Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18. 1896. Orchard Peats.

Manawatu Herald, 13 August 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18. 1896. Orchard Peats.

+. We have urged that some law should be passed this session to compel orchardists to keep their trees clean, and it may therefore sound unfair to objeet to the Orchard and Garden Pests Bill introduced by the Hon Mr McKenzie. We have to, however, as the Bill, if carried as printed, will have the effect of eradicating not only orchard pests, but also orchardists. It is a too drastic a measure, resembling the remedy mentioned by a member of the Fruit Conference for the destruction of the codlin moth, viz., the destruction of the whole of one season's apples ! He did not recommend it however. From the fruit experts, assembled at the Conference, we learnt that pest3 are present all over New Zea* land, and will always be ; but the danger could be kept within reason able bounds by care. In the schedule of this Bill "disease" means apple , scab, potato fungus, codlin moth, American blight and vine louse. The moth we admit is a dreaded visitor, but the American blight will be found in nearly all orchards at some time during the year, breaking out quite unexpectedly on the new wood, though the old wood may be perfectly clean. If looked after, this is easily got rid of, but no one can •say when it will not " bob up serenely- -from below." We have drawn attention to this particular blight, as we do not think it should have been placed in the sohedule when the provisions of clause 10 are read. This section makes it imperative on the owner " if at any time it appears to the Inspector that disease exists, or has within the preceding three months existed, 0 to have his orchard gazetted, and then " until the revocation thereof, such place and area shall be deemed to be an infected plaee and area from which no plants shall be removed except under the direction of an Inspector, and within which the owner or occupier shall do all such things a? are necessary, or as the Inspector deems neenssary in order to eradicate or check the spread of the disease." Again, clause 11 " any Inspector may employ such assistants as be deems necessary in carrying out the provisions of the Act, and may pay them such remuneration as the Minister deems reasonable, and the owner or occupier shall pay the same to the Inspector on demand ; and in default of payment, such expenses may be recovered as a debt to the Crown." Clause 10, referring to disease, mentions it as being " on or amongst the plants there growing," but the interpretation clause describes •• plant " as meaning besides trees, &c, also "seeds and fruit." Thus any orchardist having American blight for a portion of the year in his orchard must notify the Government, must pay for the garotting of it, and also all that be

may be ordered to do by a competing fruit-seller, and if tbe harshest means were ordered could be forbidden to sell his fruit. There are two dangers looming ahead, and a reference to the proceedings of the Conference will assist our assprtionn, that experts are not yefc assured df the best way of grappling with the evil, circumstances altering cases so much. The rempdy advisable for damp lanfa not found suitable for dry lands In the question of the strength of solutions, very contradictory evidence was ad« duced. Where experts differ what is thp poor lay man to do ? If he is making an honest attempt to keep his orchard clean, that should be sufficient J but the Bill gives no such loop-hole. That particular Inspector may have a splendid cure of his own which wants pushing, and the likelihood is that he will push it. For tbe codlin moth we are inclined to favour these strong measures, but certainly object to the simple American blight being placed in the same category. We also believe that the fruit experts in this colony are men who have gained their experience as nurserymen, and probably they would hold similar offices under this Bill, therefore we think before they are placed to find out the mote in their brother's eye, they might be questioned as to what they did with the beam (or blight) in their own eye, or orchard. If garden and orchard pests are so universal we hold that these old nurserymen must have had a deal to do with their dissemination, ft i3 an old legal saw " to set a thief to catch a thief," but it is a novelty to pay men to eradicate diseases for the distribution of which they may have had much to do with. We, however, feel sure that the majority of orchardists will strongly object to the disease known as the American blight being included in the schedule to this Bill.