FRUIT FLY KILLING

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30916, 24 November 1965, Page 5

FRUIT FLY KILLING

Cobalt Bomb To Be Used

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter) MEXICO CITY. Mexico, Central America and Panama, under the aegis of the United Nations, have signed a treaty in Mexico City to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly with the help of the cobalt bomb. Each of the seven signatory countries will invest 6,500,000 pesos (£lBO,OOO sterling) in the project. The United States will contribute 11,000,000 pesos (£300,000 sterling) through the United Nations Special Fund. The fund will finance the sending of experts and equipment, including the “bomb,” at an estimated cost of 7,000,000 pesos (£200,000 sterling). The idea is to sterilise the male fly by irradiation of controlled nuclear fission. Thousands of treated males will then be released to mate with female flies in the citrusgrowing areas. But there will be no offspring and the species will begin to die out. The method has already been successfully used against the screworm fly, formerly a scourge of cattle herds on the United States-Mexico border.

The three-year campaign will be directed from the laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Organisation at San Juan, in Costa Rica.

RUSSLEY.— Stroke—A . Grade: F. Bradley, 77, 4 —73 on countback from H. W. WKkins, 82, 9 73; S. C. Cjiff. 78. 4—74; E. S. F. Ho'Cand, 79. 5—74. B grade: D. N. Carter, 88, 14—74 on countback from R. Browne, 86. 12 —74; B. Quinn, 90, 15 —75. C grade: S. Dow rand, 93, 21—72; D. M. Angus 90. 17—73, R. G. Murray, 92, 17—