﻿6.— 
  AN 
  ENTOMOLOGIST'S 
  CROP 
  PEST 
  CALENDAR 
  FOR 
  THE 
  

   MADRAS 
  PRESIDENCY. 
  

  

  (Plate 
  VII.) 
  

  

  By 
  T. 
  V. 
  Ramakrishna 
  Ayyar, 
  B.A., 
  F.E.S., 
  F.Z.S., 
  Assistant 
  Entomo- 
  

   logist, 
  Madras. 
  

  

  It 
  must 
  be 
  conceded 
  that 
  in 
  any 
  agricultural 
  tract 
  where 
  sufficient 
  

   experience 
  has 
  been 
  gained 
  of 
  the 
  behaviour 
  of 
  important 
  crop 
  pests 
  over 
  

   a 
  fairly 
  long 
  period 
  time, 
  it 
  might 
  be 
  possible 
  for 
  one 
  to 
  forecast 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   bable 
  time 
  of 
  appearance 
  of 
  each 
  pest 
  during 
  the 
  different 
  seasons 
  of 
  

   any 
  normal 
  year. 
  Of 
  course, 
  many 
  an 
  Entomologist 
  can 
  easily 
  recall 
  

   the 
  vagaries 
  of 
  different 
  insects 
  and 
  quote 
  instances 
  of 
  how 
  an 
  expected 
  

   pest 
  often 
  deceives 
  him 
  by 
  not 
  showing 
  itself 
  and 
  how 
  it 
  sometimes 
  causes 
  

   surprise 
  by 
  its 
  sudden 
  and 
  unexpected 
  appearance 
  in 
  another 
  year. 
  

   Apart 
  from 
  these 
  abnormal 
  and 
  exceptional 
  cases 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  practi- 
  

   cable 
  to 
  prepare 
  a 
  crop 
  pest 
  calendar* 
  as 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  rough 
  forecast 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  on 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  weather 
  predictions. 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  inevitable 
  

   defects 
  which 
  such 
  a 
  calendar 
  is 
  bound 
  to 
  possess, 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  it 
  

   might 
  still 
  serve 
  some 
  useful 
  purpose 
  in 
  different 
  ways. 
  To 
  the 
  educated 
  

   farmer, 
  who 
  is 
  anxious 
  to 
  reduce 
  the 
  annual 
  toll 
  levied 
  by 
  insects 
  on 
  

   his 
  crops, 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  probable 
  time 
  of 
  appearance 
  of 
  important 
  

   insect 
  pests 
  during 
  a 
  year 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  very 
  valuable 
  thing. 
  For, 
  in 
  most 
  

   cases 
  of 
  insect 
  attacks, 
  especially 
  on 
  field 
  crops 
  grown 
  over 
  extensive 
  

   areas, 
  preventive 
  and 
  precautionary 
  methods 
  go 
  a 
  great 
  way 
  in 
  saving 
  

   the 
  situation. 
  Therefore, 
  it 
  is 
  apparent 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  knowledge 
  will 
  

   serve 
  as 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  warning 
  to 
  the 
  farmer 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  the 
  look-out 
  for 
  the 
  pests 
  

   and 
  be 
  prepared 
  beforehand 
  to 
  take 
  prompt 
  measures 
  the 
  moment 
  the 
  

   pest 
  makes 
  its 
  appearance 
  or 
  even 
  just 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  expected 
  to 
  appear. 
  

   To 
  the 
  Agricultural 
  Entomologist 
  this 
  knowledge 
  is 
  much 
  more. 
  It 
  gives 
  

   him 
  in 
  addition, 
  a 
  clue 
  to 
  the 
  seasonal 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  crop 
  insects, 
  

   their 
  life 
  cycles 
  during 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  other 
  interesting 
  points 
  

   in 
  the 
  biology 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  insects. 
  It 
  helps 
  the 
  official 
  Entomologist 
  

   of 
  any 
  Province 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  proceed 
  to 
  the 
  different 
  localities 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  

   time 
  to 
  carry 
  out 
  investigations, 
  but 
  also 
  to 
  organize 
  his 
  campaigns 
  

   against 
  various 
  pests 
  sufficiently 
  early 
  and 
  not 
  be 
  compelled 
  to 
  rush 
  all 
  

  

  *The 
  preparation 
  of 
  such 
  pest 
  calendars 
  was 
  discussed 
  sometime 
  ago 
  between 
  the- 
  

   writer 
  and 
  E. 
  Ballard, 
  Esq., 
  B.A., 
  F.E.S., 
  Government 
  Entomologist, 
  Madras, 
  and 
  the 
  

   author 
  of 
  this 
  paper 
  is 
  indebted 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Ballard 
  for 
  all 
  encouragement 
  in 
  this 
  direction- 
  

  

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