GORSE CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Page 11

GORSE CONTROL

A WEEVIL'S HELP

SEEDING PREVENTED

PLANTS NOT ERADI-

CATED

Horticultural science has evolved a seedless gorse, one that therefore will not spread. But this production, as far as- New Zealand is concerned at any rate, has come rather too late in the day. Many, many years ago, iv the innocence of their hearts, early settlers coming out from the Homeland brought with them gorse seed. They thought it would be pleasant to have gorse hedges similar to those familiar to them in England. But they knew as little of the trouble' that they were storing up for future generations in Nun*.Zealand as did the innocents who were responsible for the introduction of rabbits. The gorse, like other imported nuisances, found its new environment very much to its liking. Before long it_got entirely out of control, and now no one can say how many acres of land in the Dominion grow gorse to the exclusion of all else. The bright colour of its flowers may appeal to poets and artists, and, tourists may extol the beauties of the golden gorse on otherwise drab hillsides. The agriculturist, however, finds small1, scope in his strenuous life for the aesthetic enjoyment of gorso: he has no good word to say for it, and much of 'what is said is unprintable. Gorse just now in the Dominion is at its minimum stage' as far as flowering: is concerned. It reaches its maximum from July to September, the three summer months seeing less bloom. But there is,.always some igorse in bloom whatever the month, hence the old saying: "When the gorso is out of bloom, kissing is out of fashion." The fact that gorse will bleom and seed all the year round, except in the very Coldest parts of the Dominion, makes the task of control doubly difficult. The sins of the fathers having been visited upon the children in no small degree, the present generation of New Zealanders has\ got to fight gorse as one of the most potent of-noxious introductions. A. prophet.like H. G. Wells might easily envisage a New Zealand a hundred years hence given over entirely to gorse, blackberry, and rabbits, the few remaining inhabitants ekeing out a bare living from clearings round derelict towns. ' However, tho future need not be painted as black as that. The entomologist, the scientist who specialises in insects, is,.on ( the warpath after gorse. For _ several 'years' now the Ca-wthron Institute in 'Nelson, whose speciality is the control of noxious introductions, has been tackling the problem, and success seems to be getting nearer, although the most optimistic of the workers would not by any means claim that She problem' is solved. INGENIOUS NATURE. What tfce entomologist pins his faith to in the matter of gorse control is a little weevil, who has a name several times longer than himself—Apion Ulicis. This little insect likes to nestle on the foliage of gorse bushes, eating spines and soft tissues. The Apions probably vflnd that the prickles are a good protection against the maraudings of early birds looking for' appetising breakfasts. During spells of sunshine the weevils become, very active, and in spring time their thoughts, like those of humans, turn to love. It is then that tho lady of the species "gets busy and becomes man's ally in tho fight against .gorse. i When.taken with: the egg-laying urge, she bores a neat hole in the young and tender gorse poda and there deposits six to eight microscopic eggs. Instinct tells her that by so doing she had solved the question of the food supply for her future family, for, when the eggs, hatch, the young larvae proceed to devour the tender seeds in the pods.,. It is in this way that the weevil is a controller of the, gorse pest. ,For when the seed pod breaks under the influence of the ripening sun with that familiar crackling sound, instead of the scattering far and. wide of gorse seeds to perpetuate the curse, there are distributed to the.four winds six or eight little Apions who can carry on the good work started by their mother. In this life cycle there are several interesting points. Incidentally, it is not every lady Apion Ulicis who boies a hole into a seed pod. Many seem content to let someone else do the work, so in one pod several ladies may deposit their eggs, and a.3 many as sixteen larvae have been found developed normally in one pod. As a matter of fact, three larvae can under ordinary conditions devour the contents of one, pod, the number of seeds in a normal pod being from four to seven. THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT. In. theory, : then, to prevent entirely the spread of gorse, all that is needed is a big enough supply of Apions -to ensure that every gorse pod becomes an incubator instead of a seed distributor. But in practice, the matter is not quite so simple. For, to start with, gorse has the upsetting habit of flowering and .podding at all seasons, whereas. the Apion Ulicis prefers to carry out its control duties from October to February only. Besides whieli, it does not like frost. As a certain amount of pod bursting takes place from July onwards in practically all parts of the Dominion, except Otago and Southland, weevils discharged from the bursting pods run a grave risk, of an untimely death from frostbite. When this happens, there is an unfortunate hiatus in the supply of weevils to cope with, tho ever-formine pods. • & Hence'Apions Ulicis, of which large numbers have now been' acclimatised in the Dominion ana which has been proved to bel of no danger to any leguminous plants used by man, can at its best be but a check to tho spread -of, gorse by seeding. To expect it to be a gorse cradicator is to ask too much of it. But, judging from the results so far obtained, even its limited powers aro likely to , prove of incalculable benefit to the Dominion '

"BUNDLE OF NERVES."

Many people live so much on 'their nervous energy, that they quickly .become a "bundle of nerves." This state is.not far from the brink of a serious nervous breakdown. Considering the intensity of modern conditions, it is really surprising the nerves do not fail in more cases than they actually do. Nerves in an exhausted state are underfed, and will not become steady and strong until properly nourished. The blood feeds the nerves, so treatment of any nervous disorders should bo by building up the blood. The success of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills as a nerve-restorer is due to their great blood-building powers.

Under the influence of the new blood which Dr. Williams' Pink Pills help to create, you will regain a vital nervous system; your -worries and irritation will vanish. With renewed vigour, life will enlist new interests and brightness. Of chemists and stores.—Advt..

Wooda' Great Peppermint Cure tor Coughs and Colds, aevei fail*.—Adrt.