470 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



of comparison and, furtliermore, they are mostly taken in the months 

 January-May, when Bollworm activity is comparatively low, so that the 

 percentage of infestation is relatively small. It must also be remembered 

 that these plots of cotton were being grown in connection with the rearing 

 of Microbracon parasites of Earias and that these parasites were there- 

 fore present in probably abnormally large numbers^ 



We will discuss Earias first and then Platyedra (Gelechia). 

 Have any trap-crops been tried ? 



Wo have tried bhindi and Hibiscus abelmoschus and we find that 

 the latter attracts Earias more than cotton. 

 Then a trap-crop is the best remedy. 



We put down Hibiscus abelmoschus expressly to breed Earias. Our- 

 endeavour has been to breed these boUworms and to keep them going 

 in as large numbers as possible in order to get parasites. These parasites 

 have been sent to the Punjab and used there but we do not exactly 

 know with what results beyond what was said at the last Meeting. 



We tried bhindi as a trap-crop in our Presidency [Bombay] but we 

 found that we required to use an early-maturing variety. Otherwise, 

 there is more damage than good done. 



Can you make your cultivators pull up the trap-crops at the proper 

 time ? 



That is the main trouble. 



If the top-shoots of the cotton-plants are cut oS in the early stage of 

 attack, it is useful. 



We also recommended that the top-shoots should be cut. 



In the Punjab it was suggested that cattle might be tiu-ned into 

 the fields to eat the top-shoots. 



Grazing cattle in such a field is of no use. The attacked shoots 

 wither apd cattle will not eat them ; in fact, the green shoots would be 

 eaten and more damage done. 



At Poona, in the case of certain varieties, the cutting of the top- 

 shoots is harmful. 



Dr. Gough, will you tell us something about Earias in Egypt ? 



In 1912, when I first came to India, my mission was to obtain para- 

 sites of Earias and to introduce them into Egyjjt. Gelechia was not a . 

 pest of cotton in Egypt at that time. We had legislation against Earias 

 and the result is that what was a bad pest in 1912 is only a quite minor 

 pest now. In 1910-12 at the electric light on our verandah we used to 

 attract twenty or thirty Earias insulana moths every evening, but now- 

 a-days this species is comparatively a rarity, and the percentage of 



