NORTH AUCKLAND VINEGROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 56, 8 March 1899, Page 3

NORTH AUCKLAND VINEGROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

Our Whakapirau correspondent writes:—A meeting- of the committee of the North Auckland Vinegrowers' Association was held here on February 27. There were present: —Messrs W. H. Jackman (president), H. A. Smith, H. Swallow, R. L. Paige, C. W. Parsons, P. H. Gibson, H. McMurdo, and H. G. Gray (secretary). The president reported that he had visited two of the vineyards at Pahi which were being destroyed because they were affected with phylloxera. The work is under the supervision of Mr Harnett, one of the Inspectors under the 'Orchard and Garden Pests Act.' It is necessarily a very tedious job, as the Inspector attempts to clear the ground of as many vineroots as he can. Having cleared the ground and burned the rubbish, he then injects bisulphide of carbon into the ground to destroy any phylloxera eggs or insects that may be lurking there. The president had bad a long interview with Mr Harnett at his camp at Pahi. At the present rate of progress, and with the present number of workmen, viz., four, it will be five or six weeks before all the infected vineyards in the district are destroyed. According to the advice of Mr T. W. Kirk, Government biologist, all phylloxera infected vines should be destroyed before the end of January, about which time the insects mature and commence to fly about. Mr Harnett stated that he had not seen any insect in the vineyard in which he was working which would be likely to fly for two or three weeks to come. He agreed that it was advisable to put on more men and get the work of destruction finished as soon as possible. However, he had no instructions from the department to employ more hands. It was decided to send the following wire to Mr T. W. Kirk, Government biologist: 'Work of destroying Dutton's vineyard at present rate of progress will not be completed for five weeks; you advised it was necessary to destroy it before the end of January; will you instruct Harnett to put on more hands.'