The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1888.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5334, 26 September 1888, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1888.

Oun readers will remember that a little time back wo had something to say about Chinese gardeners at Wellington supplying Hawke's Bay with cabbages. Messrs Gibbons, seedsmen, of Hastingß street, took up the cause of tho colonial gardeners, and pointed out that in consequonco of certain inscctiverous pests it was impossible to grow cabbages iv this district. This assertion attracted tho attention of Mr. J. D. Ormond, M.H.R., who communicated with tho Forest aud Agricultural branch of the Crown Lands Office on the subject. Mr. Ormond's letter was referred to Professor Kirk who furnished the following memorandum on the " Diamond-back Turnip and Cabbage Moth : — This insect is plentiful from tho middle of

spring to nearly mid-wintor, but most so in the summer. It came under my notioo iv the Wellington district about nine years ago ; appearing first among the small fanners at Pahautanui, it rapidly spread over tho whole district. Tho damage is done by tlio larvoo which feed on tho leaves of cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and indeed of all crucifers; they aro shaped something like a small spindle, aro very soft, of a beautiful jj-reen, or sometimes of a yellowish green color, with a grey head. They will be found iv great numbers on tho under side of the leaf, usually working beneath a delicate woll, but thoy are very active, and when not so protected, if alarmed, can quiokly lower themselves by a thread, and either reach tho ground or remain suspended till tho danger is passed. Though so small, under half-an-inch in total length, thoy do enormous damage to culinary crops. I havo seen in more than one market garden the whole stock of cabbago and cauliflower quite destroyed, nothing left but leaf skeletons, aud havo

counted from 112 to 170 grubs on a single cabbago leaf. When about to change to a chrysalis it spins, generally boceath tho web, but sometimes on the ground, a spindle-shaped yellow cocoon, from which the moth emerges in about fifteen days. Tho moth is brown, marked with white;

tho superior wings are long and narrow, the inferior laiico -shaped with loujf frii.g-o ; body, slender ; length, from three to four lines; oxpanso of wings, eight lines. Remedies—First there must bo mentioned a small parasito ichneumon fly, about two and a-half lines long ; this lays its eggs in a great many grubs, so that from one-half to two-thirds of tho pupeo hatch out flics iustead of moths. Any cocoons showing a brown color should, bo left, as they are sure to contain a parasite. It has been asserted

that Chiuamen can grow cabbages in spito of this pest, while European gardeners fail. The reasons are obvious to anyone who lias watched the Celestials at work. Thoy grow their own young plants ; when the seed is sown the bed is sprinkled with lime (to keep oft slugs as well as grubs) ; this sprinkling is repeated several times as tho i seedlings advance. After planting out, should the lower leaves show signs of tho grub (the lower are always attacked first), they are carefully picked off and destroyed ; the plants are then lightly dusted with lime, which the caterpillars aro too soft to withstand. Within three years of its first appearance here the gardens of Chiueso and Europeans aliko were nearly devastated. The former, however, by carefully watching their crops, and the frequent use of tho remedy named, soon reduced tho pest within bounds, and though it may occasionally oven now bo seen in some of their gardens, it seldom does much damage. I have myself adopted tho abovo treatment with most satisfactory results. Forsons buying their young plants from nurserymen should examine them carefully beforo

planting out." Another correspondent on tho abovo matter suggests that a sprinkling of salt aud lime should be dug in with the manure as a sure preventive against tho pest.

Some threo or four years ago writers of standing on the question said it was impossible to grow wheat profitably for a less price; than 15s per quarter. The laßt year pi- two prices have fallen as low as 31a per

quarter, and still the farmers kept on, and, thanks to cheaper modes of working and reductions in freights, managed to make ends meet, even if they did not acquire riches. The low prices ruling induced New Zealand farmers to largely reduce the area under the cereal, and now we produce some four million bushels of wheat less than wo did iv ISB2 or 1883. It does not do for tho colony to place all its eggs in the one basket, and the same holds good of the farmers. What will pay best is mixed farming. America was at one time looked upon as a competitor who would drive the Australasian wheat-fanner out of the Homo market, but that expectation has not been realised. The result of the last harvest is that England -will havo to import 17,000.000 quarters of wheat for the year, and as France will require to import nearly half as much as Great Britain the prospect of high prices is undoubtedly good. A French agricultural paper estimates tho requirements of countries which will havo to import wheat at 34,500,000 quarters, while thoso countries with a surplus over home requirements havo only 30,500,000 quarters, so that there is a deficiency in the wheat harvests of the world representing 4,000,000 quarters. Tho other day we published an extract from an English journal, in which the writer stated that at no very distent date Australasia might command the British market, for the timo was not far distant when the wheat grown in the United States would bo consumed at home. The ! American Commissioner of Agriculture, in his report for 1887, confirms that view. The crop of 1887 was lessthut that of 1886, and it fell short of the yield of 1880 by •1-2,000,000 bushels, while the values of the two crops of 1887 and 1880 were £62,000,000----and £91,000,000 respectively. During the seven years tho populatian of tho United States had increased by many millions, so that tho candle was being burnt at both ends. The wheat production fell short in ISB7 as compared with 1880 by 42,000,000 bushels, and the incrtased Home consumption for the samo period must have closely approached another 42,000,000 bushels. Ail authorities in America are agreed that the time id not far distant when tho United States will grow no wheat for export, but will barely raise enough for its own consumption. When that time arrives tho probability is that the low prices of the last two years will be looked back upon as curiosities, for thoy will bo no more known. From the report of the Commissioner wo learn that the value per acre of the wheat crop was only £1 13s. Now, with the high average yield of New Zealand, the farmer can easily more than double that return, and our advice is, let Now Zealand for the future grow much moro wheat than it has during the last four years, for there will be a profitable outlet for it.