PLAGUE OF CATERPILLARS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 11

PLAGUE OF CATERPILLARS.

CROPS AND GRASS DESTROYED. (Fkom Our Own CoRaESPOHDENT.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 13. A Times reporter, who made a motor car trip through the Amberley and Bal cairn districts yesterday, gives a very serious account of the injury being done to the crops by the caterpillar pest. "They have not worried me much,' said one Leilhfield farmer with a dray load of oats, " but I am going to get my stuff in before they start in earnest. Siill they are here, and I have quite enough to more than satisfy me." He scraped his hand along the bottom of the dray, and drew out a squirming heap of gr.een and brown caterpillars. An examination of the sheaves showed that the oats weve full of caterpillars, and Mr Rhodes said that they were in other fields in like numbers. Several Balcairn farmers said that the insects had for several days oe-^n crawling over fences from field to fieM, devouring the major portion of the greivi stuff in each. They ever moved forward, and their appetites seemed insatiable. A farmer at Mount Brown said that he had been reaping one day recently when the creatures literally covered the plax; form of the machine. An inspection or a field of oats showed that a large percsn 1"--age of the heads had been bitten through, and the place was practically alive v/ilh hairy creeping inhabitants. Most of tliefarmers in the vicinity were reaping their crops green in order to save them fro n the plague. In Amberley there was general bemoaning among the farmers. One lost all Hs ryegrass seed through the ravages of the insects. The pest appears to be generuj all over the district, and one farmer burnt a lot of grass to prevent the caterpillars travelling across to his crops. Another lost two paddocks of valuable grass scad, the bare stalks only remaining. MiFrederick Coleman, of Broomfield. v.ns had several crops of oats spoilt, and yes- j terday the caterpillars were in his wheat, j It seemed to be the general opinion th.il j they would r.ot touch wheat, but ap- I parently when there is no other food Ibey do not scruple as to what comt-s alon^. ! They are of all .«izes. trom lutlr creepers to big fellows nearly thiee infix's Ion?. * | The Rev. H. E. East (vicar of Leithfiekl) stated that the ii'Seits v.eie wotting southward fiom Cheviot way. m^Liii^ distinct paths across the fields." He liaJ seen flocks of small birds apparently attacking the caterpillars in force iomo week? ago. On being questioned as to the salvation of the crops affected by the birds, th^ farmers seemed to be of the opinion that the smaller introduced birds had priowii tired of the plenteous diet of caterpillars. A general idea wap prevalent that th° starlinc was the only bird that had re mained true to the predictions o f his introducer, and it was stated that the rows. lav",s, and finches had tii-orl of ihcbanquot. and had a^ain decided th.-t moi cits and v. heat wore qm'e 2,'yxl ,in ] satisfying fare. — TVhothpV \vha'" c or r of Xi« rev" fo^on definitely settled. More Planet. Jr . asfiicultural and cai-Ll«'i implements are m r.^e in the woi !d than any other three makes put together. — Xim.no and Blair.