95 



BiRT (A. G.). The Cultivation of Sugar-cane. Deft. Agric, Assam, 

 Bull. no. 1, 1915, 6 pp. [Received 3rd January 1916.] 



The most common insect pests of sugar-cane in Assam recorded in 

 this bulletin are two species of moth-borers. The larvae, hatching 

 from eggs deposited on the young shoots, bore downwards in the stem. 

 Pupation takes place outside the host plant. The shoots may die 

 as the result of attack or may give rise to new lateral branches. Canes 

 injured by borers do not ripen properly and contain less sugar than 

 healthy plants. The numbers of the insect can be materially lessened 

 by the collection of egg-clusters and by the destruction of rubbish after 

 the harvest. 



Summarising Report on Locust Work for the Second Quarter — April 1st 

 to June 30th 1915. — Agric. Bull., Fed. Malay Statefi, Kuala 

 Lumpur, iv, no. 1, October 1915, pp. 13-20, 2 tables. [Received 

 3rd January 1916.] 



During the first half of the year 197 swarms of locusts were dealt 

 with in Selangor as against 1,241 for the same period in 1914. In 

 the Negri Sembilan an increase of 408 swarms was recorded, which 

 is probably due to an extended use of poison, accompanied by improved 

 efficiency, rather than to an actual increase in the number of locusts 

 present in the State. In the Negri Sembilan the problem of exter- 

 minating the locusts has been reduced to the question of controlling 

 the hoppers produced in large numbers in the lalang lands around 

 Tampin. The destruction of the swarms prevented the locusts from 

 damaging crops during the first half of the year. 



DuTT (H. L.). The Campaign against Surface Caterpillar at Mokameh 

 in 1914-15 (Fifth Report). — Agric. Jl., Deft. Agric, Bihar and 

 Orissa, Patna, iii, no. 1, April 1915, pp. 1-14, 3 plates, 3 tables. 

 [Received 7th January 1916.] 



The campaign against Agrotis ypsilon during 1914—15 was conducted 

 with 34 improved traps on the same lines as in previous years. The 

 work was begun at the end of August under normal conditions, the 

 traps being placed as soon as the flood water began to f9.ll. Sowing 

 operations were completed by the third week in October. The season 

 was characterised by an abnormal drought. The first report of damage 

 was received from Daurapur on 15th October ; injury continued up 

 to the middle of November, being helped by the weather conditions 

 which considerably weakened the crop. The area damaged was 

 considerable, but in view of the drought throughout the season, the 

 result of the campaign was considered satisfactory. The largest 

 number of moths was caught in October, after which there was another 

 rise in the catches in November. In December the catches continued 

 low. In six traps left after 4th January the catches increased in 

 February and declined again during March, when the experiments 

 were discontinued. As the result of an experiment conducted in 

 October, beer was substituted for alcohol and ethyl acetate in the bait 

 liquid and later was replaced by country liquor, which was found to be 

 equally effective. In order to ensure complete success, a large number 

 of traps must be used, so that the whole of the infested area may be 

 brought under control. 



