446 MAIZE 



CHAP, tural Journal for May, 1907, ' Mr. D. van ZijI, of Dichaking, 

 Kuruman, British Bechuanaland, stated: — 



" We are greatly troubled in these parts with a certain in- 

 sect generally called corn cricket. As it causes an enormous 

 amount of damage to growing crops, I should be very glad if 

 any of your readers could suggest a remedy for this destructive 

 insect. In December, during the first rains, they hatch out 

 just like small locusts, and December being in this district the 

 month for sowing and planting, the insects develop simultane- 

 ously with the growing crops, and start their work of destruction 

 when the crops are in bloom. They climb up the mealie- 

 plants, causing little or no damage to the stalks and leaves, 

 but eating, within the space of a few minutes, all the grains of 

 the mealie-cobs. They also consume the flowers of all creep- 

 ing plants as pumpkins, water-melons, sweet melons, and beans, 

 just when they make their appearance. Last January I had a 

 splendid plot of beans, of which I expected a yield of 1 5 

 muids, but, as described above, no sooner had they come in 

 flower than the corn crickets appeared on the scene, and all I 

 reaped was 2-\ muids. Even all shoots were destroyed by 

 them ; and this work of destruction is not limited to one year 

 only, but goes on year after year with unabated vigour. I 

 have tried several kinds of poison to kill the pest, such as 

 Cooper's dip and Little's clip, and even wolf-poison. A 

 strong solution of tobacco dip also failed to kill them. I 

 should, therefore, be greatly obliged if you or any of your 

 readers could advise me what to do to get rid of this pest." 

 The Assistant Entomologist, Cape Colony, replied : — 

 " We are not aware of any remedial measures having been 

 used in this country against these insects. We would, how- 

 ever, recommend Mr. van Zijl to give a trial to poisoned bait 

 as used against locusts. . . . The endeavour should be to 

 ascertain the breeding spot of the pest and, as this is probably 

 somewhere on the veld, the ploughing of the cultivated land 

 probably preventing the escape of the young hatched from 

 eggs laid there, the vegetation could be very effectively sprayed 

 with the arsenic-soda-treacle solution, for instance, which 

 should do excellent execution amongst the 'corn crickets'. 

 This has been recommended for the destruction of a similar 

 pest in Colorado. . . ." 



415. Locusts [Acrididce). — Shortly after the war the agri- 

 cultural crops of South Africa were decimated by enormous 



1 Vol. XXX, No. 5, p. 5gg. 



