The Department of Agriculture during the War. 465 



carried on, and of the twenty apprentices there suitable positions for 

 nine were obtained during" the year. The farm vintage amounted to 

 13,400 gallons. A considerable amount of matured wine in stock 

 from previous years was sold locally, the outbreak of war causing 

 certain negotiations then in progress for the sale of the wine in 

 England to fall through. The season's grape crop was fair; the 

 market, however, was very irregular. With a view to steadying the 

 market and ensuring fair prices, wine farmers and merchants formed 

 a co-operative society, called the Co-operative Wine Farmers' Associa- 

 tion of South Africa, Limited, which received wide support. 



Entomology. 



This division deals with the suppression of locusts, inspection of 

 nurseries, restrictions on traffic in plants, fruit, etc. It disseminates 

 advice on insect problems by publication and correspondence ; it 

 carries out experiments and demonstrations regarding the suppression 

 of insect pests, and studies are made of the life-cycles, etc., ol' 

 insects of economic importance. 



In 1914-15, owing to the war, there was a large reduction in the 

 importation of plants, fruit, and potatoes, imports of the last named 

 being particularly free from serious disease. Codling-moth v/as dis- 

 covered in certain districts, which were closed to the introduction of 

 fruits liable to carry the pest. The brown locust appeared in parts of 

 the Orange Free State. Investigational work covering a wide range of 

 matters was carried out, including false codling-moth, bagrada bug, 

 scale insects, white ants, wattle insects, parasites of the black scale, 

 vine mealy bug, Argentine ant, house-fly, etc. 



The Chief of the Division was absent for a considerable period of 

 1915-16, spending part of the time studying the developments of 

 economic entomology in Australia, Canada, and the United States. 

 During the year a quarantine station for imported varieties of sugar- 

 cane was established at Durban, the Natal Sugar Association bearing 

 the whole of the cost involved. Investigation work was continued, 

 and mention may be made of the success attending the method 

 advocated by the division for dealing with the house-fly. The most 

 noteworthy work of the division for the year was the campaign against 

 locusts in the central and north-western portions of the Cape Province 

 and the south-west of the Orange Free State. The outbreak was worst 

 over an area of 20,000 miles in the south-western Orange Free State 

 and Bechuanaland, stretching into Griqualand West and neigh- 

 bouring Cape districts. In all 28,000 swarms were destroyed, the 

 total cost of the campaign amounting to £10,000. This saved the 

 country from what would certainly have been a dire calamity. 



In 1916-17 the normal work of the division, such as the inspection 

 of nurseries and of plants imported from oversea, etc., was carried on 

 as usual. A number of articles and notes relating to entomological 

 subjects of immediate concern were issued and several investigations 

 were conducted. Following on the outbreak of locusts in 1915-16 it 

 was found that the number of scattered locusts that remained had by 

 rapid increase and grouping together assumed formidable proportions, 

 and though the infestation was not as great as the year before, it was 

 widely distributed and caused as much work to the officers of the 

 division. The infestation occurred in remote, dry, and thinly inhabited 



