WHITE BUTTERFLY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12453, 20 September 1933, Page 3

WHITE BUTTERFLY.

NOVEL PLAN TO COMBAT PEST. In view of the fairly widespread difficulties being experienced by farmers and others in combating the ravages of the white butterfly and the diamond-back moth, an interesting point is raised by 3, Chinese market gardener in the Bush district. Noticing that the white butterfly did not affect lettuce plants, he sowed a fairly large crop and when they were well grown lie boiled them down and sprayed other cruciferous crops with the residue. As a result of this process, be contends, his crops were rendered immune from the ravages of the white butterfly. Mr S. Freeman, Fields Instructor. Department of Agriculture. stated that it was a generally accepted fact that the white butterfly did not attack lettuces, although there was no hard and fast rule. He had heard of the gardener’s experience, but did not attach a great deal of importance to it, as he understood >thatr several farmers in the Pahiatua district had experimented, unsuccessfully, on the .same lines. The white butterfly, which thrives in warm, dry weather, is much in evidence in the Wairarapa at the present time, but, it is stated, it is not doing a. great deal of damage to farm crops, although garden crops of cabbages are in many cases suffering rather severely. Considerable havoc, however, is being wrought to farm crops by the diamond back moth. If the prevailing fine, sunny weather continues, the diamond back moth and the white butterfly are likely to prove a real menace to farmers and market gardeners. Farmers consider that a sped of wet weather would considerably restrict the activities of both pests.