COTTON 311 



commencement of an attack to avoid loss of crop through 

 the defoliation of the plants and the destruction of the 

 young bolls. 



The situation in St. Vincent is a novel one, for only 

 two attacks of the " worm," each over a very limited 

 area of the island, have been recorded during the past 

 eleven years, and these, it was thought, were due to two 

 large invasions of moths from the Grenadines, as only 

 fields in the Southern part of .the island suffered. The 

 progeny of these moths, however, were so numerous in 

 the district that they could not be dealt with effectively 

 by the planters' friend, the " Jack Spaniard " (Polistcs 

 annularis), and other natural enemies with which the 

 Colony is so well provided. The control of the " worm " 

 by natural enemies is one of the most interesting features 

 connected with the local industry. 



The leaf-blister mite (Eriophyes gossypii) is found 

 throughout the West Indies, and is not considered a 

 dangerous pest if the old cotton stalks are thoroughly 

 destroyed by fire at the end of each season and some time 

 in advance of the planting of the following crop. The 

 exceptional situation which has arisen in Barbados in 

 connection with this mite has already been mentioned 



(P. 3<>5). 



In Antigua and Montserrat, but more particularly in the 

 former island, a minute flower-bud maggot (Contarinia 

 gossypii) has caused a considerable amount of damage in 

 certain seasons. Early planting appears to offer a means 

 of controlling the maggot; but in Antigua, owing to the 

 low rainfall there, this is not always a feasible practice. 



A great deal more might be said of the numerous 

 beetles, bugs, "worms," and scale insects which take 

 their toll of cotton each season, but the most notorious 

 have been mentioned. 



In regard to bacterial and fungoid diseases, perhaps 

 the most generally prevalent disease is that caused by 

 "angular spot" (Bacterium malvacearum); but in 

 common with other diseases, such as " anthracnose " 

 (Glomerella gossypii), boll rot, and mildew, the degree 

 of infection is largely influenced by weather conditions, 

 and in a wet season, or rather, a season when the rainfall 



