THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1909. NECESSITY FOR COOPERATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9645, 10 November 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1909. NECESSITY FOR COOPERATION.

The need of a more thorough and closer investigation into the most effective method of dealing with agricultural and garden pests, and the small bird nuisance in New Zealand is very evident. That these pests are on the increase there is little doubt, and until a more serious view is taken of the'question as a whole the prospects of successful mitigation will be very remote indeed. What is wanted is a Conference representatives of every industry in New Zealand that is seriously affected by pests. We venture to predict that if this were done more good would be accomplished as a result of the first sitting, than has been effected for the past few years, under the existing system. An instance, although in a small degree, of the value of cooperation in regard to the subject under discussion happened only recently, when the representatives of the Fruitgrowers' Conference and the Acclimatisation Societies Association urged successfully the permission to import the little German grey owl as an antidote t) the small bird nuisance. This was only one small detail tnat had to be considered by the Conferences, and it only goes to show that if they were able to successfully achieve this result, how much more a separate conference, with no other question but that of pests to investigat', could accomplish. The New Zealand Agricultural and Pastoral Associations' Conference has probably probed deeper into the subject than many other in- , stitutions. It is on this account that we would like to see a Conference inaugurated to meet at the same time as the Agricultrual Conference, when the whole question could be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. The fact that damage to the extent of many thousands of pounds is done to the various crops in the Dominion through the ravages of pests is alone worth a closes.' study, as also is the desirability of importing insectivorous birds. We should like to see (he Masterton A. and P. Association make a move in the matter, as it would cettainly be a step in the right diriction.