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THE FRUIT PESTS OF NELSON.

TO TEE EDITOR.

Sir,— A few months ago I paid a visit to Nelson, where I had an opportunity of seeing scmethlng of the codlln moth's doings, of which we have heard so muoh, but seen litt'e or nothing of as yet. While I was there I saw many apple orchards that are almost ruined by this most destructive pest, the frait hanging on the tress and lying undor them perfectly useless. I a mo;t cases the grab had gone to its sleeping place, either In the ground or under bits of loose bark on I the trees, there to wait for spring, when it develops into the moth. It apparently lays its eggs on the young apple near the flower end, where it hatohes and oommenoes operations at once, by boring a hole into the core, where it Appears to remain for some tlmfl eating all round the pips. When fully grown, it makes its way out near the stem ; by this time its work of destruction is done. The moth has only beon noticed m Nelson daring the past two or three years, but now there are few gardens free from it, thousands of pounds worth of fruit being utterly destroyed last year. I was told that other kinds of frait besides apples suffer. Nothing but very stringent lawa will prevent its spread, or even keep It m check.

I am sore the Canterbury fruit growers, and all -others interested In tha. welfare of the coantrj, should do m all their power to prevent frait being Imported from any lnfeoted distriot, whether m or oat of the colony. And if it ia trne that the moth ia already here, every endeavor should be made to prevent Ita spread, for onoe It geta spread over the oountry, it ia a question if it will ever be ol eared oat again. The frait growers m Ne'sou eeem disheartened and paratyzsd, not knowing what to do. They are also troubled with several other pests. The English blackbird takes much of their small frait, especially cherries, for which Nelson was onoe famous. The leech blight rains the pears and plums. Of oourcj, this blight may be kept under by dressing the trees with a preparation for the purpose, bat it it Is more difficult where the trees are large. Scale and American blights are ' bad, bat nothing when compared to the others; Very few grapes are now grown outside m Nelson, because a mildew sets into the bunches before they can ripen. Years ago, they could boast of vineyards, bat now they are not to be seen. While there I also saw the wattle blight for the first time; it promises also to bedestructive, especially to the wattle tree and gorse. It appears first m small white eggß varying m size from sand to a small marble, whloh are fixed about the brandies and leaves, developing into thousands, and probably millions cf small insects. I understood that it atteoks other trees. I think it would bo a calamity to a district like thii, if our nice sheltering gone hedges were destroyed. Seeing, what I did, I felt It my duty to let the public know how the next province suffers from these pests, also believing the old proverb true — forewarned, forearmed. Thank'ng you for epaoe, I am. etc. Geo. W. Andrews.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18870616.2.7.1

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1586, 16 June 1887, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
564

THE FRUIT PESTS OF NELSON. Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1586, 16 June 1887, Page 2

THE FRUIT PESTS OF NELSON. Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1586, 16 June 1887, Page 2

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