THE CATERPILLAR PEST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 8

THE CATERPILLAR PEST.

■WIDESPEHAD DAMAGE.:

V thh)ughout'thoßominion tiijs year. , A

; ago.> :^rain: ;was:stated' to have ' been .stopped.-in the .Eangitikei';- district 5?!,:J,; 'caterpillars'crtssing -the so effectually n.jT.'th'sit V used;' to: grip the ..rails' until the ;&rid-boi'esscould;.: bo ■ /gb't'.vto : work; r>y.:, ! have 'been: - hand alinbst ' daily :from ihe'Haiigitikei ■ andiKnawatu.': .;S'[i;T«teidayfsvtf4a complaints

.! from districts so far apart as Carterton :;'an<l (fcartertoh); it; ?j .is stated, that. sbinc-farmers;consider their

; ' -crops have been;damaged: to ;the ! extent of : . /. from' 50 '-to 75' per cent. Cate'rpillars.'have f.been ; doing';, damage -/iu'tlie 'Waikato,' in'fMarlborough,''and even "iii faraway i; Weutport, to: name inst a feSv of:.the' districts .which liaye'beenCsiiifering. -y- V-. -.' . . 'Tho cbmmqnoet'caterpillar in OCen- Zealand* and th'e;qhbiwhi.iii does.most,of,'the :damago,:?'is armyVSvorm .: : ',or grih-s eat'erpillan . .It was given priue t' of place': among ; the' insects"of. the year in V -.. the vlast'report, of: the "'Department ,:of : there' ~;vf-',hadV,been'. no. jery:'Serious,:,attacks':by'. it • between .1804 : aiid last i season.. .

hl'iii&lii'■&-leaflet'issued i.in'!; 1894,: .the'.Govern-. W ,i: ; - 'Ui«BM*t.j*Biologist'?4%ti«.ted-: : :thdt.V tlie •; injury ' dciio ts permanent pastures by the'grass yii probably, ;rnore serious to, crops.-: It Appeared *6 be particu-H"-Sflarly. ; 'destructiye;"-'oS...new "pasture'land, ' ' ' from : which': thebush had ;just, been i-(X. i cleared,: and'air instan<* -was- reported: in .. '.. which the grass .'on 'a tv;eiity-five acre, clearing .surroumled oy- a 'belt'of-.five {'miles of.'standing eh-oyed by:caterpillars. • •-. :::: Mt: Awakino,.yj'aranaki; ' Mr.".C.; H. i o&f: M-fCutilwn,' jun:;jreportcd,that;ini Decem- ' : beri» 1893,- his .'pasture .-'of. 2<5 ! acres :was' littacltea ; . by: . caterpillar®, J -.and-\completely :: : .blafitedin. four.-:days'.'. At-llanakau,:;in ftWVi.: -the jManaw'atu,: considerable damage ;-was. : ate' done: about, the «uuo, time. .- ■; .'.i( -'In ' some ".'parts : of' the - North; Island, j there Mr. .Kirk;. stated ;;&lhis:: leiflet;> t<fo Vbroods,, of T ; these;. cater- • ' Ipillars inia year. 'EggSinrc.laid in'.th«; S;V early:;'autumhJ'JiThe;.^ :- :': jlars after:; feeding for-some,; timd--<iv'ork : f bi'neath tufis-of gra.s,:, old:logs, or other ; the .winter:ln: the,' spring :.they emerge, 1 ;. \feed on the young. herbage, , complete . tKeir growth and" lay the eggs for the main idestructive.The,jnunilj'erofALeggs laid .by /each - is .ilniown: to vary' 'from -93' to 173; but: is-probably often much : . greater.'' Mr. Kirk, says:.-, vare -ltivetorate enemies -.of .the §&%)griss: One bird -by' me -con-, -|tained, -seventeen-: caterpillars. --These (birds ! sfibyd';b'e yeheb'uraged tias - : mucli: as i -': - |poksible''>by placing :'breedLßg-boses,, and (Heavy and continuous - rain .works havoc i'S'voPiUars; ■' after s-such . 'weaither .. th :^ ..'be.Mett ! lying::dead"ih, all ; : :,.; .jiumberi'.tonly •. and.'.thero;'.;is J.plqnty, '.of food,'thoy do not 'march'; it is only i ■;?.'■ when' the* ground*beginsr to get ibare, .or. tllG horbage boen-fouled-by'ilio-nmn-':o'f.f-.:in :'M ®i'ate.-i■■■: They.uraay- be:. preventcd '.IromST: ;,o4ppting.,the.'':AmCTicaii'/:m^thbd::of..checkiing- ploughing : the line of; iVAs'MMcli.'ritne?}side,»neare^ , j:tlie'rp.Mdpcfc:-:,tb'-•t' : -4!(^?:P^R^^ted^>-h6uld;i-bpLuridercut:V ; 'so"as: : iloi-preve'nt;^"-tfie"-v.:--55' this 'ditch at" intetvalsv ; the ; >'orms,'Ttß-" : silg uuable' to-climb up tbe," side' pf..,the - •trench, crawl along' aiil .'fall: into : ' thei i ; .:jpits; -where - they", may: be.' killed either: bjr ;i,' 'Spraying '-with- kerosene';.-'andfJwab9rf-<car« bolic.S'andK'water/i or': ; by, " throwing in a ; few .shovelsfuljof: eart]i'. _. v Tarrcd-:,b,oar(]s.-set o'n*/t!dgeVand:''sloping' ffoiri-the;'crop : ■ , to'. be .' protected liave . prove'd -' very ' help-'' .':irirbfids : . -of,' -thW Icat^rpiiiars.-:,;-.::, ' -."Where' ifc is-' possible to. spray.-an' in- ,: , - rfested' or threatened paddock,- witlv Paris(green; :mixtjire^:br::i<lust' : it; with;: llbv of: '^Paris-green'to 301b.' of:,flour.;or lime, this. -S;-J bbrders-fof-rfield^ 'i • v. 1 / likely?-to'i; be'"- invadedshould' always,* if practicable, be treated in this way. A jjargeJmob' of sheep' driven;back: and' fore 'Over infested pasture has 1 alsobeen found of service bv crushing large numbers of tho caterpillar":" Where it can Tx> mimold: grassiin';autunin ; or •r: ®TjiS'lJinS: the 'caterpillars''lying torpid,' v ,Bjd.'desta)ying.' whicli moths of; tho;,spring; brood prefer to day their, eggs"