V 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
173 
CANE FLY OF GRENADA. 
Through the politeness of Joseph I. Dill, Esq. of 
Bermuda, we have received from the Agricultural Soci¬ 
ety of the Island of Grenada, drawings of an insect called 
the “cane fly,” which from 1831 to 1836, was the cause 
of great damage to the planters of that Island by its at¬ 
tacks on the sugar cane. 
From the drawings and description, we have little hes¬ 
itation in pronouncing the insect an aphis, a numerous 
tribe of parasitic animals, of which almost every plant 
has its peculiar species. We had not before heard of one 
belonging to the cane, and should be glad to learn wheth¬ 
er it has been known in the sugar districts of this coun¬ 
try. Its sudden appearance and exit at Grenada, as will 
be seen from the following communication, is very sin¬ 
gular : 
The insect was first discovered soon after the hurricane 
of 1831, and made its appearance on the windward coast, 
or St. Andrew’s parish; it was therefore generally sup¬ 
posed to have been introduced by means of the hurri¬ 
cane, but it is not quite certain that it had not existed in 
the Island previous to that time, for a disease appeared 
among the canes on Telescope estate, some years before, 
but that was partial and created little inquiry, as the da¬ 
mage sustained was but trifling. 
Its disappearance in the early part of 1836, is envelo¬ 
ped in as much mystery as its appearance; during all that 
time, every means was tried to destroy it, but without 
success; the cane leaves were washed with a mixture of 
soot, quick lime, lees from the distilleries, and all sorts 
of ashes were applied; tarred boards were used as traps, 
immense numbers were destroyed, but they continued to 
increase and spread. 
At first, its ravages were confined to the vicinity of the 
St. Andrew’s great river on the sea coast, and the estates 
in that immediate neighborhood suffered most through¬ 
out; some of them to the extent of three quarters of then- 
usual crops, some two-thirds, and others one-half; for 
instance, estates averaging a crop of 300 hogsheads, were 
reduced to 60 or 80—gradually lessening as the insects 
increased from 1831 to 1834-5, when it was at its worst; 
estates in the interior suffered much less than on the sea 
coast. Cane cultivation being almost continuous from the 
above river in the direction of St. Patrick’s, the insects 
spread rapidly, but where it was interrupted by brush or 
provision grounds, their progress was comparatively re¬ 
tarded. I am not prepared to state the extent of the da¬ 
mage sustained from St. Patrick’s round to the lee side 
of the Island, but I believe it to have been much less than 
in the district above alluded to; a few were seen as far 
Eeausjour, about 6 miles from St. George's. 
. From St. Andrew’s towards St. David’s, the cane cul¬ 
tivation is more interrupted, their progress was slow, and 
but little damage sustained; they did not reach Sesesse 
estate, which was their extreme point in that direction, 
until the year 1835, and not until the canes were suffi¬ 
ciently advanced in growth to defy their ravages. As 
before stated, early in the followingyearthey disappear¬ 
ed simultaneously throughout the Island. 
General remarks.— The insect commenced its ravages 
so soon as the young canes began to shoot, depositing its 
eggs on the backs of the canes as thick as possible. The 
plant immediately sickened, changed color to yellow, and 
from that to black; the leaves became covered with a 
glutinous substance, and the young canes either died, or 
their vegetation was so materially checked as to prevent 
their ever arriving at maturity; consequently the small 
quantity of sugar made from them was of very bad quali¬ 
ty. Whole fields were thus completely blighted. On 
walking among the canes, the insects would rise in 
clouds. 
During the prevalence of these insects in Grenada, I 
managed an estate in St. David’s parish. In August, 
1835, I went to England for the benefit of my health, and 
carefully preserved in a box prepared for the purpose, 
some infected plants, and I succeeded in conveying them 
alive to London, with the insects on their leaves in every 
stage, from the egg to the matured living fly. I placed 
them in the hands of the merchants in whose employ I 
then was, and whose estajfcee, particularly in St. Andrew’s 
parish, had suffered to the extent of many hundred hogs¬ 
heads of sugar. I went away to the country myself, and 
my time was completely occupied, so that I know not 
what was the result of their inquiries, if any, relative to 
the insects; but I subsequently heard that my box and 
plants had been sent to the Entomological Society, Lon¬ 
don. A Grenada Planter. 
HAY MAKING. 
We think it best to cut grass for hay, as near as possi¬ 
ble to the time when it is in fullest bloom. Of course, 
if it is cut when most of it is in this state, some may be a 
little past, and some may not have quite reached full 
bloom. We know there has heretofore been some differ¬ 
ence of opinion as to the stage grass should be in when 
it is cut, but we believe the experience of the best farm¬ 
ers is in agreement with the position above assumed. 
Those who are in the habit of curing herbs, cut them 
when in this stage, because it is known that they contain 
at that time the most of that peculiar principle from 
which they derive their efficacy and value. The saccha¬ 
rine or sugar principle, which constitutes one of the 
chief sources of nutriment in herbage, is found in the 
greatest quantity at the period of bloom. It may some¬ 
times be expedient to cut grass before it has reached this 
state; particularly where it falls down, and is in danger 
of souring or rotting. When this happens, it should be 
cut, whatever state it may be in, because if it remains on 
the ground it will spoil, and the fermentation which 
takes place, will destroy the roots. Another great ad¬ 
vantage in cutting grass before the seed forms, is that the 
roots are not so much exhausted, and the after growth is 
much more vigorous. 
In some parts of the country, it is the practice to mow 
the grass and let it lie untouched on the ground, “ thro 9 
sunshine and shower,” for several days before it is 
stacked or put in the barn. It is quite common to begin 
Monday and continue to mow till Saturday, when with 
hand-rakes and horse-rakes, all turn in, take it up and 
stack it; and this is done too, without much regard to 
the state of the weather at the time it is raked, or to 
what it may have been after it was cut. The appearance 
of the animals which are fed on hay thus managed, is 
evidence enough of its worthlessness. 
After grass is cut and partly dried, it ought never to be 
exposed to dew or wet. The best way is to spread out 
the mown grass evenly, as soon as the wet has dried off 
from the spaces between the swathes, and before the dew 
falls in the evening, rake it and put it in cock. Where 
the crop is heavy, considerable time will be gained in 
making, by this plan. If it is only wilted when it is put 
in cock, it will in a short time undergo a su'eat, which 
will much facilitate its making when it is again opened 
to the sun. Many good farmers believe that it will make 
more in two days, if it is kept in cock twelve hours, than 
it will make in three days without being put in cock. 
In making clover hay, we are decidedly in favor of not 
exposing it much to the sun after it is first wilted. We 
speak from experience, having practiced various modes, 
and we are certain that it may be made with less labor, 
and that it is of far superior quality, when cured in cock, 
than in any other way. When the swathes are a 1 little 
wilted, pitch them into cocks—laying it up in such a 
manner that it will stand the weather, which is easily 
done by the exercise of a little care. Examine the hay 
from day to day to see how the process of curing advan 
ces, and when it seems to be so well made that with 
what it will dry in handling, it will do to putin the bam 
or stack, turn over the cocks, loosen up the bottoms a lit¬ 
tle with a fork, and proceed to load it. Clover hay thus 
j cured, is not likely to heat in the mow or stack, and from 
having every leaf and head saved, will be found to be 
very nutritious and much relished by all animals. In 
fact, we believe that clover hay, properly cured, will 
make more flesh, milk, or butter, than any other hay, 
pound for pound. The prejudice against clover, has ari¬ 
sen from the bad manner of curing it. Knocked about 
!as it frequently is, wet and dried by turns, it loses its 
[leaves and heads, and becomes little else than a mass of 
Itasteless stems, which no animal will eat. 
