ORCHARD PESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 8 July 1907, Page 2

ORCHARD PESTS.

A AVUKD 01' \VAKNI2sU. Mr A. Ci. tSims, uf the siuil' of the divibiuji uf liiology' and Horticulture in tlio Agricultural Department, and an inspector under tile Orchard and Garden iVsts Act, I'JtXi, is in >iew Plymouth aL present, principally in connection with tho Act just quoted, in conversation with a News reporter on Saturday, V,y Sims the Government intended that tJiis Act should be rigidly enfore-j,l. He will forthwith visit the orchards in the district, and serve notices on owners whu lutve not complied with the ActThe iuspector stated that it was necessary fur every orchard-owner to properly spray the trees, with the view to eradicating disease and as far as possible preventing its spread. The principal and most common posts in the colony, lie said, were American blight aud the codliu moth. The spr.» ;l .i of both of these can be minimised by spraying at the proper season; and «*jc proper reason fur spraying the tive.s for Ihe sse.ily and woolly blights is now. .Should the owner or occupier fail to take remedial steps as ordered by the Inspector, prosecutions will follow. The Department has instructed the Inspectors that people have had ample opportunity to make themselves acquainted with tne Act, and that it must now Iv brought into operation. Mauy of the orchards in this district are very small, scarcely deserving the name of orchards. Small plantations of apples, a few gooseberries, pern-ins a peach tree or a quince tree, comprise our orchards, or the majority of them. The owners take little or no interest in them except when the fruit is ready for gathering, aud in many cases take absolutely no precautions against disease. There are other people who pay great attention to fruit. Their trsss arc kept properly pruned and (ended, aud every care is taken to prevent inroads from disease. Their eltorts are unavailing if there happens to be within easy distance one of the neglected places before referred to. The ill-kept orchard •icts as a breeding ground for all manner of pests, and the wind carries the infection abroad. It is on account of this too common neglect that the local fruit id of such poor quality on the whole. And in the interests of Ihe industrious orehardist and fruitgrower the Government in IDO3 placed the Orchard and Uarden i'ests Act upon toe statute liook. The Act goes further than merely inspecting orchards. Power is ariveu to inspect imoorted fruit, -md

m gucu 10 inject imported mui, -ana ti> prevent it being passed into consumption if not free from disease; and to prohibit the bringing into New Zealand any specified plant, fruit, fungus, parasite, insect or other tiling that is diseased 6r. likely to spread disease. The. necessity lor keeping down irviir pests is everywhere recognised, and no doubt i\lr Sims will have the co-opera-tion of all growers. .Mr \V. A. Houcher, lue government Nomologist who decently visited California to oiujulro into matters pcruiining io the fruit industry 'in thai State, says in his report to the Department:— "In the matter of legislation against the introduction and dissemination j.f the pests and diseases that attack ptuit life, California has always taken a lend, and set an example Uiat all countries which attach a real value to their fruit industry would do well to follow. It is true that California, like most other countries, unwittingly did not realise at first how important the fruit industry would become, or how seriously tile introduction of fruit-tree pests and diseases would affect its future, Befoie adequate legislation was passed mid enforced, anxiety to te*t every class of fruit that the world resulted in the introduction of many insect pests and diseases, which now cost tUe growers many thousands of pounds anjniiiNy to keep under control. Now, however, the industry is not only protected against ih' 1 introduction of pests and diseases from outside sourceb by thorough inspection uf all imported trees, plants, or fruits, and the appli« cation of stringent measure; in cas? of infection, bui every care is taken to prevent the dissemination of ;>;-sVs from nurseries or from one part of a.* State to {mother: but there is on-" p. 1 - 1 * with regard to the possible introduction el which the State Board will not accent the smallest possible risk, and that is the I ruit-11 The possible introduction »f su<'h a pest is so luuth dreaded that •ihc importation of any fruit of any kind from any eouutry where any s|k--i-jes of frnit-lly is known to exist j» absolutely prohibited.' The necessity for

si'li'-pi'dlciiiun against insect posts «"d plant viruses is now w well rm>j;MN-d tiia.l neither Jlparniu'iitill uJlicuvri nor fniil-growers wlki have had experience with lib' rn\-a;j;r> of any t,i'uul>le.some pc-t iccl inclined ill any way to bliun:nliieer- <>r fruitgrower* o! lllolhci' 0011 11trv r l l exercising every precaution U) 1:1*1 |i Micii a peril out; indeed, it i» the other w.iy about, admiration and np- ! being expressed for the vigilance ihtil i» now so accessary to protect horticultural industries in an adequate mil nncr." Mr Sims gave some interesting informal ion concerning the Australian fruit lly. which lie says is absolutely the worst pest ihai has ever lieen introduced into the country. The eggs are laid just under the surface of the fruit, and tiic pest is not at all particular us to what kind of' fruit il selects as a depository for the larvae. Apples, p'\V I che-.. plum:-, pears, everything Iml lemons are lialile to its depredations.