FARMERS AND SCIENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 8

FARMERS AND SCIENCE.

In his presidential address to the members of the Birmingham Microscopists' and Naturalists' Union, Mr Walter E. Collinge, M.Sc., F.L.S., F.E.S., dealt with the value of economic biology to the agriculturist and horticulturist. He pointed out that Britain was far behind many other countries in the matter of economic biology, and added: — Not until we more fully realise that our field and garden crops suffer to the extent of from 25 to 75 per cent, of their value by the attacks of injurious animals and fungi, that our live stock are seriously impaired, that atorod grain, timber, and other products of great commercial importance are seriously injured, will the subject receive the thorough attention it deserves. ■ It will thus be seen, that the subject is one of great scope and importance, as well as of great interest, and in the present days of fa-cming, gardening, and j commercial competition, the part played ! by animal and vegetable parasites ie now recognised to be on» of prime importance. No student of agriculture, and no one who gardens for profit, can afford to neglect this study, for the successful agricultuist and horticulturist must not only be able to grow crops, but he must be able to obtain the largest possible yield by protecting his crops from the damage and destruction caused by disease. In order to successfully combat the pests, it is necessary that we should- know something about them, their habits, methods of attack, where they live, their migrations, when they appear, and why they become destructive. Without this knowledge it is almost useless to expect any good results from the steps we take to destroy or hold them in check. With a full knowledge it is often possible to demise sinipla means for checking them or stamping them out almost entirely, or even possible to prevent their coming. In practically every civilised country, except our own. the subject is being entered into with energy and enthusiasm, with what results all who are interested in agriculture and horticulture know only too well. It is only by Ic-ng and patient study that we can arrive at proper conclusions respecting the value of those forms of life which are termed useful, and the seriousness of the- harm done by those termed injurious. The loss that injurious insects inflict upon our crops and forests is enormous. Many yeans ago Dr Riley estimated the average > damage to crops in the United States at ' nearly £60,000,000 per annum. In this country it is no unusual thing to find injury to the extent of 25 to 50 per cent, of the crop, whilst m other cases it is much i beyond that. Curtis records that in 1786 the turnip crop in Devonshire suffered to the extent of £100,000 owing to the injury caused by insects, and about the same time | the turnip 6awfly destro\ cd thousands of acres of turnips in Norfolk, and again in 1835. In 1881 the turnip flee beetle did damage to the extent of half a million starling in this country, and in 1882 the hop aphis caused a loss of over a million and a-half sterling. During the past year, owing to the winter moth laying her eggs long after winter spraying had been completed andj even the grease bands remo\cd from the Irocs, ft*uit-g:ro\Y--ers Ka.\ c loi»t tens of tllou.sanda of pounds. ' The=»e caee^ might be multiplied to almost any extent, although most of us are aware of the seriousness of th& situation. With the advance that has been made in our kno\vlodg3 of the life history of the different specie? and tho improvement in our methods of attack, there is otery reaeon to expept that the farmer and fruitgrower will suffer less if they take advantage of the knovrn preventive and remedial measures. The injuries cfiect-ed through the agency of insects and other parasites upon live stock arc of an extensive nature. The ag- , greg-ate lo^s occasioned by the ox warble ! fiiea (Hypcderma linsata and H. bovis) in j England has been variously eotimated at from £2,000,000 to £7,000,000 par annum. The sheep maggot is another insect which I clauses considerable loss, but I am not able j io give any exact figures. Tlio g-ad flies (Tabanidee) and bet flies (Esrridae) are fuither examples of insects causing considerable Icesa to stock breeders and feeders, whilst there are a large number of what may be termed minor peers, such as fleas, the flesh fly, sheep "ked," etc., J while sheep ecai. husk, liver flue, ai£ *

i and other diseases due to internal parasites exact a heavy toll. Soil biology and the scientific breeding • of plants were next dealt with, and the vast possibilities awaiting the investigator ■ andi the agriculturist were referred to. In conclusion Mr Collinge pointed out that farmeiTs, stock-breeders, fruit-growers, and gardeners throughout the land were beginning to realise that the man who could associate science with practice was worth paying attention to, for his advice meant healthier stock, better crops, and bigger prices.