28 HISTORY OF THE [book v. 
Unfortunately, however, neither prudence in 
the management, nor favourable soils, nor season¬ 
able weather, will at all times exempt the planter 
from misfortunes. The sugar-cane is subject to a 
disease which no foresight can obviate, and for 
which human wisdom has hitherto, I fear at¬ 
tempted in vain to find a remedy.—"This calamity 
is called the blast; it is the Aphis of Linnseus, and 
is distinguished into two kinds, the black and the 
yellow; of which the latter is the most destruc¬ 
tive. It consists of myriads of little insects, invisible 
to the naked eye, whose proper food is the juice 
of the cane; in search of which they wound the 
tender blades, and consequently destroy the ves¬ 
sels. Hence the circulation being impeded, the 
growth of the plant is checked, until it withers, or 
dies, in proportion to the degree of the ravage.* 
Over what appears to be thus irremediable, it is 
idle to lament; and I mention the circumstance, 
chiefly, to have an opportunity of repeating what I 
have heard frequently affirmed, that the blast ne¬ 
ver attacks those plantations, where colonies have 
been introduced of that wonderful little animal the 
* In some of the Windward Islands, the cane, in very dry wea¬ 
ther, is liable to be destroyed also by a species of grub, called the borer, 
This calamity is fortunately unknown, at least to any extent, in Ja.~ 
j • 
maica; and never having seen it, I can give no certain description of 
it. I conceive the insect to be the eruca minima e ruhrofusca of Sloane. 
In Tobago they have another destructive insect called the Jumper Fly, 
