The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1918. VALUABLE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 October 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1918. VALUABLE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS.

(With which is Incorporated The Tai* hape Post and Walmaiho News)..

There are a few small, inexpensive publications printed at the Government Printing Office and sold throughout the country that deserve very much more attention from people generally than they receive. Foremost amongst them are the “Journal of Agriculture,” and the “Journal of Science and Technology.” In the September issues of each journal new subject matters that must have attention of producers as well as scientists in the coming battle for the van of progress among nations, have been most interestingly and seductively dealt with. Farmers do not seem to realise that the insect world teems with enemies and friends, but being difficult of exhaustive, determinable study friend and enemy are allowed to go on reproducing their kind without check cr care. In the Journal of Agriculture, Mr. David Miller, entomologist, contributes what should be a most valuable article on Hover Flies. Many people, chiefly children, will have noticed a rather large fly, which looks like a very small edition of a bee, only that it seems to have its eyes focussed on something in a rosebush, or a currant bush, or some other similar growth, so stationary is it on the wing, then it will suddenly make a dart to another part of the bush and appear just as absorbed as it had previously been; it darts from one place over which it hovers to another, and this series of hovers seems to be all that its fly life has to do or cares to do. These little insects, known to science as Syrphus flies, are natives of fnis country, but what interests the producing community most is that they are extremely valuable as voracious destroyers of plant lice and other insects which turn to ruin much of the husbandry of man. In his illustrated article Mr. Miller describes the Syrphus fly so clearly that a child could scarcely help, recognising it in life, while It darts here and there amongst his flower bushes. It is a matter of very great importance to successful production that friends of the agriculturalist and horticulturalist should be as well known as the economic plants they cultivate, and it is equally essential to the highest measure of success that Hover flies detrimental to health and even life should be readily distinguishable, and that wellproved measures should he kept in practice for controlling their increase if not for their extinction. The most repulsive and dangerous of the Hover flies is an importation from Europe. Mr. Miller calls it Eristalis tenax, but it was known by the youthful scientist of .forty''-years ago . asEristalis i fera, but memory is not so certain about the genera as about the species. To say it was bee-like (apifera) was wrong, of course, as the Eristalis has but one pair of wings, whereas the bee has two pairs. In earlier days its mode of life, and proclivities, if such they may be called, were not so well known as they are now; the larvae were objects of curiosity as they wriggled about in stagnant puddles of water on the grass lands which field clubs explored. The bee-like fly lays its eggs in slushy, slimy, filthy water, and as the larvae breathe through the tail-like end, the scientific tyro would add water to a puddle around bovine excreta just to see how long the little denizen of filth could extend his tail so that the point reached above water enabling it to breathe. These repulsive things have been recorded as inhabiting the digestive organs of man, hut animals are much more exposed to take up the eggs and larvae than man and hence its danger to all kinds of stock Insectides could be well employed in keeping dowh to the lowest possible minimum the increase of such insect menaces to the life and health of both man and beast. Every farmer 'should have a copy of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture for September and learn from Mr. Miller just which Hover flies are useful and which are the worst of pests, so that they may protect the one and wage unceasing war against the other. The day is dawning when producers will have to know more about the entomological aspect of their industry. Hitherto their science has been spoonfed to ■ them and it is not infrequent that their noses have to be held while the dose is administered. W can fairly state that no similar journal issued in other countries doles out Its science in a more assimilable form. The Government biologist is an enthusiastic indispensable to farmers and the country would he the richer were his articles more generally read and digested. In Mr A. H. Cockayne, this country has a scientist farmers will not know the value of till his servicesare no longer available. The September issue of the Journal of Science and Technology o attracts

particular attention owing to an article on the economic value of the Coprosma (Taupata) family of shrubs in the production of dyes. The article is by Mr. Aston, Chemist to the Department of 'Agriculture, and it goes fully into details of the processes employed in abstracting the valuable dying properties from each variety of Coprosma dealt with. . This family of shrubs is a numerous one and It seems that all are of value for the colouring principle they contain. We have not the space for a lengthy discussion of the subject, and we can only strongly recommend every man, business man and farmer, to see the splendid samples of dyed wool that are issued with the journal. No more beautiful colours for wool and textile fabrics are imaginable; they range from purplish black through shades of reds and browns to a deep, beautiful canary yellow. It is a fact, they need to be seen for it to he believed that Mr. Aston can, ihy the aid of crude means such as a poultry grit .mill, for instance, produce such enchantingly beautiful dyes, out of our New Zealand scrub. As Mr. Aston has notified that he will continue to discuss this dye subject in future issues we would advise searchers after knowledge in economics to get the September issue and so have possession of the samples of dyed wool complete. As a violet dye is mentioned as the product from one of the Coprosmas Mr. Aston may have quite another series of colours to give samples of. New Zealand scientific departments are all they should be, hut the State has not yet made provision for practical applicadtion of its science to production and manufactures. Until steps are taken that will enable or compel assimilation of science that is essential in attaining the greatest measure of success a few studious people only will know that which should be common knowledge and practice in this country’s industrial life. Almost daily one may go into a textile fabric establishment and be regaled and amused with the most unscientific bosh about the economic aspect of the production of the goods on exhibition. This should not be, and the September issue of the Journal of -iScience and Technology will dispel much of the prevalent ignorance on this most important subject.