PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD EXTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 471 



cotton bolls attacked by Earias at its worst is well below ten per cent. 

 The legislation laid down demands that all the bolls be destroyed at the 

 end of the year and that all cotton sticks be pulled out and burnt ; and 

 this applies also t<i Hibiscus esculent us and H. cannahinus. Thus for 

 five months there is no food available for Earias, as we do not leave 

 any cotton, or Hibiscus or any other food-plant. Legislation on such 

 lines forms the best means of control. 



The conditions differ va Ir.dia. Hibiscus escuhntus is a very useful Mr.Misra. 

 vegetable and it would be difficult to legislate against it. But our 

 greatest difficiilty is the removal of the trap-crop. 



I am perfectly convinced that in the United Provinces bhindi as a Mr. Burt, 

 trap- crop will not be useful. Bhindi is a very valuable vegetable and 

 is grown over a very extended area. I do not think that any cultivator 

 would pull out bhindi, which is sometimes even more valuable than 

 cotton. 



To destroy the early shoots of cotton is also of doubtful value as this 

 causes a severe check to the growth of the plant and the remedy is worse 

 than the disease, as you make your crop late. Topping is out of the 

 question. But when we get a vigorous crop, then topping is useful. 



Do you think that any legislation for the destruction of bhindi plants Mr. Fletcher, 

 by a particular date would be useful ? 



Bhindi is grown in the United Provinces as a hot-weather and rainy- Mr. Burt. 

 season crop and bollworms and their parasites are found earlier in the 

 season on bhindi than on cotton. 



Legislation for bhindi alone, without taking account of other wild ^^' Fletcher, 

 food-plants, would do comparatively little good. Have you any wild 

 food-plants in Egypt ? 



In Egypt we have not got any wild plants that are fed on by Dr. Gough. 

 Earias. Wild Hibiscus does not harbour it. 



In my judgment fumigation or hot-air treatment of the seeds would Mr. Burt, 

 be the best remedy. 



The difficulty probably is that the cotton area is so extensive tliat, Mr. Robertson- 

 where one cotton plot ends, another begins. Brown. 



That is not quite so. One tract is separated from another. Mr. Burt. 



As regards topping of the plants, there seems to be some difference Mr. Misra. 

 of opinion. In the Central Provinces the crop is sown thick and is then 

 thinned out and in such cases we can pull out whole affected plants. 

 This work is rendered easier when the plants are sown in rows. But the 

 worst of it is that the plants which are pulled out are generally thrown 

 down on one side of the field. If the cultivators could be persuaded to 

 destroy these plants, it would be useful. 



