PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 673 



has obtained a firm hold and become a serious pest. In other parts 

 of India, it is only in certain restricted tracts that it has spread injuri- 

 ously, as for instance, around Maymyo in Burma, around Chikalda 

 in the Central Provinces, around Haldwani in the United Provinces, 

 around Madhupur in the Punjab, and around Shillong in Assam. 



The circumstance that the plant is found in numbers only in certain 

 restricted localities is no guarantee that it will not spread into other 

 places. In some places it is certainly only a question of time as to 

 when it will completely overrun the country, though in other places 

 it is probably very unlikely that, owing to adverse conditions, it will 

 ever spread. 



History of introduction. 



Wherever Lantana has run wild it has been invariably reported 

 that it had originally been introduced as a rare plant, later on planted 

 around bungalows and paths to form a live-fence. If left undipped, 

 the fence in a few years attains huge proportions and grows into unsightly 

 thickets. The fruits are eagerly eaten by birds and are spread broadcast 

 all round and the plant thus escapes out of cultivation and where condi- 

 tions are favourable spreads like wildfire. Watercourses and channels 

 seem also to play a fairly important part in the spread of this 

 plant, for the ripe fruit, when dry, freely floats in water. The 

 spread of Lantana is governed by the presence or absence of certain 

 favourable conditions. Firstly, it needs a fairly heavy rainfall. It 

 does not flourish in a dry climate nor does it relish very heavy rainfall. 

 Secondly, a well-drained soil is very favourable for its spread ; it does 

 not thrive in waterlogged situations. Thirdly, it is a lover of sunhght 

 and cannot make headway in dense forests under heavy shade ; and 

 fourthly, very low temperature is inimical to its growth. It cannot 

 survive frost and snow. In localities which fulfil the above condi- 

 tions, as for example, along the flanks of the Western Ghats of South 

 India, the weed grows with extreme luxuriance and covers all available 

 open places 



The Lantana 'problem. 



In the cultivated areas Lantana is very easily kept out, for the few 

 weedings even the most careless cultivator has to give to his crop will 

 necessarily keep the interior of his field free from it. In public commons 

 used as general pasture grounds and in wastelands the case is different. 

 Little by little the weed encroaches on the grass-land until the greater 

 part of the pasture is covered over and, owing to the simple reason of 

 its being common property, nobody attends to the removal of Lantana. 



In forests again it is a great problem. In thick forests it has no 

 chance whatever owing to the heavy shade, but the case is altered 



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