38 



way, the worst field should be cleaned up this year and the rest the 

 following year, and the practice of using clean seed should be follow- 

 ed in all the fields. 



These troubles in general have their origin from the fact that 

 many individuals little expert in colonias of cane make contracts with 

 some Centrals promising to prepare a certain number of acres 

 and these in their turn contract with others that they entrust 

 directly with the planting for a sum less than that they receive from 

 the Central. As a consequence the ones in charge of the planting do 

 not take pains with the selection of the seed, and from this there 

 results, if not in the first planting, often in subsequent crops, the 

 appearance of pests and diseases that cause enormous losses to the 

 Centrals in their plantations and in others, since the insects and 

 diseases are easily transported from one field to another. 



REPORT OF AN INSPECTION TRIP TO THE. PASTURES 

 OF THE RANOH "DA HORQUETA", CAMAGuEY, IN 

 ORDER TO INVESTIGATE A PLAGUE IN THE 

 FIELDS OF PARANA. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The report having been made by the Provincial iGovemor 

 (temporary) through Sr. Cor. Rodolfo Parrado of the presence 

 in the jurisdiction of Camagiiey of a plague of insects destroying 

 the pastures, the affair was put into the hands of the Commission 

 of Plant Sanitation, who designated the writer, a member of the 

 commission, to carry out an investigation. On Oct. 10th, and in 

 company with Sres. Parrado, Iglesias and other ranchmen of 

 that locality, we went to the ranch "La Horqueta", located some 

 eight leagues S. E. of the City of Camagiiey, comprising some 

 150 caballerias, covered almost entirely vfith the grass "Parana" 

 and dedicated to cattle raising. 



OBSEEVATIONS. 



The grass called "Parana" or "Paral" (Panicwm nvmidia- 

 num) was observed completely dry over large areas, ki spite of 

 the fertility and freshness oi the soil, Sr. Parrado informing us 

 that he estimated some '20 caballerias to have been lost all of 

 pasture land, and in fertile clearings. ' 



Other ranchmen made similar reports, estimating that 

 40 or 50 caballerias may have been destroyed in all that te- 

 rritory. 



