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BULLET I tOU EX :: 



of the * Ai>'V i*j V 

 BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 



New Series.] JANUARY, 1895. 



Part 1. 



CATERPILLARS ATTACKING COCOA TREES 



(Theobroma Cacao.) 

 Information has been received of caterpillars attacking the young 

 shoots of cocoa trees in one district of the Island, and it is desirable 

 to call the attention of planters at once to this pest, and to the necessity 

 of immediate and combined action to stop its ravages in the very be- 

 ginning. 



The only remedy that appears feasible at present is hand-picking. 

 A small payment should be made for the caterpillars by number or 

 weight. 



It is quite evident that if some measures are not taken, the larvae 

 will soon become perfect insects, and these will lay eggs which, in the 

 next season will enormously increase the ravages made, and the difficulty 

 and expense of coping with the plague. It is within the bounds of 

 possibility that the Cocoa plantations of the island which have such a 

 bright and promising future before them, may be utterly destroyed by 

 such a pest, and that then the insects may turn their attention to 

 some other plant. 



Every Cocoa planter will also see how important it is to use every 

 endeavour not only to exterminate the pest on his own plantation, but 

 to induce his neighbours to do the same. 



The Government of Hong Kong has spent very large sums of money 

 in*] re-affore3ting the bare hills of that island with Pine Trees, and 

 these extensive plantations have lately been threatened with ex- 

 termination from the attacks of a caterpillar How this danger has 

 been met, and successfully grappled with, is told in a very interesting 

 Eeport by the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation 

 Department of Hong Kong; and this report is published below as a 

 warning to our planters of the danger of neglecting timely precautions, 

 and as an example of the method employed in such insect-plagues for 

 their extermination. 



It it desirable that information should be received from planters of 

 the presence or absence of the pest on their plantations, so that some 

 idea may be obtained of the extent of the mischief. 



Note. — It is satisfactory to learn from the planter who reported on caterpillars, that 

 t>* attacking them at once, and hand-picking, he has got rid of them. Th 1 article in this 

 Bulletin was written for the 'Gazette' of 6th December and sent to several Cocoa-planters, 

 but fortunately the c iter pillars did no damage elsewhere. It is considered advisable to 

 print the article in the Bulletin, in order to keep the Hong Kong Report as a perm i i3nt 

 record and warning. 



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