CINNABAR MOTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 753, 28 August 1929, Page 10

CINNABAR MOTH

— SHORTAGE OF SUPPLY ERADICATION OF RAGWORT (From Our Own Correspondent) TE KUITI, Tuesday. In reply to communications from Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, as to when supplies of the cinnabar moth will be available, the following reply was received: “It is too early to say in what way the distribution of the cinnabar moth eggs will take place this coming summer, as that depends entirely on the amount of material that will be available for that purpose. At the present moment even an approximate forecast is impossible. “Early this year a number of eggs were released in four ragwort areas in New Zealand, and their development and pupation were satisfactory. Whether or not these areas can be used as centres of distribution this season will not be determined till November at the earliest. If establishment has not been entirely satisfactory, all that can be done this season is for supplies of eggs from the Cawthron Institute laboratories to be again liberated in as many selected areas as possible. If, however, as is hoped, supplies will be also available from the present experimental distribution areas, consignments will be distributed as widely as possible, and the exact procedure to be adopted will be published in the daily Press and circulated to farmers’ organisations.”