100 



waiian Sugar Planters' Association, took up the matter in the 

 only logical way of combating pests and despatched two ex- 

 perts to the home of the hopper where they studied up the 

 natural enemies of the pest and succeeded in introducing a 

 few living specimens that were carefully bred and liberated 

 under proper environments where they rapidly increased and 

 spread until now they are destroying over fifty per cent of the 

 hopper eggs. At this rate of check to them in a period of 

 one year it is natural to surmise that this pest has reached 

 the limit of its destructiveness, and the loss from that source 

 will hereafter be diminished to a normal condition. 



However, it is best to prevent the introduction of all vege- 

 table eating insects, for it requires time to determine how seri- 

 ous they may become without their natural check, and in that 

 time it is generally too late to try and exterminate them by 

 artificial methods. 



AGRICULTURAL-HORTICULTURAL QUARANTINE 

 WORK. 



SUGAR CANE PESTS. 



In January a box of sugar cane arrived from Australia ; upon 

 inspection the cane was found to be infested with boring 

 lepidopterous larvae measuring from 1/16 to 3/4 of an inch. 

 Those worms burrow into and under the buds, destroying 

 them for cuttings, and injuring the vitality of the cane. A 

 number of "mealy bugs" (Pseiidococcus) was also found under 

 the leaves, as it was a new variety of cane, and being desirous 

 of thoroughly disinfecting it from "bud worms," we used a 

 strong charge of carbon-bisulphide. Evidently, however, 

 sugar cane will not stand as strong a charge of that vapor as 

 grape vines, or other plants or seeds requiring treatment by 

 that method, for most of the cane was killed as well as the bud 

 worms and "mealy bugs." 



Another importation of sugar cane received from Fiji was 

 treated with hydrocyanic acid gas before unpacking in order 

 to destroy any insects that might have developed in coming 

 through the tropics and liable to escape when the case Avas un- 



