514 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



in some potato patches grown by em- 

 ployees of the ]jondon and Indian Dock 

 Company, 



As such fears will in all probability 

 reach Natal, it will perhaps be well to 

 point out first that the oatbreak in Eng- 

 land appears, from published accounts, to 

 have been dealt with in a drastic measure, 

 and, secondly, that the possibilities of the 

 pest being introduced to this Colony are 

 fairly remote. In support of this conten- 

 tion one has but to instance the fact that, 

 despite its prevalence in North America, 

 it has never become established in any 

 other part of the world, and, further, the 

 great distance it would have to travel by 

 sea, passing at the same time through all 

 the vicissitudes of radical changes of tem- 

 perature and failure of food supplies 

 whilst in transit, reduce the chances of 

 accidental introduction to a minimum. 



The Colorado Beetle is from one-third 

 to half and inch long, of a yellow colour, 

 with ten longitudinal black lines down 

 the wing cases, and with reddish yellow 

 and black legs. The lava, when mature, 

 is very thick in the middle, and of an 

 orange or reddish brown hue, with black 



spots on the lower portions. Long, oval, 

 yellow eggs in clusters are laid by the 

 fe^nale beetle on the under surface of the 

 leaves of the'potato, and these may appear 

 also in certain weeds in the vicinity. Both 

 larvae and beetles feed voraciously on the 

 potato haulm, but they are also known to 

 feed on other plants, such as tomatoes 

 and poppies, while, failing more congenial 

 food, they may possibly be found on 

 rough grasses and other weeds. 



The thought that the insect might reach 

 the Colony in any but an accidental man- 

 ner cannot be entertained, and whilst it is 

 popsible, with fancy flights of the imagina- 

 tion, to conceive several means by which 

 the pest might be inadvertently introduced 

 in one or the other stages of its life his- 

 tory, these are chances which must be 

 taken and such as are uncontrolable. As 

 on occasion, however, the unexpected 

 sometimes happens, there is no reason 

 why farmers should not be put upon their 

 guard in the matter, and recommended to 

 send any beetle or grub found feeding on 

 the foliage of the potato or other solona- 

 ceous plants, such as the egg-plant or 

 tomato, to the Agricultural Department 

 for determination. 



Mapstone Oats. 



NOTICE. 



THE Minister of Agriculture is desirous 

 of obtaining reports from all persons 

 and agricultural societies supplied with 

 Mapstone oat seed last season upon the 

 success, or otherwise, of the oat, Keports 

 dealing with the seed in its earlier stagts 

 of growth which have been supplied to 

 the Government Etomologist have already 

 appeared in these pages ; they represent, i 

 however, but a small quantity of the seed 

 supplied, A consi.lerable quantity has 

 been distributed both direct from the 

 Department and through societies, and 

 with respect to which there is no infor- 

 mation. It is desiralile that the Depart- 

 ment should be in ])ossession of the fullest 

 information regarding the general and 

 local suitability of the seed, as a guide to 

 its action in the further distribution of 

 the seed which is now, according to the 



conditions of the original distribution, 

 being returned. 



Particular information is requested with 

 regard to : — 



1. Time of sowing. 



2. Previous crop in soil. 



3. Cultivation and manuring. 



4. Irrigation. 



5. Whether fed off by sheep or cut. 



G. What symptoms of rust were noticed. 

 7. When crop wa^ reaped, 

 (S. Weight of seeu per acre, 

 i'. Weight of straw per acre. 

 1(». Any general remarks, 

 II, Value of crop, less working ex- 

 penses. 



The following statement shows how 

 the 27 bags of oats purchased by the 

 Department from Messrs, Mapstone Bros. 



