INSECT PESTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1938, Page 5

INSECT PESTS

REPLIES TO WAIRARAPA REPRESENTATIONS WHITE BUTTERFLY AND DIAMOND BACK MOTH At the last meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, grave concern was expressed by members at the havoc wrought among root crops by the white butterfly and the Diamond Back moth, and it was decided to place the position before the Cawthron Institute, the Department of Agriculture, the Prime Minister and the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Replies were received to the letters at yesterday’s meeting of the Masterton branch of the Union. “Climatic conditions apparently have been very favourable for the development of white butterfly and the diamond back moth,” stated the Director of the Cawthron Institute. “In regard to the white butterfly,” he added, “it appears, from a survey made in the Manawatu district, that the parasite is catching up on, the butterfly, and that probably by the end of the present season few chrysalids of the white butterfly will remain unparasited. Dr Miller assures me that the position in the Wairarapa is now under investigation and that an officer is at present making a survey of the position in regard to the white butterfly and the diamond back moth.” The assistant secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union wrote stating that Dr D. Miller, chief entomologist, had said that everything possible was being done to increase the parasites for the white butterfly, but owing to the humid conditions they were not able to multiply. In the matter of the diamond back moth, the letter confined, the question was raised as to which was the more destructive on root crops, the white butterfly or the diamond back moth, and Dr Miller was most emphatic that the diamond back moth was the more destructive and was the more serious menace of the two. Dr Miller further stated that they did not have a parasite for the moth, but they were investigating it and thought they were on the way to getting a parasite to deal with the moth. Both the Department and the Institute were wide awake to the urgency of the question. In the course of his reply, Mr A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, stated that he had called for a report on the prevalence of the white butterfly and the diamond back moth, with particular reference to the damage that was being done by the insects to Wairarapa crops. When that report was received the matter would be gone further into with a view to seeing whether any steps could be taken to reduce the pests. The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, acknowledged receipt of the Executive’s remit and gave an assurance that it would receive the fullest consideration.