61 



OTHER PRIVATE ESTABLISPIMENTS. 



There are a few other private establishments for the study of ento- 

 mology in Japan; for example, that of Baron Takachiho, in the island 

 of K^uishu. Here in a well-equipped entomological laboratory excel- 

 lent work is being done by the baron, assisted by an enthusiastic corps 

 of workers, and including Mr. S. I. Kuwana, whose publications on 

 Coccida3 are well known on this side. 



CONTROL OF RICE INSECTS. 



Applied entomology in Japan received a great impetus a few years 

 ago from the enormous destruction occasioned to rice fields by certain 

 species of Jassids. The loss in a single year from these insects was 

 estimated at 20,000,000 yen ($10,000,000). The results of the studies 

 which followed this great loss have been the devising of methods 

 effectively preventing such occurrences in the future. These Jassids 

 do their greatest damage to the seed beds — little flooded areas thickly 

 planted with rice, which, after having made a growth of (> or 8 inches, 

 is transplanted to the fields. It is found possible to destro}^ the first 

 brood of these insects in the seed beds by the method which we 

 employ to destroy mosquitoes, namely, covering the surface of the 

 water with kerosene. Immediately after flooding with a film of oil 

 the rice is brushed in such a way that the Jassids are knocked into the 

 water. The oil is then washed ofl" b}^ allowing water to run freely 

 through the beds. In reply to questions as to the possibility of using 

 this oil to destroy mosquitoes, which breed in numl^ers in rice beds and 

 in rice lields, it was shown that this was impracticable, because the oil 

 could not be left on the rice fields for any length of time without 

 injury to the plants. 



In the trip through the island of Shikoku during the month of June 

 the S3"stem of Government rice inspection and the enforcement of the 

 kerosene treatment was observed in operation. Supervisory and 

 police regulations have been enacted, compelling the general adoption 

 of this means of controlling these pests. This work is under the 

 general supervision of the central experiment station of the depart- 

 ment of agriculture in Tokio, but is carried out by provincial author- 

 ities. Rice inspectors, or more properly, rice seed-bed inspectors, 

 are sent out from the provincial experiment stations, of which there 

 are now some 32 in as many provinces, in addition to the 9 branches 

 of the central experiment station of Tokio. The number of inspectors 

 for each province ranges from 5 to 15, and it is their duty to visit 

 every one of the innumerable little farm holdings and see that the 

 plantings for the rice seed beds have been made according to rule and 

 the operations against the insects have been properly carried out. 

 Fines for improperly planting or for omission of remedial treatment 



