Sept, r, 1897.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 165 
SCALE PESTS (ON COFFEE ESPECIALLY) 
AND LADY BIRDS. 
At the last Annual Meeting of the U, P. A. 
S. I., attention was called to the success which 
had attended Professor Koebele’s attempts to 
combat the scale pests whicli destroyed the Coffee 
plantations in Hawaii, and a Resolution was 
passed .askin" tlie Mailras Government to com- 
municate witli tlie Commissioner of Agriculture, 
Hawaii, with a view to secuiino- the services of 
Professor Koebele for a short period for the pur 
pose of investigating the insect pests which 
attack coffee in Southern India. The iMadras 
Government undertook to do this, and in a letter 
to the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hawaii, 
asked for information on the following points : — 
(1) as to the results obtained from the experiments 
which have been conducted. 
(2) as to the approximate cost obtaining a con- 
signment of lady birds for experimental purposes in 
Madras and th-: source from which to procure such 
a consignment, and 
(3) as to whether Professor Koeble could arrange to 
visit Madras for a short period for the purpose of 
investigating the insect pests which cause damage (o 
coffee in the Madras Presidency. 
Should Professor Koeble consider such a visit to be 
practicable, what salary and allowances he would 
consider sufficient remuneration for his services and 
onw'hat conditions he w’ould undertake the visit. 
The following is the reply received from the Com- 
missioner of Agriculture and Forestry, dated Hono- 
lolu, 3rd March, 1897, and the Government Order 
thereon : — 
Your communication, dated the 14th November, 
1896, in which you make certain enquiries concern- 
ing the entomological work of Professor Koebele 
was duly received. I have delayed answering 
your letter until I could communicate with Pro- 
fessor Koebele who had departed from these islands 
on a mission to Mexico and Central America, 
in search of beneficial insects to send to this 
country. I can offer you no encouragement that 
Professor Koebele’s services will be available 
for the Madias Government, at least for two or 
three years to come, .as ho is under an engagement 
to this Government and to the Hawaiian Sugar 
Planter’s Associ ition, each paying one-half of the 
salary and expenses. The salary paid to the Professor 
is gjo.OOO,- or six hundred pounds sterling per annum 
and all travelling expenses. Your first question, as to 
the results obtained from the experiments which have 
been conducted, I beg to answer as follows: — Before 
the engagement of Professor Koebele, the vegetation 
of the Hawaiian islands was sorely infested by 
numerous coccids or fcale insects, which were so 
destructive that any industry, except sugar growing, 
seemed impossible. Particularly were the coffee trees 
infested with a terribly destructive scale insect 
(Pulvinaria psidii). The tree could not ripen its fruit, 
the berries turned black and dropped off long before 
they became ripe. Tetranychus telarius (red spider) 
was also present as well as several other destructive 
scales infesting coffee trees. The outlook for the 
coffee planter was gloomy indeed, and no one 
had the courage to start a new plantation and 
it seemed hut a question of a short time when 
the industry would cease to exist in this country. 
Now, all is changed, the coffee trees are free 
of scale pests and blights, aird new plantations are 
being started all over the islands. This wonderful 
change has been accomplished by the introduction 
in this country of the natural enemies of the 
scale pests that were present. The work of finding 
these natural enemies and sending them to this 
country was entrusted to Professor Koebele, and 
well has the work been done. The Professor has 
sent us beneficial insects from California, Austra- 
lia, Ceylon, China and Japan and these keep our 
vegetation piractically clear of scale pests. 'The 
Professor is now on a mission to find and send to 
us parasites and beneficial insects for cat-worms 
21 
and caterpillars that are injurious to sugar-cane, 
pastures and garden produce. 
Question (2) as to the cost of obtaining a con- 
signment of lady birds for experimental purposes 
in Madras and the sources from which to procure 
such consignment — The cost of such a consignment 
should be but trifling— an experienced collector can 
collect many hundreds of lady birds in a d ly. The- 
method of packing them for shipment is to place 
tlie lady birds in small, practically air-tight wooden 
boxes, in which some slightly moistened moss, 
has been placed ; the boxes should then bo 
wrapped in oil cloth so that no outside moisture 
can penetrate to the boxes. In order to safely 
carry the lady birds on journeys of over one week’s 
duration, they must be carried in a temperature 
of between 30 and 40 F., this temperature can be 
found in the cold storage or ice room of all passen- 
ger steamships. If transhipment from one steam 
ship to another is required on the journey, a trust- 
worthy agent should be on hand to make the tranship- 
ment without delay, for if the lady birds are once 
thawed out it is fatal to make them cold again. 
In tills manner they can be safely carried on 
journey’s occupying from one month to six weeks. 
As to the source from where to procure the lady 
birds, I am afraid that my advice will be of little 
service to you as I am not familiar with the coccids 
or scale insects i ffectiiig the vegetation, of Madras, 
if there are any of the Dactylopids present, the 
Ci'i/ptolaeintts montrou^xii will sui'ely feed on them. 
Australia is the nearest country that can furnish that . 
valuable lady bird as well as many other useful ooccinel- 
ladae. China and Japan also have many indigenous 
species, some of which have proved of great value 
to these islands. I would strongly advise against, 
the wisdom of relying on the importation 
of one or two shipments of lady birds and 
judging from the effects of these importa- 
tions as to what can be accomplished in this 
branch of applied entomology. There are over 1,70C' 
different kinds of coociiielladae or lady birds cata- 
longed and probably many hundreds yet undis- 
covered, and all are, with very few exceptions, ooccid 
or scale feeders, some such as the vedalia oardinalis 
will feed only on ono scale, while others as the 
Cropto/acDius will feed on several. In order to ob- 
tain the best results, all counties within reach of a 
month’s or six weeks’ journey, should be explored 
for tho beneficial insects they can fnriiish, and the 
work should bo entrusted only to a skilled entomo- 
logist, one who has made the life habits of bene- 
fici.sl and injurious insects a s|iecial study. While 
all countries have their beneficial insects, they also, 
have those that are injurious, and if the work of 
collecting is done by a person not thoroughly com-; 
petent, injury instead of benefit might result. 
As to whether Professor Koebele could arrange, 
to visit Madras for a short period for the pur-; 
pose of investigating the insect pests which Cause- 
damage to coffee m the Madras Presidency — In 
reply to this question I beg to say that I have com- 
municated a copy of your letter to Professor Koebele 
and in reply he writes that ho feels himself bound 
to the service of this country as long as we may 
I'equire him. I am about to visit the United States 
and shall be absent from these islands for three 
months. During my trip I shall visit some of the 
United States agricultural experimental stations 
and shall meet several entomologists of established 
reputation ; among them I may find one who would 
be willing to undertake the work of searching for and 
introducing beneficial insects to Madras ; should you 
desire to learn the result of my enquiries I shall be glad 
to send the .same on receipt of a request from you. 
Order — No. 351, Revenue, dated (he 18th May, 1897. 
Communicated to the Hou’ble BI". H. P. Hodgson: 
The following letter acknowledging the receipt of 
the second of the papers read above and stating 
that the qups'ion of employing an entomologist from 
the United Statfjj cannot be decided until after the 
receipt of definite proposals from the Planters’ Asso- 
ciation, will be 3»nt to the Commissioner of .-Vgri- 
cultureand Forestry, Honolulu. — 31. Mail, July 3. 
