13 



This will not render the resulting tobacco poisonous or inferior 

 in any way, but it will probably be best not to spray within 

 a fortnight of reaping the leaf, thus leaving a wide margin for 

 safety. 



THE BUDWOEM. Chloridea obsoleta (Heliothis armiger). 



This is a cosmopolitan insect that attacks a variety of crops, 

 including cotton, maize, tomato, etc. In America it does 

 damage to tobacco by eating into the opening buds, and later 

 by attacking and boring into the seed capsules. The insect 

 occurs in Southern Ehodesia, but injury to the buds has not 

 been observed, and injury to seed capsules, although common' 

 enough, is at present of no great moment, as seeds are not col- 

 lected in this -country. The reason for the immunity of the 

 buds is not apparent. It may be that the insect has not yet 

 contracted the habit, but may do so later, or that its enemies 

 are more effective here than overseas. It is noteworthy that 

 it has not yet been observed in the tassels of maize or in toma- 

 toes within our borders, although these are its favourite feed- 

 ing places in America and in Cape Colony. The remedy for 



' budworms ' ' used in America is a mixture of a half teaspoon- 

 ful of Paris green with a quart of finely ground maize meal. 

 This is sprinkled on the buds from a can perforated like a 

 pepper canister, and renewed frequently, especially after heavy 

 rains. 



BEETLES. Several species of beetles eat the foliage and 

 gnaw the stalks of tobacco in this territory, especially when 

 newly planted. The beetles are very dissimilar in appearance, 

 but almost all belong to one family, the Tenebrionidce. The 

 beetles of this family are very lacking in popular names, the 

 " tok-tokje " being probably the most familiar to South Afri- 

 cans. Beetles belonging to the following genera have been 

 observed or reported to damage tobacco : Zophosis, opatrum, 

 gonocephalum, psammodes (tok-tokje), dictha and anomalipus. 

 Of these, the most to be feared are zophosis and opatrum. 

 These beetles will apparently gnaw any part of the plant within 

 reach; they are not, however, provided with feet adapted to 

 clinging to aerial foliage. It is probable that the damage is 

 done almost entirely to newly-set-out plants, which are natur- 

 ally in a checked condition, or to plants suffering from drought. 

 Strong freely-growing plants appear to be almost exempt from 

 attack, or at least to noticeable injury. It has been noted 



