ORCHARD AND WARDEN PESTS, AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 8

ORCHARD AND WARDEN PESTS, AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM.

(Southland News.) Insect and fungoid pests, the bane of the fruit-grower, floriculturist, and amateur gardener, are forciiag themselves into serious notice iv this as well as other parts of tbe colony, and any information that will enable growers to cope with the enemy is eageily sought. This accounted for a fairly large : attendance, despite bad weather and previous engagements, at the lecture given by Professor G. T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, in Messrs Tothill, Watson, and Co.'s rooms the other evening ou this subject. Some 40 persons were present, mostly large fruit growers and gardeners, and Mr C. S. Longuet, President of tha Southland Horticultural Society, under whose auspices the lecture was given, introduced the speaker. As indicating the po»sibilities of the fruit industry, Air Kirk mentioned that lasb jeir New Zealand's importations were valued at , upwards of £71,000, on £18,000 worth of which i duty was paid. He strongly advocated the formation of a National Fruit-grower&' Association, : which would be of immense servioe in the matter of distribution, regulating supplies so as to avoid glutting a market, and preventing inferior fruit being disposed of to the detriment of honest growers. He urged the necessity ior the prohibition of, the importation of trees and plants from infected countries, or for rigid disinfection. In one part of America, so strict were they that the penalty for selling infected fruit was six mouthi' imprisonment without the option of a flue. He naively observed that if such «■ law were in force in New Zealand at the present moment, a large number of respected fruit-growers would be employed in her Majesty's service. Still, if they were to successfully cope with these pests they must have bard and fast lawn, to which none but the careless man, who had let his orchard get into a very bad state, would object. Mr Kirk then proceeded to deal with a number of peate — peach fungus, apricot scab, apple spot, black spot iv grapes, tomato rot, potato fungus, phylloxera, black aphis, codliu motb, cineraria fly, Hessian fly, &c, giving a large amount of informationinhis two hours' discourse, concerning the tomato rot, which caused serious losi in several parts of the colony last year, though it did not extend to Southland, the best remedy was to spray the plants when about three inches high with Bordeaux mixture, and to tie up the plants to stakes. The potato fungus had also played havoc with some of the crops in the north, the tubers ceasing to develop as soon as the leaves became affected. Aa with, all fungus dueaies the beet thing was

Ito burn all leaves and cubbings. For the black aphis he advocated spraying with kerosene ! emuhion. In one district in tbe north the codj liv moth became so bad that some growers lost I the whole of their crops, but, through systematic efforts to cope with ib, they had lasb season saved 60 per cenb. of the fruit, aud this year ho believed they would betler this by 20 per cent). This was a case in which combined action was absolutely necessary. Spraying with the Bordeaux mixture and bandaging the stock were the mosb effective remedies. He preferred paper to the , canvas bandage because, as the grubs lodged ■ there, the papers could be removed and burnt, j and a fresh bandage pub on. Questions having been invited, Mr G. Couling mentioned thab the cineraria fly was most destructive in this locality, and asked what treatment was best. Mr Kirk said thab spraying the plant with tar water (the tar to be boiled for ! about 20 minutes before mixing") was a certain preveative—the fly could stand it, and | would not deposit its eggs on the leaf. Replying to the same questioner, he said thab the I grass grub was a difficult pest to get rid of. ! On lawns, however, rolling with a heavy roller and iujectiug into the ground every 3ft, by means of a syringe, bisulphide of carbon would prove effectual. The latter would also do where the grub was killing the strawberry plants^ Concerning r*gweed, which is spreading rapidly in various parfcfi of tha dhbriob, Mr Kirk said sheep would cab ib oft' when the plaut was young, and thrive on it, but if ib gob beyond , that stage the best p an was to cub it down at ' once before the seed forms. A second cutting >' would also be necesmry to destroy the late ' growth. Ho had urged this on the Winton A. , and P. Association with a view of reducing the j quantity. I Asked by Mr Newman if he knew a method iof putting down the Canadian thistle — a I question that tvoked an incredulous laugh troua several — Mr Kirk remirked th*t that was rather a Urge order. The only way was to cub them down, which was nob expeniive — the second year the growth would be sbnnted and the third hardly noticeable. Mr Newman mentioned thafc he had cat them till he xofc sick of the j >b ; he bad tried to dig them out, and found their roots 3ffc 6in deep ; 1 he had built a haystack over them, and they ■ still seemed to enjoy vigorous life. He had j some growing 3fb high. Mr Kirk said that there was do occasion for Mr Newmau to pride himself on that tacb as he could show him dome iv Wellington 9ft high. He repeated that if bh« plants were regularly cur, leaving no vegaiabiou, the pest c.mld be kepb in check. The ifcture was capibklly illusbrafced by picbures showu under the limelight, which was capably manipulated by Mr C. S. Russ, and at the close Mr Kirk was accorded a hearty vote of I thanks on Mr Longuet's motion.