THE CATERPILLAR PEST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 85, 3 January 1918, Page 8

THE CATERPILLAR PEST

The Amberley correspondent of the -r -"Lyttelton Times" stateslnquiries -■•■and personal inspections concerning tho ' ravages-of that much-dreaded pest, the ■"caterpillar, go to show that it is making such inroads on the standing crops that farmers generally are cutting \ 1 oats in many cases quite green. Tho .. pest has travelled over large areas al- . .ready, and is still journeying and rav■aging the district. Tho opinion is freely expressed that owing to tho mild nature! of the "winter, when 'tliis pest is lying'dormarit, the weather lias ' - failed to restrict or keep it down,'as a ; severe winter of frost_ will invariably . exterminate the caterpillar. \Tho opin- . ion must be considered of some value, .. as last winter was indeed mild, and the aro that the pestilence of ■ ■ some sis or. seven years ago appears ■likely to be repeated. Millions of : caterpillars are out this year to wage war-with the farmer by plucking the • "tears of corn long.before they arrive at a v mature period. Oats and grass .1.; (grass seed) always suffer, and not only .. aro advances being made in this direction this year, but the pest is even ■"nipping" the beard from the wheat, ' stripping it of "the flag" and taking " the top grains off.. This lias; not" been v.experienced here beforehand mil mean serious menace .to'the farming com"inunity. The districts suffering most are Amberley, Broom field, Omihi, Loithfield, Balcairn, and Sefton.