BLACKBERRY KILLER

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1927, Page 1

BLACKBERRY KILLER

SEARCH FOR PARASITE

(Ily Telegraph—-Per Press Association.) NELSON. Sept. 20. Interviewed regarding the recent cable from England in which it was stated that scientists were disappointed with the caterpillar on which they were relying to kill the blackberry, owing to its proving equally ready to eat the raspberry and loganberry. Dr Tillyard, of the C’awtbron Institute, stated that be had received a communication from Dr Tmms. who had charge of the English end of the noxious weeds research, informing him that the testing of tlie Buff Arches Moth (technically the habrosyne dorasa) showed that- it was unsuitable, as its caterpillar would readily eat raspberry and loganberry, and that tests on plum and apple were inconclusive.

Dr Tillyard added that he had obtained a large supply of the pupae of this moth, while in England last year, but, as ho was not satisfied with the records given for its food plant, be left them behind in England with instructions that they must be tested out at Eotbani-sted. and not sent to New Zealand unless they proved satisfactory. He did not expect them to prove suitable and this lias turned out to be the case.

He said that another moth, the Cidnria Albicillata. was also obtained in fair numbers, and was left behind to bo tested for a similar reason. It was highly probable that a similar unsatisfactory result would be reached in that case also.

“Tlio public,” Dr Tillyard went on to say, “must not he misled by this cable, and think that either of these species was the olio on which wo were relying to any extent for controlling the blackberry. 'Hie position of the research is now more satisfactory than before, because we have eliminated one doubtful species, and can concentrate our energies more tullv on the promising species still left over. It should be remembered that there are o\ er one hundred insects which attack the blackberry, but most of these will attack other rosaceous plants, and are therefore not suitable for introduction into New Zealand. The problem is to select only those few species which are cpiite safe to work with, and which damage the blackberry sufficiently to make them worth while as factors in the control of the weed.”