LACK OF MONEY

Northern Advocate, 20 April 1933, Page 4

LACK OF MONEY

CAWTHRON INSTITUTE

MAY DROP INVESTIGATIONS. SOME OF WORK EXPLAINED. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) WELLINGTON, This Day. It has taken .15 years to build up the entomological department of the Cawthron Institute, but owing to lack of money there is a danger of the results of all its investigations being lost. This information was given the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday by Dr. D. Miller, the chief entomologist. He said that, although the Gawthron Institute did valuable research work for fanners, it was in such an unenviable financial position, that it would be forced to drop some important research investigations. In regard to the entomological departments, in lOiil the income for entomological research was .£O4OO. This year the income for these purposes was a little over £9OO, The drop was caused by a cessation of the grant of £2OOO from the Empire Marketing Board and also grants from the timber industry ami the Government. Today, with the exception of £SO from Dunedin, the only grant to the entomological department was from the institute itself.

What the entomological department was doing was research in the control of noxious weeds by insects and the control of insect pests, such as grass grub, diamond-tack moth, and aphis. It lias been decided to abandon attempts at the control of blackberry by insects, as the beetle stage of the insect used did damage to apples and, moreover,, the particular insect concerned did not really control blackberries.

In regard to gorse, a weevil was being used to destroy the seeds of gorse prior to seeding. In parts of the South Island, gorse flowered at the time that the weevil was active, and it worked well, although in other parts of New Zealand, due t.o gorse flowering too near winter, the weevil did not do its woik.

It was believed that a fly had been found, the grub of which would destroy .100 per cent of the seeds of ragwort, while not being injurious to useful plants. In regard to bidi-bidi, the Moat Board has subscribed enough money to carry on this research. ,An insect obtained from Chile was capable of great destruction to the burrs and might destroy the plant. Dr. Miller spoke of the proposed steps to deal with grass grub and cattle ticks by means of imported parasites.

ELIMINATING WASTE. CONFLUENCE SUGGESTED. (Per Press Association.— Convrleat.) WELLINGTON, This ’’Day. The executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union decided today, after the possibilities of the co-ordination of the work of Government departments and the Cawthron Institute had been thoroughly discussed, that the president, Mr W. ,T. Poison, M.P., should interview the Prime Minister and urge the desirability of calling a conference of all parties interested in scientific research with the idea of eliminating waste.