ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
Nos. 125-126. | MAY and JUNE. (1897. 
DLVI.—INSECTS DESTRUCTIVE TO CULTIVATED 
S IN WEST AFRICA. 
ne of the difficulties inseparable from the work of opening 
plantations in new countries is the injury done to cultivated plants b 
found that the insects whose food supply has been destroyed attack the 
introduced plants and cause considerable loss, "This is inevitable under 
the cireumstances, and is a part of the penalty which the planter has to 
pay for interfering with the balance of nature 
In West Africa the attacks of insects have of late been more than 
usually bs uctive. umerous economic gene introduced for experi- 
mental cultivation at the Aburi Botanic Station, on the Gold Coast, 
have been almost entirely destroyed, while the newly established coffee 
plantations in the colony of Lagos have also suffered. Owing to the 
difficulty of obtaining satisfactory material and securing observations by 
skilled observers on the spot, it bas not been possible hitherto to do 
more than offer suggestions for further inquiry and a trial of methods 
a useful in dealing with the attacks of allied insects in other 
co es. 
ME the instance of the Government of the Gold Coast, an inquiry has 
been undertaken on behalf of Kew by Mr. Walte r F. H. Bla ndford, 
F.Z.S., F.E.S., with the view of identifying some ofi the insects, id of 
affording technical assistance in eaiing with future attacks. 
The correspondence which has led to the inquiry and Mr. Blandford’s 
Pene are detailed below.  'The information contained in these 
documents cannot fail to be of value to those who are engaged in 
eukita operations in West Africa :— 
CoLoNiaL Orrice to Roxar GARDENS, Kew. 
Downing Street, 
SIR, August 29 29, 1896. 
1 am directed by the Secretary of State for "the Colonies to 
transmit to aet the accompanying copy of a despatch, with enclosures, 
from th r administering the Government of the Gold Coast 
respecting the plis which infest some of the economic plants in the 
Botanical Station at Aburi 
U 98273. 17$ —o]er. Wt. 61. A 
