48 



SCALE PESTS OF COFFEE 



Chemicals 

 Labour 



Total 



Old plants 



9 years and 



upwards 



Medium sized 



plants 

 4 to 8 years old 



Young plants 

 1 to 3 years old 



22 12 



16 6 6 



11 1 6 



It must be admitted that these figm'es are high, but 

 the calculations are on the basis of fish oil resin soap at 

 Es! 18-4-0 a cwt., which was its cost when it was last 

 obtained (in 1915). This is very high and should go 

 down by at least Rs. 5 soon after normal conditions 

 return. The price in 1913 and 1914 was Ks. 13 per cwt. 

 It has also to be remembered that, at any rate in Mysore, 

 it is not all the acres in an estate nor all the plants in an 

 acre that are infested. Provided the spraying is commenced 

 at the right time and the recommendations made in this 

 bulletin are followed, the cost of spraying is not likely to 

 be high at any time. 



Brushing infested plants with the insecticide may 

 be made quite as effective as spraying. In fact, if it is 

 well done, it is even more effective, as in this operation 

 the bugs are more or less dislodged or disturbed from their 

 position and there is consequently a greater chance of 

 penetrating beneath the bugs and reaching the young. But 

 it cannot be regarded as anything more than a useful sup- 

 plement. The controversy as regards the relative merits 

 of spraying and brushing has arisen from a disregard of 

 relevant considerations. Brushing is certainly out of the 

 question as a practical measure when old bushy plants 

 are badly infested. 



On the other hand, when the pest is found only on a 

 few of the more tender leaves and branches, spraying would 

 entail a considerable wastage of the insecticide. As a 

 general rule, spraying is advisable when the number of 

 plants to be covered is large and the infestation is severe, 

 and brushing when the infestation is light or the infested 

 plants are young and few in number. 



When to spray or brush. — It has already been stated 

 that the pesfc is worst during the summer months (January 

 to May) when its natural checks do not operate or operate 



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