FOREST BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1929, Page 5

FOREST BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

MORE AT CAWTHRON INSTITUTE. "

NELSON, October 19,

- A forest biological research station is being established under,. the direction of-Dr D •'.Miller,' Chief Entomof th|e Cawthron Institute. The station will receive f.beral financial support from .the industry of the Don^pTdn ; , and these contributions will cajffyl a £1 for £1 subsidy from the New Zealand Government. /The 'station will make use of the services. of the institute in carrying out the necessary research-

In the course of an interview Dr Miller remarked that, the station was really the . stabilisation, of- the forest biological research, wjiich has been going on over a number of years. Jt commenced about 1922, and Dr Miller took up the work on behalf of the State Forest, Service in Wellington in a more 1 or less unofficial capacity and carried it ,on , for; some years, until about two years ago, when the. Forest - Department, realising that something. more definite should be done, appointed an assistant—Mr A. Clark —to assist in the work. When Dr Miller came to Nelson in 1928 ■[ Ho take up his present' positvon, the Sthte Forest Department transferred Mr Clark to Nelson, so that the work could be continued. The outcome of the proposals put : forward by Hr Miller last year;: to establish a research station, , has . resulted in the present development. / “We are already doing a lot of research work’in relation to the control of timber pests,” donlirixied' Dr Miller, “and two of the outstanding problems wo are tackling are the control of the guin weevil and the horntail borer of r ' pine trees: yWe are endeavouring to establish a parasite of both these pests and 1 have already made liberations.” • - As an illustration for the necessity of. having the, depredations of \ these timber pests checked Hr Miller took .the case»‘ of. the eucalyptus plantations' of: Canterbury, which/should be worth somewhere in-the 'viiinity. of £500,000, but owing .to the depredations of) . insects -it", was, doubtful -if , they were worth , £40)000. ‘ l '’ .. ' ■‘‘When one considers the. extent of tree planting going onv in New Z.ealahd at present, one cani realise the immense damage which ; insects, are capable of doing if left unchecked, he added. • ” ' Some' species of insects already established in New Zealand if left unchecked • were likely to cause considerable damage, and, it is the purpose ot the research station to ascerta*p the best method’s of controlling them and 'so! protecting the trees, Asthe* statin, developed it/was hoped to take P SSroM^oocTbprers-M^ni-S tlmber, aB well as-other biological problems» ►