133 



(3.) Grenada Official Gazette: L898, pp. L21, 198 & 229; 



I'.miii. Kith February : 1901, 15th April. 



5. On May L2th, I visited Hope Estate where the cacao 

 reported to be badly attacked by "Thrips." I found thai the lati I 

 serious attack occurred in November and December, 1903. One field 

 of about two acres was entirely dead, and I was informed that it was 

 due to the attack of thrips. In other fields many trees were dead 

 and others had dead twigs and branches on them ami no cause could 

 be seen, but I was told that they had been seriously attacked by 

 thrips. Not many thrips were to he seen in any field at the, time ol 

 my visit, hut a, few were present in several different places, and trees 

 were plainly suffering from some cause which I could not find, hut I 

 wns assured that they had been seriously attacked by thrips during 

 the last general outbreak. 



6. At the Botanic Gardens I saw thrips on the leaves and pods of 

 cacao, but not in sufficient numbers to do serious damage, and in 

 driving from Sauteurs to Hope Estate. 1 saw by the roadside many 

 fields in which the trees showed the leafless, apparently dead, twigs 

 which are said to he the result of the thrips attack. 



7. Upon several estates spraying has been employed, rosin wash, 

 rosin compound. Whale-Oil. Soap and Kerosine Emulsion have all 

 been tried and fumigating lias also been practised as well. Fumigating 

 is done by means of small bush fires on which sulphur is sprinkled. 

 The amount of sulphur used is some 5 or »i Lbs. per acre. It is 

 impossible that this could have any effect in killing thrips, and is 

 probably merely time and money wasted. Any sulphur fumes strong 

 enough to kill thrips in an orchard would probably seriously injure 

 the leaves and would certainly render the atmosphere absolutely 

 unfit to breathe so that the labourers would he unable to remain in 

 the vicinity of the fires. No experimental spraying has been carried 

 out so that it is imjwssible to say how much good has been done by 

 the use of any of the washes tried. The spraying was done with 

 different washes in different places and no exact comparison can be 

 made between the different kinds of treatment. 



8. I am of opinion that the matter of first importance in 

 connection with the control of this pest is careful experimental work. 

 An area of cacao should be chosen which could he divided into a 

 number of plots, all having the same conditions of soil, drainage, 

 exposure, etc. Each of these plots should receive a particular and 

 definite course of treatment over a considerable period of time. This 

 would furnish more or less definite results, and give an opportunity 

 for judging between the various materials used, and for comparison 

 of treated areas with neighbouring untreated ones. The life history 

 of thrips should be carefully worked out. and an investigation under- 

 taken as to the food plants of the species other than the cacao. I 

 believe that experimental work of this kind is all that the Government 

 can do in the matter. Each estate owner and proprietor will have to 

 make practical application of the knowledge furnished him. 



9. Black Blight is a fungus of the genus Gapnodium. It finds 

 nutriment and favourable conditions for growth m the secretions ot 

 the scale insects and is nearly always to be seen in greater or less 

 quantity on scale infested trees. As a first cause of injury is com- 



