MENACE TO CROPS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1932, Page 8

MENACE TO CROPS

CABBAGE BUTTERFLY SCARE

SPREADING IN jNORTH ISLAND CHRISTCHURCH, March 15.

The small white c a bbage butterfly which has been flitting over the North Island in increasing’ • numbers' in the> past two years has become a serious menace to farmers orchardists and , market gardeners. First seen in New Zealand in the | vicinity of Napier in 1930 this white - visitor which, has a wide range and travels with the wind-, has since ’ appeared in both Welington and Auckland. It thrives on cabbage cauliflowj©r radish, mustard, mignonette, nas- : turtium, water-cress, shepherd’s purse, stink-we.ed, lettuce,. turnip, and rape f plants, but it shows a decided preference for cabbages and cauliflowers. Recently a Christchurch grower forwarded a number of diseased tomatoes to the Department of Agriculture for examination. The Department’s mycologist . reported that the symptoms of the disease resembled those for “Australian Spotted Wilt,” a virus disease recently investigated in Australia.

Mr C. E. Pope, president of the New Zealand Tomato, Soft Fruit and Producer’s Council, .said that although a grave .warning was given by Dr D. Miller,, entomologist at the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, in December, 1930, concerning the dangers of .the importation of Aoxious insects and diseases, little heed seemed to have ben taken of- it by. the Department of Agriculture.

There y. oie other diseases and pests which threatend the position of the New Zealand producers, said Mr Pope. All export markets would be in-jeop-ardy if the dreaded fruit fly made its appearance again in this country. Through the prevalence of the fruit fly in Australia the South American market was closed against the exports of; Australian apples. The South American market offered a wonderful opportunity to the apple exporters of the Dominion for the reason that the large • varieties for which there was no demand in Europe were readily disposed of there at favourable prices.

The authorities in the Argentine were so’keen to keep out disease that they placed an embargo on New Zealand fruit for a time and sent two entomologists to make certain that the fruit fly had not made its appearance. Not only were New, Zealand growers menaced.by the fruit fly in consequence of Australian imports, but there was ,a serious danger of the ■introduction of “thrips.” This was a comparatively new pest which played havoc with the fruit crops of Australia this season.. -and - two years .agoit destroyed almost the entire apple crops of Victoria. The pest had caused so much concern to the Austraian growers that on February 19 a conference was held to consider what could be done to pombat the trouble which was now recognised as the major problem confronting the fruit'industry in AustraliaThose growers who had suffered considerable financial loss and damage to their orchards through fireblight must take a very serious view of the “thrips” menace because .if the pest became acclimatised to New Zealand their very existence as growers woud be at stake, declared air Pope.