BLACKBERRY PEST

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1932, Page 8

BLACKBERRY PEST

DISEASE.' Weed apparently, killed. f September 16... What is* ’stated to be a disease that kills blackberry and has successfully cleared hundreds of acres in the Auckland province, was described yes- . ter day by Mr <3-. H. Hawkes, retired farmer, of Auckland} and formerjly of T^aukapalcapa. Mr Hawkes sa(id he fifst knew of the disease when it appeared at Wainrii, between Kaukapakapa and: Whiwera/ five or; six years ago. It appeareii like- a . yelikny ; ; po\yder or frihgug on the backs of, the leaves of ■ the plant arid was easily brushed off. It spread .very,quickly and worked its way into the district known as Hprser shoe Bush, between Diahy Flat and Kaukapakapa. Hundreds of acres of blackberry in each district were destroyed. About two or .three years >ago. said Mr ipawkes, he brought ;som© infected ileaves to Auckland. Sbme were spread on Marik Wty-infestied land near St. Stephen’s 'School, Bombay, some on ah pea; near St . John ' s College, and some on land at Papatoetoe. In each case the disease spread rapidly, and to-day the blackberry had practically disappeared. ■

“KILLED IN. THREE SEA^QNS.” “I have never known it to fail.” said Mr Hawkes. “Tn the summer the yel;loxl Wight appears on the derives, wllich curl up. Then the young, wood dies back. After about tlircfe ‘'sfeasons thp disease . has *pefietrrited' to v tlie : loots arid the plaht is dead. Area’s in' tlio North which' were ovel-rmi' xVitfli blackherfy ad-few years ago how slirixv no signs of the weed.

'' “The disease is introduced -'to healthy patches ' simply by dropping a feiv affected leaves on each dump; just about the time'tliey are’in frtiitv'- ;, lt is ‘ surprising how quickly, it spreads, arid when once the disease takes hold von cannot get it out. I have never hoard df 'it attacking anything ’hut blackberry.” , •: An inspection of an area which was infected tufo years-ago', near Si! "John'sOjllege, showed a large patch of dead arid hrilf-dead 1 MoPd • ? tjyat t ■■' had' ’ bribe : b'jeri a tanglle' of' healthy blackberry? Whelevty ’ there waklife left" 'Sfi "th& vine, the ends were dying back or’ .vrerfi . already ' dead'. A' few 'kickly' !okves, J with ohe or two healthy young gfebti' were all that sh’owbd. i

.TESTS ON ANOTHER AREA. , . Mr Hawkes said thlat in January or February the yellow'blight wbuld .a?’rie<ar’ ; !ori leaves ’ririH the 'shriot* wbhild die; The 'whole, plant,' including the roots, Would be ' dead next vftar, .in the light of what had happened in other places. ' ■ ■■■ , f On another area, rieater the city; Mr Ha wires. 1 '; demo<nstratie<d sifiiilar pUoceris.' ,Tkro' 5 yferirs" 'ago ir.fectbd" leaves' were dropped on several large' patches' of blackberry.' Yesterday only a" few stVagglingAand withlefed' sticks 'remained. A horse was grazing where, frirmyCrly, the -grbiwid WaiS-Said 'tb be covered by blackberry.'' Stobk wbuld, of course, help to stamp but 'the growth, «aid! Mr Hawkes, but the 'disease W’dxtlj 3 eradicate it unaided if left to take its course. ' '■; ' : AV’ ‘ - w: d■?

POSITION OF DEPARTMENT. An officer of the Department . of Agriculture, to whom the matter was referred the other day; said that’' iudging by'the description, the 'disease xvais the same one that had been reported to the department from tiriie to' tiine. He persohally recalled a case of whlait apparently was the same disease that occurred in the WAikato about 10 . years ago. Whether or not the plants died’right out on that occasion he did .not know. / ‘-A: .

Ooiribidgrit^xirith. 1 ' thb' '' l ’repoVting -of' blackberry disease, said the' official! _ the deptytmerit feoeivbd' lexers bkp pressing-‘fear *that if ;, diseased : ■ were used as a means' of f efiadiedtion if | might attack ailiigld.commeirjcial plants, such as iogaii berry. Tile departhient' was always keen to test any practicjal ; oossibiiify of eradicating Weeds arid never let a chance. go by

A. botanist to xvhorn speciriiens of affected blackberry were " submitted; sai'd win' > thivg more definite -tijatt-.the speejnm s in their presCnf' state’ would be reinirAr? before-, n.fi opiniori oeuld be expressed on them. It xx’onld' .he necessary to see the plants' xvhen the yellow poxx r der made its appearance- on them.