154 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol, V. 



bad year.— (Filgate?) igoo and 1901 were very bad years for cater- 

 pillars. — (Sealy.) 



17. Why should new lands in villages usually escape being 

 attacked by the caterpillar when sown with indigo? Why should 

 they prefer (as stated by (l Old Planter ") worn-out zerats? — I cannot 

 say, but in a bad caterpillar year the zerats undoubtedly suffer more 

 than the zillah.-— (Murray.) The plant being stronger in new lands 

 is more affected by the caterpillar. — [Filgate.) The caterpillars have 

 attacked the indigo in both new and old lands both years (1900 and 

 190 1), but are worse in worn-out zerats. — [Sealy.) 



18. Would it pay to manure indigo fields, which are known to 

 be particularly badly affected by the indigo caterpillar so as to 

 strengthen the young plants ? The latter would perhaps then be able 

 to recover from the ravages of the caterpillar instead of dying out- 

 right. — The young plant this year [1901] in lands manured with 

 superphosphate did not get away any quicker than in ordinary lands. 

 [Murray.) An answer to this question depends on the cost of 

 manure per bigah. — [Filgate.) 



19. Any other information should be given of a general nature. 

 — My experience is that bad caterpillar years added considerably to 

 the indigo seed bill. The crops eventually secured gave a good 

 return, the produce being better than in ordinary years. — (Wilson.) 

 The caterpillar appears in most years in this district (Purneah). 

 The indigo lands are but very roughly prepared and never weeded, 

 the sowing being done by hand on the plough. The rougher and 

 more weedy the land the less is the damage done by the caterpillar. 

 Indeed it is only in fairly clean lands that any damage at all is done. 

 Provided one has a normal rainfall to bring on the plant, the weeds 

 do not interfere with the indigo ]n any way, but rather the opposite. — 

 (Mackenzie.) Caterpillars are worse here [Kindarpati Concern, 

 Gorakhpurl than at any other factory I have been at, and I attribute 

 this to the factory being near the jungle. During the period between 

 the 5th March and 15th May north winds blow every night, and I 

 think these north winds bring down the moths from the foot-hills 

 which are covered with jungle. Caterpillars again appear towards 

 the end of mahai. The eggs must be laid on the tender leaves of 

 the second cuttings (khoonties) about the end of July and early in 

 August, but the plants being stronger they do not do much harm. 

 The eggs and young caterpillars on the plant appear to poison the 

 leaves which dry up, and west winds at this stage cause the young 

 plant to dry up before the leaves are thrown out. I think the only 

 way to distribute a chemical would be to draw a cloth over the youno- 

 plant kept wet with some chemica solution. This would prevent 



