RAGWORT CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 62, 15 September 1939, Page 7

RAGWORT CONTROL

USE OF SEEDFLY FURTHER EXPERIMENTS Mr D. Miller, Assistant Director anil chief entomologist of the Cawthron Institute, in reply to enquiries from the Tauranga County Council regarding the ragwort seed fly. states: "Our work with this insect has proceeded very satisfactorily % except that at a critical moment during our observations last summer and autumn we were prevented from completing our work on the farm where we were making our concentrations. Though Ave cannot say yet what the influence of the insect will be, there are indications that it will have some important influence on the. reduction of the seed. I may state that owing to the impasse reached early this year, we have arranged for a further supply of the insects to be sent us from England and these will arrive in September, when we shall proceed to establish a new experimental area on Crown lands, where the work will not be influenced in any way by private interests. The letter was read at Friday's, meeting of the council. Mr T. B. Turley, in reporting in respect to noxious weeds, stated: To September 1, 582 acres have been treated and 41% tons of material used. Cr Evans pointed out that natives were working for wages, and not cleaning their lands, which were being cleared by the council. Something should be done to prevent thet c .ort of thing. A suggestion, was made tlv.it Maoris coming within the category mentioned by Cr Evans, who did not clear their lands 3 should be prosecuted.