355 



Ballou (H. a.). Chinch Bug Fungus.— ^^tc. News, Barbados, xviii, 

 no. 445, 17th May 1919, p. 154. 



The fungus, Sporotrichum globulifemm, already known to attack 

 BUssus leucopterus in Kansas, is now recorded from Antigua as infesting 

 cotton-stainers [Dysdercus]. The artificial distribution of this fungus, 

 which is easily cultivated on an artificial medium such as flour paste 

 with the addition of a little meat extract, may be advisable under 

 West Indian conditions, though it has not been successful against 

 the chinch bug in Kansas. 



Sands (W. N.). The Mahoe Cochon Tree in relation to Cotton Stainer 

 Control in St. Vincent.— ^^rnc. News, Barbados, xviii, no. 445, 

 17th May 1919, pp. 154-155. 



In the course of the campaign in St. Vincent against Dysdercus 

 delauneyi, Leth. (cotton-stainer), investigations were made to ascertain 

 the relation of this pest to the Mahoe Cochon tree {Sterculia caribaea). 



It has been decided that destruction of these trees shall not be 

 undertaken until it has been definitely proved that they enable the 

 cotton-stainer to tide over the critical period from April to July in 

 each year. It is not improbable that they act as a trap where the 

 insects become infested by the fungus, Sporotrichum globuliferum. 



G. E. The Maize Stem Borer. A Pest on Maize (Idhra) and Juar 

 (Idhra baidi).— Leaflet from Agricultural Directorate, Baghdad, 

 15th November 1918, 1 p. [Received 18th June 1919.] 



The damage caused by Chilo simple c all over Mesopotamia is so 

 great that the cultivation of maize has been completely replaced by 

 that of lukka {Setaria italica) or by the dwarf Arab maize. The 

 borer attacks the stems and prevents grain formation. 



The adult moth flies after dark and deposits eggs on the leaves. 

 The caterpillar hatches in a week, commences feeding on the leaves 

 and soon attacks the stem. The attacked shoots wither and dry up. 

 Pupation takes place after a month in the stem, the moth appearing 

 about a week later. In warm weather the life-cycle lasts about 6 

 weeks ; during the cold season the caterpillars and pupae hibernate 

 in the stumps and stubble until the appearance of the new crop. 



All stumps should be ploughed up and burnt as soon as the maize 

 has been reaped. Any withered shoots appearing in the new crop 

 should be at once cut out and burnt. 



Ramsbottom (J. K.). Experiments on the Control of Narcissus Eelworm 

 in the Field.— JZ. R. Hortic. Soc. London, xliv, May 1919, pp. 

 68-72, 1 fig., 1 plate. 



Experiments were undertaken on a plot of land that had been 

 planted with narcissus bulbs in 1915 and in which eelworm disease, 

 caused by Tylenchus devastatrix, was so prevalent in the spring of 1917 

 that the cultivation of these bulbs was abandoned. An. onion crop 

 was planted, and though the seed germinated freely the young plants 

 wholly disappeared owing to eelworm attack. The first series of 

 experiments was concerned with the application of manures and 

 proved that the treatment of infested ground with the fertilisers and 



