52 INDIAN FOREST INSECTS 



live at the bottom of holes in the nursery beds or somewhere closely 

 adjacent. 



To combat the attacks of the internal root-feeders dig out and burn 

 in toto all young plants which show signs of flagging. Collect the mature 

 forms of the insect when it appears on the wing. 



For the external root-feeders the methods advocated are the following: 

 Before making sowings in patches out in the forest, it is advisable to turn 

 up the soil for a couple of feet in selected spots to ascertain whether these 

 root-feeding larvae are abundant on the area or not. If they are so, it is 

 almost useless endeavouring to restock the area by means of sowings. 



In nurseries, bundles of some succulent crop plant poisoned with 

 Paris-green water or dilute kerosene may be placed on the seed-beds "before 

 the young plants come up. Caterpillars such as the Agrotis will resort to 

 these and be killed. Birds should be attracted to the nursery so far as 

 possible by affording them nesting facilities. If the nursery beds are infested 

 with root-feeding grubs, a good plan is to flood them. This will bring the 

 grubs to the surface, when they will be devoured by the birds. Dusting the 

 plants in the evening with a mixture of quicklime and ashes is also effective. 

 If you find the nursery pitted with holes, these should be dug up and the 

 larvae or crickets, etc., found be killed. Finally watering the beds with 

 a solution of copper-sulphate is sometimes productive of good. 



In plantations where the young seedlings are seen to be withering and 

 dying off, employ women and boys to remove the soil round the roots. The 

 grub or grubs will be found at the roots, and should be taken out and killed. 

 Or, as in the nursery, if feasible, flood the plantation for several hours. 

 Another method, which can be employed against the crickets, is to provide 

 boys with a length of bamboo containing water and send them into the area 

 with instructions to pour water down each hole they come to. This will 

 bring up the cricket or crickets, for there may be two or more at the bottom 

 of the hole, and these should be caught and killed. It is desirable when 

 employing labour in this way to insist on the insects caught and killed being 

 brought in, and it is often best to pay by results achieved. 



5. Methods of Protecting Station and Cantonment and Valuable Orchard Trees. 



It is often possible and desirable to incur a greater expenditure on the 

 protection of the trees of the station or cantonment, or valuable orchard 

 trees, than is justifiable in the forest or plantation. Forest Officers are often 

 asked to suggest a possible treatment in cases where damage of this nature 

 is taking place. 



The avenue and trees of the station compound are all liable to insect 

 attack, and more especially is this so in the drier parts of the country. The 

 longicorn-borer attack in Quetta (yEolesthes, see p. 307) is an evidence of 

 the state to which careful planting work can be reduced if the insects 

 preying upon the trees are not known and watched. 



