Tropical Agriculture

New Guinea's Valuable Gazette

ONE of the most valuable publications circulating in the tropical territories in the Pacific is the “New Guinea Agricultural Gazette”, published by the Department of Agriculture, Rabaul, every three' months.

In the issue of March, 1939, just to hand, there are, in addition to notes, book reviews, and reports, more than a dozen authoritative articles, every one of which is of value to the tropical planter.

Mr. John L. Froggatt, the department’s entomologist, describes the fight the de partment has had against the coconut pest called Promecotheca. The pest ap peared at the end of 1937, apparently fastening upon coconut trees which had been weakened by the huge discharge of pumice during the eruption at Rabaul; and it was attacked in several ways. In a number of places, the pest was very bad; but the quick breeding-up of natural parasites quickly stopped any serious de velopment and this was assisted by the breeding-up in the laboratory of special contingents of parasites, which were lib erated in the badly-infested areas. By May. 1938, the plague was under control.

In September. 1938, a supply of a special parasite which had been sent from Java to Fiji, and from Fiji to Rabaul, was brought into use, and in recent months large numbers of these parasites have been released in New Guinea, to assist in the work of holding Promecotheca in con trol. The name of this introduced para site is Pleurotropis Parvulus. and it has been successful in Fiji and the New Heb rides in destroying the coconut pest.

Mr. Froggatt also writes on “Fumiga tion and Fumigants”, and on “Insect Pests in Rice”. There is an article by the de partment’s economic botanist, Mr. Dwyer, on “The Fall of Mature Coconut Palms in New Guinea Due to Soil Conditions”.

Other articles of special interest are “The Coconut Oil Industry”, “The Grow ing Importance of the Sisal Industry”, “Upland Rice”. “Soil Fertility”, “pointers on Goat Raising” and “Market for Papain”.

Rev. Norman Goodall, M.A., Foreign Secretary of the London Missionary Society, who is making a tour of the South Seas, was In Fiji early in June, after visiting Samoa and the Ellice Is lands on board the mission vessel “John Williams”.