BUTTERFLY "FARMS."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 46, 23 February 1929, Page 1

BUTTERFLY "FARMS."

RAISING A CURIOUS CROP. METHODS USED IN PAST. (By D. I. MORRELL, 8.A.) Ragwort, although a thing of beauty to the botanist, is a "noxious weed" to the farmer, and threatens to ruin the lush pasture lands of many districts, both in the North and South Islands. In order to combat this menace, the Lawthron Institute, after experimenting for 18 months, is about to release some thousands of larvae of the Tyria jacobaeae, a cinnabar moth with black and red stripes, that they may eat away this "noxious weed" and prevent it from spreading. Moths and butterflies are not only useful when in the grub stage as noxious weed destroyers, but also as fertilisers, when they flit from plant to plant, sin the nectar and fertilise the stigmas of the flowers. And there is tremendous scope in New Zealand for putting to practical use the results of the research work of the Noxious Weeds Control Committee. Butterfly "farms" could be opened up, and for an ex-service man with a little capital, a love of the country, and some knowledge of the ways and by-ways of butteri!y life, there is a splendid opening for earning a comfortable livelihood. Muslin-covered Trees. I was privileged once to visit a butter.ly farm in Kent. In the distance it looked like a balloon park with enormous white balloons anchored to the ground. But ou entering the "park" I discovered chat the balloons were trees covered with 1 muslin. Lifting the thin gauze I found the tree literally crawling with topheavy caterpillars, carving more and more fantastic patterns into what were originally leaves. The muslin hoods were to prevent the caterpillars from wandering in search of novelty and from their enemies, the birds. Even with these precautions, at times, said the butterfly farmer, the birds would break through and gorge 1 themselves until they sank to the ground, , and lay helpless on their backs suffering from a violent attack of caterpillar indigestion. Not all the caterpillars were fed in the open air. Some were reared 1 in conservatories which were slightly heated. Have you ever heard a caterpillar eat? Che sound of 50,000 chewing caterpillarjaws was to me like the music of water ' sickling from a tap.

Naturally, it was impossible to grov sufficient food on the "farm" to feed such multitudes, and plants had to be collected fresh daily from hedges and fields. What was meat for one species was poison to another. The only nourishment for a certain species of very beautiful blue butterfly was found to be i. tiny moorland plant in the wilds of Cornwall and, like the cinnabar caterpillar, deprived of ragwort, without its proper food it pined away and died. Caterpillars whose natural home was the • sea-shore required condiments with thei - > meals, and their food was sprayed with , salt twice daily to give it the necessary ' "tang." Useful to the Scientist. > This knowledge has proved very use- , r'ul to the practical scientist,, enabling ' him to determine whether the introduction of a new species of moth or butterfly • is likely to prove a scourge or a blessing I to the country. ; The moths and butterflies required a ! menu more recherche than continuous salad. The cages of most of the butterflies were sprayed with sugar and water ' or diluted honey, and it wis a wondrous i sight to watch them swarming round th? tiny drops, opening and shutting their : brilliant wings in sheer joy of anticipa- • ton or realisation of the feast. But the great flying moths were even . more wonderful and tame as any canary. I held a spoon of syrup out to them and ' they came, one after another, took a long drink from my spoon, then settled , on my hat. my shoulders and dress, turning me into a veritable rainbow princess. Even as I walked they clung to me, and it was only after violent shakings that they realised they must find another resting place. Thousands of moths and butterflies were reared on this beautiful "farm" and sent to every quarter of the globe. Live specimens, eggs, caterpillars and perfect insects were sent to schools and colleges, zoos and parks for observation and experimental work, whilst the dead and dried variety were in great demand for private collections and museums.