„ CONTROL OF RAGWORT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20645, 18 February 1929, Page 8

„ CONTROL OF RAGWORT.

LIBERATION OF CINNABAR MOTH. 125,000 EGGS DISTRIBUTED. (Pee United Press Association.) NELSON, February 16. The Minister in Charge of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department (Mr H. Atmore) announced to-day that his department was being inundated with requests for supplies of the ragwort moth, and, in order to make the position clear, he had obtained the following information from Dr Miller, chief of the Entomological Department of the Cawthron Institute;—“lt must be fully realised by the farming community that the present liberations of the ragwort moth are merely preliminary and a phase of the experiment to determine if the larva will control the ragwort under New Zealand conditions. This has yet to be proved. The experiments at the Cawthron Institute were to ascertain whether or not the insects would damage plants of economic value. The present supplies of the insect are far from sufficient to enable ua to stock every area of ragwort through-out-the Dominion; consequently for the purpose of experiment we are concentrating the present liberations on four selected areas only. Nevt season we shall attempt to rear and distribute throughout the country large supplies of the insect, but there are many factors to bo considered, any one of which may prevent us from doing so. In any case it would not be possible for us to supply every individual farmer. The insects will have to be distributed in certain spots in every district and their establishment throughout these districts left to their natural increase. Farmers must not be over Optimistic concerning the control of ragwort by this insect, and must actively continue to check the weed by cutting and by other means at their disposal. Unfortunately too much publicity has been given to the possibilities of control by insects, and anyone believing that ragwort or any other weed will suddenly disappear as soon as the insect is liberated will stand to be deeply disappointed. Though the areas of ragwort upon which the cinnabar moth is now being liberated are to be left uncut and kept free of stock, this is done in order to give the insects a chance of establishing themselves If they do establish they should spread to adjoining areas, but even so more than one season will lapse before thorough establishment results. The four selected areas to which the insect has been sent are in the Hamilton, To Puke, New Plymouth, and Invercargill districts. A total of about 125,000 eggs has been sent to date.”