BLACKBERRY CONTROL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 79, 13 January 1928, Page 2

BLACKBERRY CONTROL

PROMISING DISCOVERY. (Per Press Association.) NELSON, January 12. From time to time during the progress of the investigations into the problem of blackberry control which are being carried on under Dr. Tillyard and Mr Tonnoir at the Cowthron Biological Control Station, reports are received of more or less extensive damage being done by insects or other organisms, such as fungi, in various parts of New Zealand. These are all carefully investigated, but most of them turn out to be disappointing. Recently, however, Mr Gibbs, of Tapawera, drew the institute’s attention to the destruction of a large area ot blackberry in his district, and sent specimens of it, which were found to be badly affected by a combination of the large vine scale and an unknown fungal or bacterial organisation. The latter has not yet been determined, owing to the absence of Dr K. M. Curtis from Nelson on vacation. A visit was paid by Mr Tonnoir to the area infected recently and he found that very extensive damage was being done over a considerable area.

The infection being confined 1 to an isolated valley is not likely to spread much naturally. A plentiful supply of infected specimens has been brought back to Nelson and tests will be arranged on blackberry under varying conditions of growth in order to discover how far the combination of insect and fungus is likely to he successful.

Those in charge of the specimens state that the public should not expect too much. It may wel Ibe that as in the case of other organisms already present in New Zealand these new enemies of the blackberry will only work .successfully under very special conditions, ana that they cannot therefore be utilised to any large extent in the ~’ork of eradication.

This notification is only given in order that those interested may know that no effort is being spared to find a solution of this pressing problem.