Plant Diseases

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 29, 28 October 1932, Page 13

Plant Diseases

Sir,—Every year most amateur and cottage gardeners are prevented from attempting to grow any of the brassica tribe, during December to April, from the fear of such crops being attacked and ruined by the cabbage fly. Every year such crops as other gardeners do attempt to grow are mostly ruined by this pest. This has been going on for 20 to SO years. During the past two seasons a mysterious rusty fungoid disease has attacked and ruined our crops of French beans and other pests have attacked and partly ruined onion crops. The people of this country maintain an expensive Agricultural Department. If any of. the divisions of this department have found remedies for any of the diseases referred to some of us would be very glad to hear something about those remedies. Recently hundreds of relief workers have been encouraged and compelled to start allotment gardens and unless some remedies are found for these diseases, and found quickly, most of these allotment growers are doomed to considerable disappointment, as thousands of pounds worth of what might be useful vegetables, are'ruined by garden pests—to say nothing of the vegetables which might be grown but for fear of pest destruction, it is high time something was done. —I am. etc., SUFFERER. Wellington, October 22. [The Department of Agriculture states that the problems of pest and disease control are being studied continuously. The questions raised by the above correspondent, they state, need treating at some length, and it is suggested by the Department that he should call on them or write explaining his problems in detail. The Department would then be pleased to give the matters the attention of an officer who is fully conversant with the problems of the grower.]