EMPIRE PESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1927, Page 7

EMPIRE PESTS.

WAR COUNCIL MEETS. Important Research Conference To Be Held. COLOSSAL LOSSES BECOBDED. (By Cable.—Press Association Copyright.) (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON. October 4. The Imperial Agricultural Research Conference, which is the first of its kind, was opened in London to-day. About 170 delegates from all parts of the British Empire will be present and the conference will last a month. The time will be occupied with a long programme of discussions and committee work, and visits to numerous research stations in the country. The New Zealand delegates at the conference are Dr. C. J. Reakes, M.R.C.V.S., director-general of agriculture and Mr. T. Rigg, M*A, 8.A., Cawthron Institute, Nelson. In welcoming the delegates to the conference the Rt. Hon. Walter Guinness, Minister of Agriculture, expressed the opinion that never before had such knowledge and experience of experts from all parts of the Empire been concentrated to assist the Empire's greatest industry. In this time of complexity and change industries were standing still and were being quickly left behind. Research, must be used to improve agriculture which was the giant pillar of the Empire's life and prosperity. As an example of Empire co-operation he mentioned the Aberdeen Institute's research in the mineral contents of pastures which linked up with the work of Australia, New Zealand and the Kenya. The conference would ensure that each part of the Empire would be educated in each other's research and discoveries. One of the most important subjects on the agenda is that of animal and plant pests. The members of the conference will have before them the recent developments of applied science in its efforts to combat these pests. In an article on this subject in the "Evening Standard" the Professor of Zoology at King's Cortege, London, Mr. Julian Huxley, says noxious insects such as the cotton boll Weevil and the Gipsy moth inflict damage on the British Empire to an amount of tens of millions of pounds in a few months. There are, he says, noxious plants such as the prickly pear, which last year robbed Australia of ail acre of land every minute, or the blackberry in New Zealand, which in its new environment has formed impenetrable jungles over thousands of acre% of what was once line dairying land. Luckily these insects and these weeds have, says Mr. Huxley, also their own particular insect enemies, and many of these latter attack nothing but one animal or plant. Mr. Huxley says that under the auspices of the Empire Marketing Board a "Parasite Zoological Garden" has been I established in England, from which duly tested and warranted parasites may be shipped to all quarters of the Empire to help to destroy animal afid plant pests. Speaking at the conference, Mr. Julius, . of Australia, said tlie Commonwealth i had embarked oil an ambitious proi gramme of research, 90 per cent of which was devoted to primary production. Agricultural research in Ausi tralia was a tremendous field, in which ; there were only a few workers pror bably due to lack of reward for scientific i work in former vears.

INSECT ZOC. The Research Conference is the outcome of a new attempt to cure insect evils and prevent immense losses of ' animals, fruit and crops throughout the Empire, and has been undertaken by a group of British scientists under Dr. S. A, Neave, with the aid of the Empire Marketing Board. An "insect zoo" has been started at Farnhani Royal, Buckinghamshire, for the purpose of breeding parasites which will reduce insect pests to their proper proportions and "restore the balance of Nature." The experts have declared war on the cpdling moth, earwigs, the lucerne fly, the blowfly, giant woodwasp, and other evils which overwhelm pastures and orchards in the Dominions. The "insect zoo" is a house of some 15 rooms, surrounded by about seven acres of land and gardens. In the house are laboratories, a photographic stndio, a refrigerator, and a library. A staff of gardeners assists the scientists, who include both men and women. Dr. Neave explained that Nature maintains a balance by means of parasites which attack insects. "We have to assist Nature to keep the balance," he said. "Our task is to find the parasite which will most effectively reduce any given pest. Having found him, we shall have to breed a pure strain—not an easy task, as para- [ sites are themselves troubled by hyper- ' parasites—and then get him out to the ' affected part of the world. By this means 1 we hope to rid the Dominions of their ' major pests." Asked why the work was I being undertaken- in Britain, Dr. Neave explained that Dominions Governments had J repeatedly called for it. "Here it home," he said, "we are not really seriously 1 troubled by the pests which cause treJ mendous damage in different parts of the Empire. The balance of nature protects us."