xxviii. Timehri. 



realising that this outbreak would not be the sole occurrence of danger- 

 ous insect attacks upon economic crops in the colony, and that only the 

 largest firms of sugar estate proprietors could possibly afford to employ 

 a well-paid expert, attached an Economic Biologist and instituted a bio- 

 logical, principally entomological, division, in the Department of Science 

 and Agriculture. After the successful termination of Mr. Quelch's work 

 with the great moth-borer Messrs. Booker Bros. & Co. re-engaged 

 him for a special study of the smaller moth-borer and its parasites. 

 They also engaged Mr. H. W. B. Moore, of the British Guiana Museum, 

 as an expert field entomologist in connection with their plantations. 



Mr. Quelch's efforts proved successful and the great moth-borer was 

 brought under control whilst he worked out methods by which the injury 

 caused by the smaller moth-borer can be greatly reduced. The Govern- 

 ment Biologist is in almost constant request by the planters and by 

 farmers as well as by others in connection with questions of insect 

 control in the interests of sanitation ; whilst the excellent work jdone by 

 Mr. Moore is realised by every planter. 



A very marked instance has recently occurred proving the value to 

 the colony of a properly equipped and manned division of economic ento- 

 mology. As you are all aware the great local food-producing areas of 

 the North Western, the Pomeroon-Moruca, and the North Eastern 

 Essequibo districts were attacked by vast swarms of locusts during the 

 autumn of last year. The widely distributed areas affected by the locusts 

 amounted to a total of approximately 250 square miles extending, but very 

 irregularly placed, over a distance of 150 miles as the crow flies. Notice 

 of this attack was received in Georgetown by post on the 23rd of July, 

 at 8 a.m. ; before noon the general plan of the steps to be taken against 

 the locusts had been settled at the interview between the Governor, the 

 Government Secretary and myself, and the Governor's sanction to the 

 necessary expenditure obtained. During the afternoon cablegrams were 

 sent out to the various West Indian Islands and to the United States to 

 secure supplies of insecticides. Early next morning the Economic Biologist 

 and his assistants left Georgetown for the affected districts to direct the 

 campaign against the hordes of the pests. That campaign was highly suc- 

 cessful — thanks to the ready co-operation of the great majority ot farmers 

 and especially of the Aboriginal Indians in the infested areas. There may 

 still be a few small Bwarma at large in the Essequibo and North Western 

 Districts of the colony, but every large swarm has been destroyed. This 

 most threatening outbreak was brought under control in the course of a 

 few months at a net cost of $2,038.60 as compared with that of approxi- 

 mately $26,000, the expense incurred in dealing with the Berbice out- 

 break over an area of 25 square miles of fairly closely cultivated country 

 in 1886. The difference in the cost of fighting the two outbreaks is more 

 than the total expenditure on the Biological Division since its inception 

 in 1911. 



To return to the subject of new varieties of sugar-canes. In 1897 

 investigators generally were of the opinion that once a ue»v variety of sugar- 



