THE GRASS GRUB.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 79, 13 January 1940, Page 3

THE GRASS GRUB.

FURTHER RESEARCH DESIRED. MAYFIELD PLEA SUPPORTED. (Special to the “Guardian.”) TIMARU, January 12. “It is a most important thing for New Zealand, and particularly for South Canterbury. We have lost hundreds of acres of good pastures through the depredations of this moth,” said Mr H. B. S. Johnstone at a meeting of the committee of the Timavu Agricultural and Pastoral Association today, during a discussion on the necessity for controlling the grass grub and porina motli. The Mayfield Agricultural and Pastoral Association asked the support of the Timaru Association for the following resolution, which had been forwarded to the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin): That because of the enormous damage caused throughout Canterbury by the grass grub and porina moth and the consequent drop in primary products, the committee asks that the Government increase the amount of funds available for research into the control of these pests. The Mayfield Association advised that it felt that should the department, through its research officers, he successful in introducing a system by which these pests could be controlled it would be creating a benefit the value of which it would be hard to appraise.

The chairman (Mr A. Ward) said that the association had previously cooperated in an effort to combat the pests by lighting simultaneous fires throughout the district. Unfortunately the effort had not met with , a great deal of success.

It was decided to support the resolution.