DAY BY DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14773, 12 October 1921, Page 4

DAY BY DAY

Prickly pear infests more than 22,000,-

000 acres of land in Au--The Bano tralia- This is one-third of more than the total area Australia, of all classes of crops,

and the immense area of infested land is being increased each year by an additional 1,000,000 acres. The work of research for means to combat the pest has been undertaken by the Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry (states a Melbourne paper), and the director, Mr G. 11. Knihbs, states that considerable progress has been made. It is hoped to restore the balance of nature by the introduction of enemies which attack the pear. Among these are insects, moths, and beetles, which bore into and feed upon the plant. Samples of these have been received in Australia from North and South America, and t--.

Die institute laboratory at Brisbane a bacterial disease which is giving very promising results is being carefully studied. Care has to be taken that these insects will not attack crops or plants of economic value. When the tests have been completed the destructive enemies will be studied under field conditions in some selected prickly pear centre, and if successful they will be distributed widely. Once acclimatised they should then need little or no further attention. Mr Knibhs does not deprecate chemical agents as a means ul killing Ihe pear, bill the cost of labour and material is generally too great for them to he employed. The expense of using them would he greater than the value of the laud when cleared.