A DESTRUCTIVE PEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1925, Page 4

A DESTRUCTIVE PEST.

A USTIIALIAN COMMISSION. SYDNEY, August 7. One of Australia’s great problems is the battle against the rapacious prickly pear, which spreads and grips thousands of fresh acres every year. The evil is particularly bad in parts of New South Wales and Queensland, where millions of acres are now useless because they are “pear lands.” Slightly more than twelve months ago the work of combating prickly pear was consolidated by the establishment of the j> n ekly Pear Land Commission. Tins is under the direction ol the Queensland Government, but is also financially assisted by the Federal and New South Wales Governments. The Commission has just presented its first annual report, in which it says that it is possible, not only to hold the pear in c heck, but also to enable large areas of scattered pear land to be .saceu, RAINS MAKE FOR GROWiH. Phenomenal rains during the past year caused exceptional growth of pear, but notwithstanding this, the only lands on which the pear made headway Were those already infested nr. those of an inferior or scrubby nature. I nprccedented sales of poison were made totalling 590 tons—sufficient to destroy over 3,500,000 tons weight of pear. These poisons are supplied, in addition t.i other services, at a very low cost. But it is in the introduction ol pcarr.Hacking insects that chief hope for the future lies. The biologists have joined issue with the pear, and m a Commonwealth laboratory, they ate intently watching what efleets different, parasitical insects have on the plant. WAR BY INSECTS. Thus modern science is coming to the aid of the modern settler. The cochineal insect lias given the best results t 0 date, and during the last twelve months the Commission distributed •100:) eases of “ chico ” cochineal. The information now in the hnu«l* of the Commission is that these 'll- - readily attack and destroy all young pear’ plants, and therefore in localities where they have become well established the density ol the lieai is not likely to increase. Thus pear-in-fcstinl country is likely to be koj>t sutftciently open for effective use by cattle. The insects are likely to break down the density of the near in heavilyinfested localities, and in course of time retard the prolific cropping of fruit. This, in itself, will aid the checking of the spread of pear. Moreen or. bv breaking down the density of the pear, they may enable it to he dealt with by other means.