CONTROL OF PESTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1929, Page 2

CONTROL OF PESTS.

valuable: work being noxi

DEPORT OF CAWTHORX INSTITUTE. NELSON, Fob. 27. During (ho past year the*, work of t.JK! CiUtvLlioni InsidtiiLe uudor the direction of I'm lessor Eastern. Id lias again boon attended with gratifying success. and there lias boon eonsiderable expansion, in the .scope of the research problems undertaken, says the annual report. Acknow'Jedginent is made of financial assistance from various sources without which activities vvtnild have been seriously restricted. In the Departin', at of Agricult tire all former lines of work in connexion with soil survey, manorial experiment, crop cultivation fruit culture, anti co.u I storage have Ik on vigorously prosecuted, while additional schemes, notably that for the investigation oi the mineral content of pastures, have been brought into full operation. In unier to cope with the inemcvwl volume o laboratory work involved an analytical chemist Dr. Askew has peon added to the staff, dm port ant practical results, especially with regard co (ertain deficiency diseases of stock on Monte re Hills type of soil, have already been obtained. In another direction experiments with Pakihi lands which were commenced towards the close of 1927 have so far proved remarkably knee'essfill. If experiments which are now being put in mind on a larger, scale . confirm the insults already obtained on small pluts, there is no doubt that large areas of land at present lying completely neglected will at no distant date he brought into cultivation and add greatly to the prosperity of the West Coast and Golden Day districts.

In the department of mycology under Dr. Curtis, methods for controlling “brow rot” have been involved which will enable fruitgrower* practically to eliminate their losses from this source. Fungal diseases affecting a large number of commercial plants such as cereals, tobacco, hops, tomatoes, pip fruits, and pines have been investigated, and valuable an vice has been given to growers. The connexion between fungal diseases and malnutrition has rceived careful attention and important deductions ot mulctical benefit have been made. Varieties of hops, tomatoes, and various cereals appearing to be immune to specific diseases have been either introduced from abroad or selected from local gardens and kept under observation. Several of these varieties have been found to be "highly resistant to disease and may therefore prove of great economic value. ' The position of chief of the Entomological Department rendered vacant by the promotion of Dr Tillyard to chief entomologist in the Commonwealth of Australia, wass filled bv the appointment of Dr. Miller,‘who had already had a distinguished career in the service of the New Zealand Government. Assisted by Messrs Tonnoir and Gotiriay ho has carried out a promising series of experiments to secure control of various noxious weeds and insects by means of parasites and sprays. A great measure of success lias been attained in dealing with pear midge and oak scale. A parasite is now well established in the oak trees of .Nelson and Canterbury aiul is slowly but surely eradicating the pest. A parasite for mealy bug lias been successfully introduced and is now being bred in large numbers for distribution. The life history of the bronze beetle has been fully worked out by Miss Lysaght ""d control experiments with insecticides are being made. For many years attempts have been made to import some parasite that would attack various species of blowfly, especially those species that cause so much loss lo sheep farmers. Dr. Miller is to be congratulated upon having at last surmounted all difficulties and a parasite “lalvsia” is being dispatched not only to all parts of New Zealand hut to Australia as well. Much attention has also been devoted to forest entomology and a parasite to destroy the liorntail fly lias been imported and released and may already be observed in active operation among the pine trees about Nelson. Schemes for greatly extending the work of forest entomology are now under consideration.

Many members of the staff have done important work in the domain of “pure science.” Mr Philpott in particular, liar, continued bis extensive researches and lias, moreover presented to the Cawthorn institute his magnificent colection of New Zealand moths and butterflies a most valuable gift.