The Fruit Fly.

Hastings Standard, Volume XI, Issue 5681, 10 December 1907, Page 4

The Fruit Fly.

STATEMENT BY MR KIRK Speaking to a "Star" r porter r - garding the Mediterranean fruit ny Mr T. VV. Kirk, Government Bioieiris . said : —" VVt have every reason to b • licve it is under control at both Napio and Blenheim. It is impossible to say anything for certain until nex< season. It is of special importune, that the strictest surveillance should be kept, since the fly attacks stone fruits for preference. We have beer compelled to des roy peaches, apples, pears, cherries, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas, water melons, and pretty well every kind of fruit, so it will b. seen that the danger to New Zealand is not so much from oranges and mandarins _s other varieties." The opinion was expressed soma time back, Mr Kirk conlinu cl, that the fly would not stand a New Z.-aland winter. Over four years ago n- h.ri taken •nfected oranges into the freezing stores to see whether it was possible to kill the maggots, and only when tin fruit was frozen hard did he secure th; desired effect. Other tests in a uniform temperature of 32 degrees ovej a period of three days left nearly bah the maggots alive. It will therefore be concert-.d, Mr Kirk concluded, that the New Zealand methods of inspecting imported fruit cannot be too strict.

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