The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-09-29
TObACCU'S
ENEMIES

bulletin Dy EhtottlOioBtot ~. "a.
Van Dine entitled, Insect Enemies OF
Tobacco in Hawaii" has just been is
sued by the Hawaii Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station.
The Introduction says In part:
AS the results OF the experiments at
Hamakua in 1904 seem to indicate there
Is a possibility of tobacco growing be-
ing added to Hawaii's diversified agri-
culture, ii is b,heved desirable that
those interested in the subject should
be informed concerning the tobacco
feeding insects already present In the
islands Necessarily little can be said
regarding their local status or the
methods that will prove most effective
and applicable for their control here.
However, the planters ability to
recognize the species injurious to to-
bacco, the symptoms of their attack
and a knowledge of remedies found to
be effective elsewhere, will be the prin-
cipal equipment needed to wage war
successfully against the enemies OF this
crop. Detailed accounts of their life
cycle, the time, or rather, In Hawaii,
the times of their appearance. their
relative Injurious importance, and
definite advice for their control must
follow field cultivation.
The cutworm and its work receive
prior attention.
1t appears that the cutworms are the
young or larvae of moths whose habits
in general are to hide during the day
beneath rubbish or in the loose soil and
come forth at night to feed. They de-
rive their common name from the fact
that they eat through or cut off at
the surface of the ground the plants
upon which they feed, thus destroying
more than they actually take as food.
The most destructive cutworms in Ha-
waii are species of a single genus,
Agrotis. some of which are peculiar to
the islands. The native name is
''peelua," from pee" to hide and
1'lua.' hole, referring to the manner
in which the worms conceal them
selves by burrowing into the soil dur
ing the daytime.
Dealing with remedies for the cut
worm pest the bulletin says:
To wait until the cutworm makes its
appearance in the tobacco field will
mean in many cases loss of large
percentage of the plants. This insect
is to be controlled mainly by so-called
poisonous bats applied before symp-
toms of the insects work are noticed,
or even before the pants are trans
1efred from tne SEED peds 10 .he neio.
-NeWiy prepared iaios' especiaily those
Lecentiy cleared or auJolhing uhcui.
TiVateo areas' areas grown 10 any oi
4he 1000 piah's OIL TINS pest or pre-
feareo iahus previously gwen " eoiie
SutWorm crops VIII harpor NUMBER
less specimens oi tnis anu other spe,
cies Oh cutwornhs. Inc loea IN contIo,
is 10 take aoVahtase oi the insects
1ondhess for some substance aside from
the young topacco plants ana Destroy
'hem oy aouihs 10 'his substance
poison. DOCTOR howard says
After the neio Is proved ana IS pare
OF vegetation ana ready Tor planting,
III the tobacco grower VIII thoroughiy
spray patch OF grass or Weeus Win
Paris green ana water and VIII then
cut 1t and drop IL IN little punches mere
and there, throughout the tobacco neld'
ne WIN ma that the cutWornis IN tne
SOIL IN the aosence OF other ioou' WI,
ea1 .his Po,soheu Vege'atioh ana WIN
pe oestroyeu' SO that the tobacco Piahts
can oe set out Without lear VI uaiiiase
since me eu.woriiis Worh a. nisn.
the vegetation mus trea.eu shouio no.
De cut uhtli Toward evening, 50 'ha'
may pe as iresi as possipie.
Ahother poisoiieu oai' is piepafeu Wy
mixing Faris green OF SOME o.her ,
arsenlcal poison win prah. hegaro-
ing its use against c"tworihs III topac-
co helds Qualhtance says:
Ihis pant shoulu De prepared py tnor-
oughiy mixing Paris green with prah
at the rate OF pound OF Parls green
TO eo OF 10 pounds Oh pran' JUST De,
lore quahtity is TO De USED II shouiu
De moisleneu snshtiy win water
sWeetened with moiasses' smali ring
OF the poison snouid De strewn around
each newly set pant or teaspoonLui
paced at Two OF three places ine
cu.Worms seem 10 prefer tnis even 10
topacco. Oh Whicn they are lnoroinate-
~ lono' Wnere SEED peos are paoiy
ihrested win cntWorms thls poisoned
oran snouio De dri,ieu along m various
par's Oh tne peo where IL VIII De reaui,
~ accessiple 10 theni. ms poisoneo
mixture shouio pe reheWeu around the