A NEW SPECIES OF ALCOHOL FORMING BACTERIUM 

 ISOLATED FROM THE INTERIOR OF STALKS OF 

 SUGAR CANE INFESTED WITH THE CANE-BORER 

 DIATRAEA SACCHARALIS 



WM. L. OWEN 

 Louisiana Sugar Experiment Station, Audubon Park, New Orleans, La. 



Among the injuries sustained by sugar cane from various in- 

 sects, that resulting from infestation with the sugar cane moth 

 borer, Diatraea saccharalis, is generally regarded in Louisiana 

 as of greatest importance. This pest is very widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the sugar cane growing countries of the 

 world. Holloway (1912) who has made a very extended study 

 of the occurrence of this insect in Louisiana, reported an aver- 

 age infestation of the crop of 1911 to be about 38 per cent. This 

 infestation varied in degree in different sections, ranging from 

 0- to 78 per cent. The nature of the injury wrought upon 

 sugar cane by this parasite is manifold. Barber (1911) attributed 

 a greatly impaired germinating power of the cane to the injury 

 of its eyes from the burrows made by the borer. Borer infesCed 

 cane is also stunted in growth, and is rendered less able to with- 

 stand high winds, while its value is further impaired by the 

 secondary infection of its interior by various fungi. 



Of these various injuries caused by borer infestations, the 

 last named is perhaps the most serious. Barber (1911) found 

 the decrease in the purity of such cane to amount to 5.6 per cent. 

 On the basis of recoverable sucrose per acre of cane, the above 

 deterioration would amount to over 1000 pounds of sucrose 

 for every 25 tons of cane. 



Van Dine (1912) in investigating the borer injury to sugar 

 cane in Porto Rico, reports a decrease of 5.8 in the purity of 

 the juice, resulting from infestation with this parasite. 



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