. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. 58 THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. February 19, 1910. INSECT NOTES. THE ROOT BORER OF SUGAR-CANE. (Diaprepes abbreviatns.) AVithin the past three or four months, the appearance of the sugar-cane plants in certain parts of Barbados has indi- cated the presence of the root borer, and when these affected canes have been dug up, the root borer grubs have been found at work in the underground jiortions of the plants. The Kcv. \. B. , S., worked out the life-history of this insect and published, in the W
. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. 58 THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. February 19, 1910. INSECT NOTES. THE ROOT BORER OF SUGAR-CANE. (Diaprepes abbreviatns.) AVithin the past three or four months, the appearance of the sugar-cane plants in certain parts of Barbados has indi- cated the presence of the root borer, and when these affected canes have been dug up, the root borer grubs have been found at work in the underground jiortions of the plants. The Kcv. \. B. , S., worked out the life-history of this insect and published, in the Wi/st Indian Bulletin (see Vol. IV, p. 37), a very interesting and instruct- ive paper entitled 'The Root Borer of the Sugar-cane'. In this paper, which was issued early in 1903, it was stated that the length of time occupied in the life-cycle of the root borer is about days, divided as follows: egg 10 days, larva 312 days, pupa 1-5 days, imago '20 days. During the last 20 days, the mating and egg-laying occur. It is also stated that the principal food plants of the^root borer roots and leaves is cut off, and the phmts die for want of water, as this cannot be transmitted to the above-ground portions of the plant, even though the roots are able to col- lect it. The appearance of canes dying from the attack of the root borer is very much like that of canes dying from root fungus (J/'irasmitis) or from drought. HISTORY OF PRESENT ATTACK. The present attack was first notice<I in' Barbados during December last, in full-grown canes, then ripening. A few stools at the edges of the fields were seen to be in a dying condition, and the!:, as the attacked canes gradually succumbed, the number of dying stools was seen to be greSfly ; finally, at the beginning of the present month, a field of plant canes, in which the young shoots were about one foot in height, was discovered to be infested, and iiiany of the young sprouts were dying. In the case of the young plant canes, i
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