THE BANANA. ] 437 



check by a histerid beetle (Plaesius javanus], and colo- 

 nies of this beetle have been imported into Jamaica and 

 the Tien Islands to combat the banana boier which 



o 



seems to be little affected by the usual methods adopted 

 to fight parasitic insects, and is hardly less destructive to 

 plantations which are properly cultivated. The intro- 

 duction of this pest in a banana growing country should 

 be carefully avoided. 



The larva of a moth, Castina licus, has been found 

 boring into the stem of the -plant in Trinidad. Certain 

 Acari and Aphides have been noted frequently on the 

 young foliage and fruit, and if the attack persists for 

 some time the growth may be checked and the fruit 

 disfigured, but these parasites if at all troublesome will 

 disappear completely by spraying once or twice \\ith a 

 good insecticide, such as kerosene, abol, tobacco-juice, 

 solutol etc. The scale insects Lecanium Oleae, L. 

 hem sphaericuni) and also Dactylopins Citri, are frequent 

 on the foliage and fruit of the banana, but the infestation 

 is never so severe as to require a special treatment as in 

 the case of Citrus trees. 



