DISEASED FRUIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 11

DISEASED FRUIT.

It may be admitted that the provisions of the. Orchards and Garden Pests Act, in so far 'as they aim at the eradication of disease in fruit, are of an exceedingly drastic .kind. It is difficult to conjseive, however, that~ otherwise they would be of much value. In any case it is .a belated opposition which is now* ibeingNsxpressed to the penal clauses of the enactment. If there is anything peculiarly oppressive in -.the .terms of these' clauses,' obviously "it v was/ when .the measure was under consideration an 'Parliament • that the fruit-growers should have raised their voices in protest. But it may be hoped that, when they reflect upon the matter, those who now feel themselves aggrieved ~ov«r the determination of ■ the Department of "Agriculture to enforce- the penal clauses will recognise that a strict "'administration of the law will be in the eventual interests of those who .are' engaged in ' the fruit-growing industry .v The Chief Biologist has explained as the cause, of the present "activity of the 1 Department that, as a great deal of mctoey has been invested in orchard properties it would be,ruinous-to allow, such a pest as the Mediterranean" fruit fly, which is appar- J ently also known as the West Australian fruit fly, to establish itself here. And the information ~on the subject which has been collected by the Department certainly lends strong support to the view that it is worth a little self-sacri-fice at the present time. to. rid the country., of this pest. I It was appar- ' ~ea^tly as a result of just such a relaxa-^ 'tion. of- the regulations as those who are Taow- .'raising objections to "-the enforcement' of; the ' law would have "the" "Government grant that the Mcdi- " terretnearv, fruit - fly-, was imported- into KewT- Zealand." , In. October, 1906,' a -large" consignment ' .of fruity containing _ the fly in one of its ; <embryb stages was distributed from , Auckland throughout various parts of the Dominion. As' soon as the presence of the pest was discovered .in the : shipment energetic -efforts were- made , by^ departmental j official's to trace the, fruit to its various ; destinations./ Naturally, however, these efforts were- not entirely successful, and*" small quantities went into consumption, with ,>the result -that the infested fruits ,wefe thrown' away by householders. Latei-i on in . the season the issue was ; seen in theiappearance of. Mediterranean ) fruit flieS '.breeding in' peacKesi' in several" small gardens at Napier, -and in their breeding in both peaches and tomatoes near Blenheim." Once more^the services •of the^ officers of the. were called into requisition, this time to subject r the':-gardens affected to'appropriate: treatment with, the, view of having the * pest controlled ; but seeing that .. these flies are' .established inyat least four the States of Australia it is •apparent. that there must he constant vigilance exercised by the Department 'air, order' to protect as far as possible the , orchardists in New Zealand, the , more especially since, as the Chief , Biologist believes, the establishment of . the pest ,in this country will mean the , ruin .of the s^one fruit industry in the ! North Island. Jn the circumstances, j the Department is to be commended , ■upon its determination "to enforce the law. 'It should, in fact, be a sine qua | non, though too frequently it is not in New Zealand, that when a law is passed it should Tbe enforced.