THE MAGAZINE 
OF 
Tf)G %mOl OF AGRIOULTORG, 
COLOMBO. 
Added as- Supplement monthhi to the TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST.'’ 
The following pages include the contents of the Magazine of the School of 
Agriculture for .June : — 
INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES, AND THE 
APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING THEM. 
A N Y Insects nnd fungi, destruc- 
tive to cereals, from the nature 
and time of their attack, cannot 
be directly di'alt with, and must 
be left to their destructive works 
tliough there are indirect moans of preventing 
their appearance. In the case of the fungi 
known as smut {milayo HeyeUmh and rust 
'Uredo-qraminis), nothing has yet been found 
M avail after they have appeared, though sul- 
phate of copper, applied to the plants when 
young, will most probably keep them off. 
-IV errubs of the click beetle, 
Wireworraa, the y thnir des- 
matfiv lineatus) can ^,,s_linie ut 
;ructive work by dressings , ^ 
;he rate of 10 cwt. per acre 
ami. Top^re,ssings put 4,)' 
3 cwt. per acre, 
ir nitrate of soda, 1 to U cwt. per acre, • 
)cen found valuable, acting as plant stimu a , 
IS well as by keeping the insects off the plants. 
5alt put on at the rate of from 4 to o cwt. per 
icre is also useful as tending to make the 
leighliouThood of the iilants unpleasant. Alter 
ill those applications the land should bo well 
° 1 n some seasons the plant louse (AjMs yranana) 
sauses much harm, first by exhausting the juices 
pf cereals, and later by gi-ttmg into the ear ami 
loinrmuch mischief. When it is seen that 
Ce chides are on the plants in large numbers 
piassio, in the proportion of 7 lbs. of soap to au 
infusion made from 6 or 7 lbs. of quassia chips 
to 100 gallons of water. This should be sprayed 
on with an efficient spraying machine before the 
plants get too high. Again, paraffin solution 
might 1)0 used, made of 3 quarts of paraffin to 
lOO gallons of water, with 4 or Ib.s. of soft 
soap, or paraffin pure and simple (Uatributed at 
the rate of from 2 to 3 gallons per acre. 
Aphides multiply with incredible rajiidity ; early 
dressings may therefore offoetually prevent a 
bad attack. 
For the eel-worm ( Tylenchu* dematatriv) which 
makes the bases of the stems of cereals swell, 
and plants unhealthy and unproductive, appli- 
cations of sulphate of potash, at from 1 to 
2^ cwt. per acre, have been found most useful, 
and a mi.xturo of 2 cwt. superpho.sphato, and 
1 cwt. each of sulphate of potash and sulphate 
of ammonia per acre have been found of benefit. 
Almost .similar remedies to those employed 
against wire-worms may be used for the grubs 
of the dadtly-long legs ( Tipula olemced) and its 
congeners (Tipula maculosa tjx.) when they infect 
cia’cals, All these dressings of manure nnd pre- 
ventive substances may be put in by the hand, 
or with ordinary broadcasting machines, or 
with the Strawsonizer, whose powers of distri- 
bution are generally acknowledged. One great 
advantage of this distributor is that as little 
as half a bushel of powdered substance can be 
put on per acre, and as small a quantity 
of liquid os a gallon per acre if desired. In 
many cases of insect and fungoid attacks upon 
plants, the great object in spraying is to spread 
the obnoxious substance all over the loaves in 
the form of a mist or dense fog. A very small 
quantity suffices to make the plants objection- 
able to insects and fungi. 
For the mustard beetle or blaek jack (Pha-don 
betuloc) the following is serviceable : A lbs. soft 
soap well dissolved in water, extract of 5 lbs. of 
quassia boiled, 100 gallons water. Farafliu and 
