PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 50T 



pay to suffer the maximum penalty rather than to do the work. It 

 was for this reason that the law had to allow the Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture to intervene and do the work at the owner's expense. The judges, 

 too, instead of imposing the full possible penalty, usually inflicted fines 

 of one or two shillings only. Burning cotton-sticks is not a desirable 

 punishment in a country destitute of other sources of fuel supply, but 

 was the only thing that really moved the people to action. 



In an educated community, where everyone realizes the necessity 

 and the reasons for action, one might hope for the maximum possible 

 results from a law like this. In Egypt, however, almost every one was 

 out to dodge the inspector, and to do just so little as to avoid getting 

 his sticks burnt. The desire to protect the next year's crop seems to 

 be missing. If it could be done without work, everybody would praise 

 the Government, but measures which involve any display of energy 

 are not popular. 



As already stated, the law appears to cover all the lurking places 

 for the Pink Bollworm, but it is of course recognised that the strictest 

 application possible will never eradicate the insect. A large percentage 

 of the bolls, which have fallen to the ground, will always escape destruc- 

 tion. All that can be hoped for consequently is to check the increase 

 of the pest and to keep it within reasonable limits, perhaps even, with 

 very good work, to reduce the infestation to some extent. 



A good deal of the usefulness of the law turns on the last date for 

 the destruction of the bolls. And here it may be remarked that entomo- 

 logical desiderata and agricultural possibility clash. We demand, with 

 reasons which can almost be demonstrated by simple arithmetic, 

 that the last date be placed early in the autumn, much earlier than the 

 agriculturist was willing to give in 1916, or for that matter in 1918. 

 But unless the claim for earliness is seriously taken, we can see but 

 little hope for the future. In this respect it may be mentioned that 

 the law of 1912, ordering the pulling up of cotton-sticks by 15th Decem- 

 ber in Upper Egypt, 31st in Middle Egypt and the southern half of 

 the Delta and by 15th January in the northern Delta, was opposed on 

 the plea that the dates .were impossibly early. The dates for the 

 removal of the bolls are now much earlier, being 10th November for 

 Upper and Middle Egypt, and part of the Delta, 20th November for 

 the middle and 30th November for the north of the Delta and these 

 dates might stand being advanced still more without affecting more 

 than a small fraction of cultivators whose crop is backward. In other 

 words, the date appears to be fixed not for the average requirement of 

 the agriculturists, but distinctly later than average requirements. Our 

 firm conviction is that every day after 1st October matters very 



