secticide Suggested

gainst [?]e Rhino Beetle

WELL-KNOWN resident of : Western Samoa, Mr. R. P.

Berking, who is a planter, with interest in science, suggests that Rhinoceros Beetle might be ight with a newly-developed rman preparation which, it is imed, can poison all insects that j on the juices of plants, n different forms it is called ;tox, E 605, Follidol E 605, and stox. It is fed to the roots of bs, and is taken up in the sap.

Is claimed that it saved the West lean cocoa plantations, threat id by the mealy bug in 1948-50, i the Japanese rice crop in 1952, eatened by a borer which lived the rice stalks. The flowers and it of the plants are not affected.

OOTNOTE: Follidol and E 605 r e been used extensively as agri bural sprays in Australia for at 5t two years; but there it is ayed on the trees or plants, and fed to the roots. E 605 has proved st effective in certain cases where jets are naturally immune to T, or for such pests as eel-worms jre insecticidal penetration of the res and stems is necessary. But itralian farmers are of the nion that for general agricul

tural purposes it is no more effec tive than the older DDT prepara tions. It is believed to be toxic to humans and agricultural workers are warned not to inhale the spray or let it remain in contact with ex posed skin. Spraying of vegetables with E 605 should be discontinued three or four weeks before they are likely to be eaten.

However, it seems likely that the SPC team will investigate this as an angle of the war on the Beetle.