OAK SCALE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19174, 3 December 1927, Page 5

OAK SCALE.

SEARCH FOR PARASITES. DR. TILLYARD'S ADVICE. Oak scale parasites were the subject of two letters which were discussed at yesterday's meeting of the Domains Board. Professor T. H. Easterfield, director of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, wrote thanking the Board for its contribution of £oo towards Dr. It. J. Tillyard's work on the introduction of ] parasites of oak blights. Mr E. F. Stead reported that he had received the following letter from Dr. Tillyard concerning the matter: "I thought that you would like to know that I have cabled to Dr. Guy Marshall, Imperial Bureau of Entomo. logy, London, informing him that this money is available, and urging that the matter is of the utmost importance and asking him to do his utmost to secure supplies. I am also asking Dr. Howard, of Washington, to secure further supplies, though I am not at all sanguine of the result, seeing that most of the consignments so far have been 'duds.' However, he might get hold of something good; one never knows. "As regards your suggestion of another £SO to follow, I would advise your Board to hold this back untif I po to England next year, about April, in connexion with the organisation of my new post in Australia. If your Board could then empower mo to spend up to £IOO altogether in a thorough search for enemies of the oak scale, I might find a brilliant student who would take the matter up and put in three or four months at it during the summer. This would be more likely to yield you success than any other method." Mr Stead said that as the work was of great importance to other bodies besides the Board, an endeavour should be made to get them to co-operate in the matter It was decided to keep Dr. Tillynrd'9 suggestion in mind.