AUSTRALIAN FRUIT. PESTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT. PESTS.

THE NEW 'ZEALAND REGULATIONS. NO MODIFICATION POSSIBLE. The Sydney "Daily Telegraph - " of July 17 says:— . "Tho regulations'issued in New Zealand .under tho Orchard and Garden Pests Act, ; 1908, contained a provision, that'a certificate .is to be given by,the shipper that no species of fruit fly is known to exist in or within one mile -of .tlie orchard,: upon; which the fruit' is grown,^"and'-a-Government* inspector has also to certify to that effect. ■' "The M'ftlistbrsibr e Agriculture !:has rbeen in communication with the Now Zealand authorities; with a view to obtaining a modification of' this condition. As it'has been- ascertained'that very few of tho fruit inspectors could -givo' the necessary' certificates, with regard to! orchards in their district, it was pointed, out that if a certificate; is insisted'upon it will"practically prohibit tlio importation into Now Zealand of any fruit from .this State;- although there was : available for shipment, a largo, quantity of perfectly. healthy fruit, in which not a traco of fruit fly could bo discovered, as 'the' cold winter winds had practically, abolished it for a few months. ; '. r .. 1 "A copy of'tho amended regulations and tho certificate required under, tho New South Wales Vine and Vegetation Diseases Act, 1901 jwas forwarded. It- was: pointed out that these regulations were enforced practically --.throughout the Commonwealth', arid it was. asked that tho certificate required under the New Zealand regulations'be modified, so as to read that 'no species of' fruit, fly is known to exist in the orchard,' in which the-fruit to be shipped to New- Zealand was grown. ■" ■

' " The Minister for Agriculturo has!'hoiv received a reply from Wellington to the effect that tho Department's biologist had reported that to allow, fruit even reasonably freo,from disease to bo imported into the Dominion was too great a risk to run, and that withiri.'the last two weeks two lots of badly, infected fruit covered by certificates had arrived. r".

"The interests of the New Zealand orchardists were considered to bo of . greater importance than even tho wants of. the public, and tho Minister for Agriculturo regretted that nothing could be done to meet Mr. Perry's wishes, and that tho certificate Could not be modified in the direction indicated." •