THE FRUIT FLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 5 June 1907, Page 5

THE FRUIT FLY.

: Sir, —Having heard so much of the dreaded fruit fly of late. ami owing to such a I serious outbreak in Napier and Blenheim. "* think wo should, before. it is too late, do something to protect ourselves by* prohibiting the .importation of fruit from infected places. 1. noticed -the "inspection" of imported fruit at Auckland is carried out by Mr. Harnett in as efficient a manner as is possible for any inspector to do. But no matter bow good or careful an inspector may be, .■ some infected fruit, may pssa through unnoticed. I also noticed that in every cargo oJ fruit arriving from Syduoy, nearly the whole of the consignments of mandarines have been condemned and destroyed by Inspector Harnett, for tilts " Mediterranean Fly." Again, over SCO Cases of oranges, or nearly the whole of the cargo from Tongan Islands, worn condemned and destroyed lot the same reason, and by tho following boat from Fiji nothing in tho way of fruit was allowed to laud, excepting bananas. The whole of the cargo of mandarines and oranges, being found infected with tho maggot, were also destroyed. Now, this only shows that the inspector is doing his, duty, but, also that things are getting altogether too serious for us to overlook;-, especially as it ha#, now been proved that.' the fruit fly will live in this colony. Look at what the other colonies are doing. South Australia has closed her doors entirely against importations from infected countries. Victoria is- using most stringent measures. Tasmania and California are doing likewise. New Zealand must also do likewise, or her fruit industry may be ruined.' It may bo argued by some that this extreme measure would not do, as wo must have a -supply of such fruits as we cannot rowto perfection here. This can easily be remedied, as tho Cook Islands, now a part of New Zealand, can supply us with all the fruits we require, these islands being clear of the fly. W lien I was in Sydney six weeks ago, several fruitgrowers informed me of. the fact that, never before had they seen the fruit fly so bad. One grower, in ,particular assured mo that during tho season of 19C& ho gathered over 200 cases of good clean peaches from his orchard, while tins year ' ho only gathered four eases of peaches, owing to the awful destruction done by the fly.. Now, in ills face of all this, .and knowing that there is absolutely no euro for this post, if once it gets: a foothold, I beg to suggest, before it guts too late; that wo should) prohibit the importation of ; all fruits {excepting bananas, which appear to be free from fly) from the Tongan and Fiji groups, and ail fruits from Sydney. Hoping that some abler pen than mine will take up this important matter, and thanking you in anticipation. J ' ,W. Davis. Epsom. 1 - • *