. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. INSECT NOTES. Caterpillars on Sweet Potatos. During bis recent visit to St. Kitt's, Mr. H. A. Ballou, Entomologist on the staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, visited a field of sweet potatos at Lodge estate that had been attacked by large caterpillars a short time before. The attack had first been noticed on the lower or down- liill side of the field which was several acres in , and the caterpillars began quickly working their way across the field, entirely stripping the vines of leaves, and mak
. Agricultural news. Agriculture -- West Indies; Plant diseases -- West Indies. INSECT NOTES. Caterpillars on Sweet Potatos. During bis recent visit to St. Kitt's, Mr. H. A. Ballou, Entomologist on the staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, visited a field of sweet potatos at Lodge estate that had been attacked by large caterpillars a short time before. The attack had first been noticed on the lower or down- liill side of the field which was several acres in , and the caterpillars began quickly working their way across the field, entirely stripping the vines of leaves, and making rapid progress. The potatos belonged to certain peasants, Avho would not undertake to carry out any recommendations as to remedial measures, and were, at first, unwilling that any poison should be applied to the jiotato leaves. ^Ir. F. R. Shepherd, Agricultural Superintendent, however, arranged for a trial of Paris green, and a stri|i covering six rows across the field was treated to a liberal dusting of Paris green and lime at the rate of 1 to 6, in precisely the same way that cotton is dusted for the control of the cotton worm. None of the caterpillars, so far as could be seen, crossed this strip, enormous numbers being found dead on the ground among the vines to which the poison had been aiiplied. At the time of his visit Mr. Pallou found the lower side of the field putting out new leaves to a certain , but the recovery had been verj' .slight and the difterence between the two piortions of the field, that which had been attacked and that which had not, was very marked. This case is a verj' strong one in illustration of the beneficial results of the prompt use of Paris green, which was also shown in dealing with caterpillars on cassava in St. Lucia, as mentioned in the Agricultural Keios, Vol. V, p. 298. The caterpillar attacking sweet potatos in St. Kitt's was probably Frotnparce cin;/iil'itus, but as the larvae and moths were not found, the identification depende
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