204 A. 1). PEACOCK — ENTOMOLOGICAL PESTS 



Parasitic Hymenoptera and Diptera. 



Owing' to the difficulty in identifying these insects and the great need for more 

 systematic work on the African species, the parasites which were bred can merely 

 be indicated. 



One species of Braconid was bred from caterpillars of Prodenia litura and 

 Euproctis lyonia ; another from the latter species only ; and a third from Sylepta 

 derogata. A Tachinid fly, apparently referable to the genus Sisyropa, was bred 

 from Diacrisia maculosa ; and another from Sylepta derogata. 



General Conclusions icith regard to Cotton Pests. 



From the details given above, the following conclusions stand out : — 



1. Cotton demands unceasing watchfulness and care, right from the time when 

 it has two leaves, when grasshopper, beetle and caterpillar attack may have 

 effects detrimental to a good early start ; through the leaf-growing period, when 

 leaf-rollers, casual caterpillars and aphis are at work ; through the all-important 

 period of bud- and boll-formation, when boll-worms are active ; and up to the 

 ripening and picking period, when stainers are mischievous. 



2. Dirty farming hinders easy working, robs the cultivated plants of nourish- 

 ment and encourages pests. The burning of old plants at the end of the season 

 assists greatly the destruction of stainers, boll-worms and leaf-rollers. 



3. Experiments on the following lines would be useful : — 



(a.) to obtain a native variety of cotton with less wood, smaller and more 

 wieldy plants and a greater proportion of lint to seed cotton ; (b.) to ascertain 

 whether it is better, in dealing with native cottons, to widen the planting distances 

 and drills so as to render the plants more accessible for the destruction of pests, 

 or to retain the former planting methods, with practically no entomological 

 treatment, and merely to top and trim the plants. 



4. The measures recommended here are not difficult in themselves, but much 

 patient, unhampered work is needed, and this takes time. Again, these will not 

 be of the slightest use unless the principal pests are attacked with energy and 

 co-operation by everyone, natives and officials alike. 



The difficulties of making cotton worth extensive exploitation are many. 

 These are, (1) the inertia of the native attitude toward cleanly farming ; (2) the 

 difficulty of obtaining a good variety of native cotton which would fetch better 

 prices and so make it worth while expending labour and money in combating 

 pests ; (3) the difficulty of popularising even simple entomological methods ; and 

 (4), greatest of all, why should the native, as a man of business, grow cotton, 

 when cocoa and rubber are much more valuable, and his country, besides, is the 

 land, par excellence, of the oil palm ? 



Even if a better native variety is produced, cotton in Southern Nigeria will 

 probably never be more than a useful native catch-crop. 



IiN SECTS AFFECTING COCOA. 



Most of the work done related to insects affecting young cocoa at the Govern- 

 ment Model Farm, Agege, the Agricultural Station, Calabar, and at the Head- 

 quarters of the Agricultural Department, Ibadan. The cocoa at Agege was over 



