of an 

 outbreak of cotton worm, it is necessary to be able to apply 

 poisons to the entire cotton area within two or three days. 

 If this cannot be done, serious damage may result, as the 

 cotton worm can cause a great deal of iiyury in that time. 



The cotton boll weevil may or may not prove a serious 

 obstacle to the cotton industry in Cuba. In Texas it has 

 become the most serious menace to cotton growing, as it is 

 likely to do in any country into which it may be introduced. 

 Insect pests, almost without exception, cause far greater losses 

 when imported into other localities than in the localities 

 of which they are native. On this account the greatest care 

 should be exercised that no cotton seed, .seed-cotton, or lint, 

 .should be imported from any infested locality into these 

 islands in which the boll weevil does not occur. 



The cotton boll weevil is known to be present in 

 Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, and in Louisiana, and Texa.s in 

 the L^nited States. It has bee)i reported to occur in Brazil 

 and Africa, but these ruuiours have not been confirmed. 



In the Philippines a species of weevil has been found 

 which is different from the Mexican cotton boll weevil, but 

 which attacks cotton in a very similar manner. 



It has already been state<l in the A'/i-icidtaral Xcwi 

 (Vol. Ill, p. 281) and in the West Indian Ballttui (Vol. IV, 

 p. 328) that the lime is mixed with the Paris green princi- 

 pally for the purpose of enabling the overseer to see at 

 a glance what the labourers have done, so that waste may be 

 avoided, and, at the same time, no plants be ski|)ped. In 

 the Sea Islands and the U[ilaud cotton districts of the United 

 States, Paris green is used without any lime and is believed 

 to be as chea|p and effective as when used with the lime. 

 This is not considered advisable in the West Indies, on 

 account of the unreliable nature of the labourers, but it is 

 considered to be an argument for the stronger mixture 

 rather than the weaker. 



It may be of interest to know that Paris green is about 

 twice as heavy as lime, bulk for bulk ; so that, if it is desired 

 to mix these substances by measure, instead of having the 

 trouble of weighing them, it will be found that a mixture at 

 the rate of 1 ft. of Paris green to 6 lb. of lime may be made- 

 bv using 1 measure of Paris green to 12 measures of lime. 



Paris Green and Lime. 



During the past few years large amounts of Paris green 

 have been used in the West Indies in combating the cotton 

 worm. It has, for the most jpart, been applied to the cotton 

 plants in the form of a dust in a mixture with dry, air-slaked 

 lime. This mixture has been tried in varying jiroportions, 

 and after considerable experience the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture decided that 1 It), of Paris green to 6 lb. of air- 

 slaked lime was the most satisfactory mixture to be used. 



Cotton growers in Barbados have found that, with this 

 mixture of Paris green and lime, the cott'jn worm is easily 

 held in check at a very reasonable cost. It has been noticed 

 that on estates where other proportions have been used (that 

 is, 1 to 10 or even 1 to 20) the re.iults have generally been 

 less satisfactory, while the expense has been greater. 



SHADE-GROWN TOBACCO IN ST. KITT'S. 



Mr. F. R. Shepherd, Ao;ricnltural Superiutendent, 

 St. Kill's, has furnished the following information in 

 regard to an experiment in growing tobacco under 

 shade at the Botanic Station in St. Kitt's : — ■ 



The experiment at La Guerite with shade-grown tobacco 

 comprises just about -J- acre. The young plants were put out 

 under the tent on October 18, and planted in rows 3 feet 

 apart by 15 inches in the row. The plants grew most 

 luxuriantly and those not tojiped grew to a height of 7 feet in 

 two months. 



On December 22, the first cutting of the ripe plants 

 began and is steadily going on. So far, the experiment has 

 been an entire success, but the curing of the shade-grown 

 tobacco is rather more difficult than that of the sun-grown, 

 and we can only hope that our best efforts will prove successful. 



Besides the shade-grown tobacco, there is also \ acre 

 grown in the open, which also gives promise of a good 

 return. The very heavy yield of the shade-grown tobacco 

 has somewhat taxed our curing accommodation, but I am 

 converting the store-room into a temporary curing house, 

 and so hope to be able to deal with the whole croii. 



This experiment has attracted much attention here, and 

 if the curing is a success — and every effort will be taken 

 to make it so — I am sure that the [ilanters will take it up 

 on a larger scale. 



MINOR INDUSTRIES IN BRITISH 

 GUIANA. 



In reviewing the agricultural operations of British 

 Guiana for the year liJOo, the Demerara Argo.fj/ 

 states : — 



Very little progress can be reported in connexion with 

 minor agricultural industries. The area devoted to rice 

 cultivation is steadily extending. It is safe to estimate an 

 area somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20,000 acres as 

 being under rice cultivation at some period during the year. 

 This industry comes next to sugar as the most promising 

 agricultural industry in the colony. The attempted resuscita- 

 tion of the cotton industry has proved a complete failure. 

 Some slight extension of the area devoted to cacao and 

 coffee cultivation has taken place, and cocoa-nut cultivation 

 has been considerably increased. 



