287 



Rhogas. A weevil, Myllocerus hlandus, which is a serious pest in 

 young cotton in the Punjab, was successfully dealt with by sowing 

 cotton with maize as a trap-crop. The attacks of a Buprestid beetle, 

 Sphenoptera gossypii (cotton stem-borer) have been much lessened 

 by constant destruction of attacked plants. 



Among rice pests, Schoenobius incertellus {bipunctifer) (rice stem- 

 borer) was checked by removal and destruction of plants infested 

 with this moth. The application of oilcakes as a top-dressing in 

 affected fields is recommended. Spodoptera mauritia was controlled 

 by pouring kerosene in the water of paddy fields and then dislodging 

 the caterpillars. To destroy Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (rice leaf -roller),, 

 another Lepidopterous pest of rice, the tips of the plants rolled by it 

 were beaten briskly with a stout cane, thus dislodging and exposing 

 the insects. The crop then received a mulch of a mixture of lime 

 and ashes in the proportion 1:4, after draining away the water 

 wherever possible. 



Lepidopterous sugar-cane borers, among which only CJiilo simplex 

 had hitherto been identified, are now found to include three distinct 

 species of Diatraea, others being Papua depressella, Scirpophaga 

 xantJiogastrella {auriflua) and Sesamia inferens. Of the last two species 

 the former is most injurious to the young stages of sugar-cane, while 

 the second is active throughout the year. 



Among miscellaneous pests, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (red palm 

 weevil) did considerable damage to date plantations. The building 

 of mud enclosures round the trunks of the plants and keepiag them 

 filled with water proved quite successful. Dropping of oranges was 

 found to be caused by a moth, Ophideres fullonica, which also punct- 

 ures pomelo fruits. Fermenting sugar syrup and lantern traps 

 have been used to attract these moths, but only the latter are of any 

 value. 



Some account is also given of the conditions of sericulture and 

 apiculture during the year. 



Mackenna (J.). Report on the Progress of Agriculture in India for 

 1917-18, Calcutta, 1919, pp. 85-99. [Received 9th May 1919.J 



Investigation into the pests of cotton has shown that Farias fabia 

 and E. insulana are the most prevalent bollworms at the beginning 

 of the cotton season (July to mid-October), but later on (from October 

 to the end of January) Pectinophora gossypiella is most abundant and 

 damages the crop considerably, being at its worst during the picking 

 season. The species of Microbracon that parasitises Farias spp. is 

 also able to attack the larvae of P. gossypiella while these are in 

 the shoots, etc., but seems unable to attack them when they have 

 reached the cotton seeds. It is thought that the control of this 

 pest could best be accomplished by some natural parasite, and since 

 P. gossypiella is apparently endemic to India it seems probable that 

 the required parasite, if such exists, might be found there. The best 

 trap-crop for bollworm larvae is Hibiscus abehnoschus. Three new 

 parasites of Farias spp. have been discovered, a Tachinid attacking 

 the larvae, and a Braconid and a Chalcid infesting the pupae. A 

 serious pest of Cambodia cotton, the stem weevil {Pempheres sp.) 

 has recently been recorded in several new localities [see this Review, 



