, 1913-03-05

Of rotation of C! ops should DO followed and
for the purpose there is no better crop than
cotton. [ suggest that when a field which
it is intended to turn out is reaped, the old
stumps should be Immediately dug out and
burned, or removed and heaped up some
distHrce from the cane field. That one pound
of quicklima be placed where each cane stool
stood originally and that the lime be then
covered with soil. After standing thus for
two or three weeks the land should be close
ploughed and planted in cotton, This plant
ing would probably take place III June or
JIly, and the crop would be uprooted and
burned III the following May or June. n
green dressing crop Of Lyon Beans or Can
ada beans might ba then planted. The vines
would form food for stock and the Canada
bean seeds are excellent for human cou-
sumption. Or, the green stuff might be
turned directly into the soil rs manure.
The green stuff should be reupAd not later
than the end of October and the land pre-
pared for canes, but these should not be
planted until January or February of the
following year SO rs to allow the ground to
absorb the November and December rains.
Green dressing crops dry out the soil and
good results with them can only be obtained
when time is allowed for the soil to become
moist again before planting is commenced.
If a regular rotation snch as thls-PlaEt
Canes, let Ratoons, 2ud RAtoous, Cotton,
Green Dressing, Plaut Canes &c-were
adopted much more cane would be reaped
with the same amount Of land under cultlva-
ton than is done at present,
There is a third recommendation which l
would make and that is the use throughout
the island of Bordeaux Mixture for soaking
plant tops. This mixture coats the cut ends
of tbo onno Now tba nut au1c afford q fu-
vouruble place for the hyphae Of root fungus
to enter at, but Bordeaux Mixture kills fun
gus hyphae. This helps canes to get a good
start. Besides preventing the entrance II
the hyphae of Root fungus, the Bordeaux
Mixture prevents another fungus, which rots
cane cuttings, from entering.
And now l am going to pass Oh TO the
subject of cane diseases caused by Insects.
We have several insects doing. severe
damage to cane III this Island and it is diff
cult to say which is the worst, but on the
whole I think the large beetle grub of SN0-
teguS ZEtonus takes the prize. The beetle
has never before, to my knowledge, been
described as q pest of sugar cane. l have
repeatedly spoken about it at meetings Of
tins Society and I have passed round specI-
mems showing the damage done. I again
pass round specimens SO that you may be-
come very familiar with the appearance of
the insect and its work, for, as 1 said before,
we must recognize a pest and it's work be-
fore we can apply the remedy.
This beetle grub is ony too prevalent III
the island. | have met it in many parts
killing out young plants and damaging old
stools of cane. Tie grub lives on the roots
of the cane and Of Ell burrows right into
the cane itself, eating upward and transform
ing the cane into a hollow tube us it goes.
Cane cuttings are attacked III the same way,
the grnbs gnaw off the sprInging roots, eat
out the eyes, and then often bHrtow right
into the cane itself. You will often see in
a field of young cane sprouts here and there
n stool which had sprung nicely, suddenly
turning brown and whitening up. If you dig
up such a cutting you VIII in most cases find
that the sprout has been eaten ut the base
by the grubs of Strute9us Titanus.
What means can we adopt to fight this
serious pest?
In the first place look closely to your
farmvard manure. The young grubs Will
often be found in this material IN large num-
bers, where it is loose and not thoroughly
rotten. 1t is found at the edges of The pens
and it is especially prevalent where megass
has been used in making VI the manure.