COTTON 323 



too high a degree of fertility appears inimical, since it 

 tends to develop vegetative vigour at the expense of the 

 reproductive organs. When, however, cotton is grown as 

 a main crop some form of manurial treatment eventually 

 must be adopted. In Montserrat the practice of green 

 manuring for cotton has attained a certain degree of 

 popularity, and up to the present appears well calculated 

 to maintain fertility, although it may in subsequent years 

 require to be supplemented with other manurial dressings. 



Pests and Diseases. 



The crop is peculiarly liable to attack by a number of 

 pests and diseases, the majority of which are, however, 

 readily capable of control by the timely application of 

 the proper measures. 



Among the insect pests the following may be men- 

 tioned: 



The Cotton Worm (Alabama argillacea). This pest 

 is capable of complete control by dusting with a mixture 

 of Paris green and lime, and although at the outset of 

 the industry some trouble was experienced in connec- 

 tion with the attacks of the insect its control is now 

 thoroughly well understood. In all islands where peasant 

 cotton is grown facilities now exist for the procuring of 

 this insecticide by peasant growers on easy terms; with 

 the exception of Anguilla, this is in every case accom- 

 plished through the agency of the Agricultural Depar - 

 ment, a stock of Paris green being maintained by the 

 Government especially for the purpose. 



Leaf-blister Mite (Eriophies gos'sypii). This is a pest 

 of more serious importance; it has, however, been shown 

 that by the employment of proper measures it also is 

 capable of control, the most essential feature being the 

 destruction of all old cotton bushes after the crop has 

 been reaped; if this is neglected the old plants serve to 

 harbour the pest and act as centres of infection to 

 the young crop; this process requires to be combined 

 with the hand-picking and destruction of all infected 

 leaves which appear in the early stages of the growth 

 of the crop; dusting with a mixture of sulphur and lime 



