White Butterfly Thick This Seamen But the Parasite Is Right On the Job

Chronicle (Levin), 2 April 1949, Page 4

White Butterfly Thick This Seamen But the Parasite Is Right On the Job

It does not need a literary mari to tell the farmer arid the haras^ed back y^£d soil tflldf tMt Hil dhemy df 1# years* standin#/ tne #hite .hfetterfiy, oryth fie edFrepf,- hiS littfe grub-st-a#e broxher,,!! back bfi t-hd jfib this. y#ai^:. Tfie fiet-.h^s been made painiully obvious to those who watch those tender ? .green leaves gradually transformed -to a wire -netting appe^istr fincd bf dne like the business part of a tennis raebnbt. . f v, s.tr It might,_ however, be some- satisfaction .to- know tMt t ob'seryers befieve t-fiaf f-He Kbpe pihned bfi tfie fmpofted parasite niay soon blossom 1'orth into t reality. They are deMifely .fepofted £o .fie on ihe ipfi.> and doing good Wbfk,. tfie . results of which wiT-l prWdhty fib §e5efi .latbr in the season. •

No doubt a' gbod deal * of cd'fifusioh exists- among the farming community in regard to tfi© dsifif,age caused by the white butterfly and the diamond-backed rfidtfi/ ah'd ihjury caused by the lattef mlect is all too commonly blamed • on- the ' wnite butterfly. The fact s tfiat butterflies are seefi over a cfop is not sufficient evideficd for ittfihuting any .injury to tfilif ^rbsence,' ahd the only way to determine the cause Of ihe inftffy is to examine, the 6rop. Accordirig to Mr. J. M. Hopkiris, field offifeer Of the Bgpartmgnt of Agricdlthre, Leiin/ fhi vOr'y lato app^arance and numerical strengtfi p'f. tfie pest Jjife season spdiit. much of tfie opfimism wfiicfi wai dispIay-M §tit ' eail'fer ( thaf , ft fiad deM'iieijf ,shown. a" dbcreile,' cfeSd that 'thef parasite. intrp.duced some^years agd ,fi$d c'a'friid Otft ^dqq wfirk ih redtfc- . iiig the butie'My pdptbation. " | i From gen'eral' Ofi'servltions, fip said, it would appear that the white" 'fihtierny' ih nb grelter hhhih'erk tfian fn tfie past two' lelsbh's; a'th-ough tn'g fhfmef ahfi commer-b cial and fiackyard gardenlf would be more than d'ejighted if the pest could be completely wiped out. Undoubtedly,- cOhslderable damage was fieing done to crucif erqus cropl by the Dhtterfly cltefpill'af, " but most crops were WeTl advanced ih growth tfifs lehsoh hri'd there wai; littie doubt . that they would con-^i tinue tb rhake goqd grbwtfi ih spitb of general caterpiilaf aamage. j With thp adVent of tfie autumn1 rains' and colder weather, cropl' sucfi as Swedes, chourhollihr, cab-'; bage, etc., would make cqnsiderable j grovJxfi. ' For ffillihrifee?; ltlt Ibasoril •$hen droughtyhqndifion!S' prpvaiieaho fains- ' oCehffeh imtil' > date irii 'April, and> \many'pfar_my crpps bf-i ffien wefe: stiihfced hhd' rpbof- .d'iie: mainly-.fo . a-. general, ; lacfo no£ ..-moisy T/ >v

ttrfe. 6hce these rains had increas- f ed the general soil moisture .cprf.- ; HheflM'e - improvement and growtfi - took nlace in crops, and with. bettfe'r resufts tfiat were anticipated. Fuftfier ,to tfie dry conditions prevail•ing lhst season, the white butter-r fly was t also in considerable nurhber'l, but ho cropl were a complete , fai u:re on accopnf of tfie pest.. . NoW, what oi the butterfly. parasite? Mr. Hopkins said there wa^s evefy reason . to bblieve .tfiat tfie parasite was firmly . establisned . m this country, and that ii was still carrying out good work in keeping dqwn the. butterfly population. Field bb'seryation at a. later ,date during the season would no doubt confirm this. , , , • - • ■ • It wai believed,..Mr. .HO'pklns qon- .jtinued-,- tfiat; ' the parasite increased . or decreased in nufhbers dcbofdihg to the jyhite butterfly . population, altnough wet seasonl (were not favourable to'. t$e parasite. t Perhaps the position could bef improyed by: the introduht^Oh 0'f . a species of parasite wfii'cfi Wo'ttfd prove to be effectivg under a wider ^range of - climate, and work on tfii's aspect wai nO'W b'eing carried otft at • the - eawthron Institute'. .. HoWevlr, the ^ood wbfk Which had been carried out by the parasitb had, he believed, undoubtedly saved the situation as far ^s. the 'farmer was .concerned. Without contfbl tfie Wfiitfi btitteffiy ■ Would nave been seen in plague proportibril, arid it Would tnen Mvb b'len impollibie tb gfibW. crbclf^QUs crops with ahy aisured Mcbell. Spraying or dusting, of _ farm crops. to- cbh-tf oi catefpfllaf dafhage wohid cost tfie farmer an.e'nOlhiOus • amodnt'bf money. As it wa'l, the market' gardener wfio fiad to "keep fiil! crops inr good * condition- if satis -> factefjf- priGbl; Wefe to. fib ;h^iired', was -put 'tq^eonsidecablfi expeiilet in *>.- thfi rlspbcf. ■ i *> 3S*§ " 1 I' - S T " ■