Well, he wanted me lo go and take a look at the plantation. I 

 told him that I knew of three species of scale insects infesting the 

 banana plant and fruit and that we would probably find the 

 plantation badly infested, if the scale had been found plentiful on 

 the fruit. Just as I had expected, the- plants, in fact the whole 

 grove, was in a terrible condition. Old stumps had been left 

 standing, the dry leaves w^ere hanging over the old and new 

 growth and were all badly infested with scale insects, which, as 

 the leaves dried up, readily crawled to the new' leaves and to the 

 forming bunches. The existing condition was absolutely unneces- 

 sary and the chances of re-establishing a clean plantation by the 

 application of clean cultural methods should be a very easy task, 

 but it must be done on a thoroughly systematized plan. 



To illustrate how important clean cultural methods are, I may 

 mention that the cotton growers, wdio, under ordinary conditions 

 lose from 50% to 7z>% of the cotton crop, owing to the serious 

 attack of the cotton boll worm {Cclcchia gossypiclla), can and 

 have proved, that by collecting the affected bolls, or on a larger 

 scale, by pruning the cotton plants, removing all infested bolls and 

 the late stragglers which generally harbor the cotton worm, the 

 pest can be reduced to a very small percentage. 



Clean cultural methods, when carried out in conjunction with 

 spraying or if carried on where the natural enemies of the various 

 pests abound, always show a decided improvement owing to the 

 action of two or three factors working together, but clean cultural 

 methods alone will do much toward a very good check on some 

 of our worst pests. The old saying, "An ounce of prevention is 

 worth a pound of cure,'' is as applicable to man in relation to 

 insects or fungi which injure his crops as to other matters which 

 affect his well being. The enterprising growler who employs 

 practical methods for the control of insect-pests which menace his 

 crops has a distinct advantage over one wdio does not. He is 

 enabled to obtain a good yield while the careless grower only 

 gets loss and disappointment. Eternal vigilance is the price of a 

 good crop, especially in a countiy where the summer season always 

 prevails. 



Cooperation in the control of pests is another feature of suc- 

 cess and should be instituted on business lines. The greatest 

 damage to a thrifty farmer or grower is very often caused by 

 liis negligent and indift'erent neighbor. It does not seem just to 

 the clean culture grower that his next door neighbor should be 

 allowed to breed all kinds of pests which soon find their way to 

 his clean farm, and it is not just and should be remedied. The 

 careless banana grower should not be allowed to produce scale in- 

 fested fruit which when sent to the outside market is held up, 

 fumigated and condemned, and will, if such infested fruit is per- 

 mitted to be shipped, probably stop a good and paying industry. 

 Steps should be taken to protect the industrious, clean culture 

 practicing grower by regulations which can be used to make those 

 who do not protect their own crops abate their nuisance and there- 

 by check the promiscuous breeding of all kinds of pests. 



