FIGHTING FRUIT PESTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 2

FIGHTING FRUIT PESTS.

SPRAYING DEFENDED. VIEWS OP GROWERS. : r "V'BGiieral- meeting .of';tho Hawke's -Bay' 1 ruit-urovers Association on Saturday dis--1 5 i ? '"P ar ®Sraph in -The Dominion ,oi / March 25, which summarised*, a statement, mado in iiucklSiid-that codlin moth cannOu be controlled with profit to' the" grower, byany methods advised by the Agricultural De-,pai-tmens, aiid that the Orchard'and Gardens lea Actcauseseveryone in the community to. suiter; since fruit ii so enornidusly'dear, -j-he Agricultural Department has itself-'tned.. to-koep an. clean of. codliri moth," and ■ ha 6 failed,, and until the remedy is discovered . . legislation such - as, we' have on our Statute : Jjook is worso than useless." r Mr. W. H. Smith .(.chairmih) said it would seem that political influences.,wore at vrork, but the Association had nothing to do\wita • politics or party, tactics.! "The. success of tho industry, in Hawke's Bay depended on. activo ' measures against pests,, and. it' was . necessary for tlio Association to take a 'firm stand 'in supporting "the' Departmental' : regulations; . -Air. W. G; Gould (secretary) stated that the orchard ■ referred; to in. the article had been successfully: treated:", by "the 'Dfepirt- , mental methods, despite the fact that;it ; was; in a very bad conditions-arid.that'the operations were; earned out' undor - the" inspection opposed t° : spraying. • t.l iS oxpressedthe opinion.that ' the. C/overnment had -a, very'-difijcuit- task' at" the_ commencement, a§ : juost persons • had •a • iruit tree on the:r sections] and the Government were • advised in : introducing tho. ;■ 0 P? T rlltl ® r .of .tho Act 'by: degrees*.j i j • "hams l thought Mr. Massev's .attitude;. was. duo;to the ..fact that-ho "had; not taken' the troublo to acquaint himself with' , facts before committing himself.' • • .It, was decided:—"That the Association prot&st«. agaiiist the vviews. of ' a P4'^ a sseyyand, is],prepared, to state ■i • nothing.; ot- tne on' which tney write; - The/experienced of\ mem« ; • bers was -that systematic: spraying as a rule practically 'saves the. crop. They,'/therefore',; earnestly, request that tho, regulation : at pfesent ,m; force -be strictlyenforced." ' : : s 'i further "decided ;to:-request - the chairman- to write'jTHE Dominion in . reply; tot',! . Messrs. Marsh and Massey's; 'statement in * •the' tenor, of: the-resolution. -wy:'. •t, .ouest-!on"of fruit fly was also disdus36d. - .Reference iwas;' made' to; the ; ; fatt that,the' fruit, fly' -had 1 been stanipbd out- in.the' one" Aapier orchard where it.had existed, : and- it 1 \vas,' resolved -.in the opihion'iof :,the.-. Association, -tlie 'prsent'- regulations -goverh- ,: inft the importation, of fruit- from fruit, fly infccteti countries :shoUd 'bo.'rigidly enforced', and. affected.' shipments fn'rtWK' that'. inspectioh..be-extended im- • ported'jroin :as; theilu-'j . 5? o .'?t!°n.;,is that .whie'n, the': fly is'-i firmly .established it' would be '-impossible -to 1 eradicate ; it, ,;in(l jthe -New, Zealand -induSti'y ■ •would bo doomed."vi'' T ., •;. I -. j "i* origiaa ted ; iii a'Riverheadf(Auckland) fruit- >' Mr " : ;'W-: F; Massey, M.P., in which •' •Mr. Jkaffeh. Cdntendtd' term's'.'that, : peri' jiaps, somewhat exaggerated'.'the "facts).''that "'- entirely,neglected his"orohard'he' would ■ get very few sound fruitsi: but v 'if--he -. . C9inbated : the, codlin moth* according: to the ! formula .of .the" : Government lie would 'save,' ; perhaps,]' more sound fruit, but at a disproportionate cost-. • Mr'.' Massey, m a : sym- ' pathetic reply,;;said.: V Tho Agricultural' De-'r partment has Itself tried'to kcepnn oroh.ird clean: of ; moth; "aiid", haa failed ; : '.and' ' ":until... the; is discovered; 'legislation ' .'such as We.hap.on dur;:Statute''Bpok;.is .worse v ; ■ than ; ; useloss. It is.' harassing' to the' settler; and is making fruit, dearer to tlie consumer.I: am watching 'anxiously; to; see'whether -.the'r insccts' wbich-^have'boonintroduced.' will be any mor6 effective; than .the .other-remedies ■ which havo been tried." -• .' ■ '.; .

. The Government;attempts: to-control codlin . moth;- referred ;to at; the Hawlse's Day meeting, .were carried out at Otahulra uridofr 1 the .supervision* of' a committee-of :groweft This committee issued airport, u hich among other ;things,-jV with regard tofiho general question ot the effiraev and value, of spraying, ais .a Remedy; for;,ccdlin /moth,;'thefeeling of the. majority-;of the. committee' is in favour.: of /spraying \uudor certain' coridi.felons." ■■ \ • -

doubtless the' . ichneumon-fly .''which'' ; se«arches.;'.for ; T tho ■ aleejDihg>i clirysalie of ' tho 1 ; • j codlin; moth' - arid {{its {death' The;-■ •' 5 sect' is said to have increased 'considerably in'; • ■ ftewi Zealand - Orchards , this-season, ,and not . ' only Mr. Massey, but; all.- orbbsraists anxiously awaiting the .final ',verdict 1 of j' tical tests.''