, 1894-06-02

to be able to cheek this. Must we not then
look upon the moth-horer as IN some sort our
most dangerous enemy. if not quite the
root If all our evils? There is much that IS
at present obscure III its life history, and it
should oe the aim Of every planter to ada
light to hese questions.
! found numbers Of eggs Of TIE mojh-lprer
both on BourbonS and Caledonian Queens -
usually hatchcd out. There appear accord
ing to most observers to be regular periods
for the laying of eggs-at intervals Of
about two mouths. If this is SO these
periods of moth activity should be carefully
noted, and means adopted for their capture.
| am not sure that it would hot be worth
while after all to hang large lights above
pans of keroSine near the edges of fields
during the laying period. One moth ! cap
tured laid 100 eggs in one night Of these
all but two or three matched ont minute,
black grubs OIL the fifth day. The capture
Of a few hundreds Of moths might make a
notable difference year by year III their
ravages.
But another method Of reducing the
numbers of the moth-borer has already been
suggested by me. | was successful in find
ing in st. Kits a species of fungus (Cor-
dyceps) which attacks the grub in its bur,
row and ''mummefes" it. This ally l also
found IN Barbados. where l showed it to
Messrs. Clarke and Bowel. (Mr. Watts
tells me that, previous to the publication of
my st. Kits Report, he had Independently
discovered the fungus attacking the moth
borer i'll Antigua and that. being fully
alive to the Importance Of the fact. he had
already commenced experiments Gu the in
fectlon of caterpiIlafs with the spores, 1t
seems to me that it would be a very good
thing if the fungus were investigated. Its
llfe-hlstory should be followed and lis spores
obtalned-perhaps by hanging the diseased
caterplllars Ill a moist chamber. These
should then be Reproduced upon cater
pillars or NUT lent media in the government
laboratories and freely distributed. A useful
means of distribution would be HI the WQter
or lime-water in which the plants axe Dip
ped" although of course the effect of the
lime upon spores should first be determined.
l wish merely to indicate the directions
IN which the experiments might be conn
menced. 1t may require a great deal Of
patient laboratory work before a good result
ia obtained but I feel convinced that any
means Of checking the irYoads Of the moth
borer viii be attended by most fruitful
results.
L would draw attention to the tact that
the suggestions made here must not be re-
garded as vi ionary. Various fungus dis
eases are used in Europe for the checking
of insect pests and in one case a French
firm prepares and adve tises for sale the
spores of Il fungus Isaria densa by maine
which attacks the grub of the European
cockchaftr.
One of the most pleasant memories of my
visit to Barbados is that of the eagerness Of
many of the planters to study and assist the
experiments at Dodds Botanical Station.
The known weakness offs the Bourbon cane,
with respect to all the diseases described
above, has turned the attention of planters
to The introd uction of new canes. The pres
ence of the Caledonian Queen in st. Kits
has | believed saved that island from severe
disaster. The introduction of new kinds of
cane into Queensland, we are told, while
not Graduating tho rust, reduced it from II
universal pest, to a disease Of minor impor-
lance.
/ have already indicated the superiority of
the C1ledonian Queen in resisting the attacks
of the moth-borer (Which by the way infests
it largely and in being apparently unaffected
by the fungus. There are other kinds grow
ing at Dodds which present similar charac-
ters. Plants of these are being applied for
in all directions for experimental trial on the
estates themselves. | heard the Burke seed
ling very strongly recommended, as also
Rappoe. Maya B and others, while the old