THE RAGWORT PEST

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3483, 23 June 1934, Page 6

THE RAGWORT PEST

QUESTION OF PARASITICAL CONTROL. Some little time ago Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P. for Waitomo, communicated With the chief officer of the Entimological Department of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, relative to the parasitical control of ragwort, and, on learning of his action, We asked Mr Broadfoot to let us know the result, as scores of our readers who are engaged in farming pui-suits are vitally interested in the combatting of ragwort. Mr Broadfoot has now received the following communication from Mr David Miller:—"I have received a communication from the Director General of Agriculture, in reference to your inquiry of June sth to the Hon. Minister ias to the possibility of securing supplies of the ragwort seed fly. "At the present time we have none available for distribution, but have made arrangements so that supplies will commence to reach us from England in the late winter, and continue to do so through the spring and summer. From this material we hope to liberate supplies in different parts of New Zealand. "However, just to what extent we will be able to carry out this project will depend solely upon the amount of material sent us from: England. "It is of interest to note that our researches at the Institute here show that the maggots of this ragwort seed fly destroy 100 per cent of the seeds in all the heads infested, and we have every expectation that the insect will be a fundamental factor in checking the seeding of ragwort." N