THE FRUIT FLY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14201, 25 October 1906, Page 5

THE FRUIT FLY.

THE CABINET’S DECISION. •In connection with the recent Queensland fruit fly, scare, a consignment of maggot-infested fruit having been allowed to pass south from Auckland, Mr, T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, has received! the following telegram from the Secretary of Agriculture, Wellington:— “ Cabinet has decided that the Auckland fruit is to he treated the same as in other ports. Notify accordingly.” The decision of the Cabinet means that, whereas at Auckland for some time past maggot-infested fruit has been allowed to be sorted over, any such shipment will now be totally burned on arrival, as is the practice in other parts of the colony. The • recent shipments of Island oranges badly infested with maggots arriving from Auckland in all the southern towns from Napier to Dunedin have apparently shown the absolute unreliableness of the sorting. Indeed, it has appeared from the reports of the Government Biologist for a number of years past that he has maintained that no measures could be too strong to keep this serious pest out of the colony. ' . . • A fOnfillTWl Mf

Kirk has sent the following telegram to Major Broun, fruit inspector at Auckland:— “ Cabinet, instructs immediate destruction 'of all ■ lines maggot-infested fruit. Sorting over to be stopped. Therefore from to-day, on the discovery of the maggot, the whole line must bo burnt. Give a copy of this wire to the Auckland newspapers and notify all importers.” Speaking to a reporter yesterday, Mr Kirk stated that practically the whole of. the recent diseased consignment had been traced. At Hastings a quantity of the fruit had been thrown on the rubbish heap, but it had immediately been burned by the Department’s officers, and the tip fumigated at the Department’s expense.