276 COCOA 



CHAP. 



assumption has not been confirmed by other investi- 

 gators. Zehntner found that during the dry season 

 the females retired to special shelter-places, generally 

 low, humid spots, often situated near the little streams 

 which run through the plantations. This agrees with 

 the observed fact that at the beginning of the rainy 

 season the pest generally first re-appears in the neigh- 

 bourhood of such places and quickly spreads from there 

 over the whole plantation. 



Where cocoa is grown with little shade the harm 

 done is generally greater. This, however, must not be 

 attributed to better life-conditions for the Helopeliis, 

 but to the detrimental influence of the sun and wind 

 on the twigs attacked. 



The fight against the Helopeltis is rendered difficult 

 by the fact that the insect lives on so many other 

 plants: tea, cinchona "kapok" (JEriodendron anfractu- 

 osum), pepper, Bixa orellana (often used as hedge plant 

 in Java), tamarind, cinnamon, camphor, and many 

 other trees and shrubs. 1 



Different methods are used in Java to combat this 

 pest. On several plantations the insects are caught 

 regularly by a special gang of women and children. For 

 this purpose they use light sticks 20 to 40 cm. (8 to 16 in.) 

 long, made of bamboo, with a ring of bamboo or a kind of 

 fork at the end ; the ring has a diameter of 3 to 4 

 inches (7|- to 10 cm.) and is provided with cobwebs by 

 simply passing the ring through cobwebs. Sometimes 

 sticks are used besmeared with the viscous juice of the 

 jack tree. Such implements are necessary because the 

 Helopeltis are remarkably quick. Every day the women 

 and children bring their catch of insects to the overseer ; 

 they are generally paid according to the number of 

 Helopeltis caught. This method obviously diminishes 

 the number of the insects, but it is far from satisfactory ; 

 too many insects remain free in the fields. 



The same may be said of the method of killing the 



1 See Roepke, "Helopeltis op kamfer en enkele aanteekeningen omtrent zyii 

 voedsterplanten " (Cultuurgids, Part II., 1911). 



