Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-28
LOOKING FOR AN INSECT
Long Journey to Find Enemy
of Queensland Fruit Fly.
THE QUEST OF A CALIFORNIAN.

and Vineyards of the world, Hunt
ing For "A Bug That VIII Prey Upoa
the Australian Pest.
Because a fly, in advance of as terri
bly, devastating an army Of insects az
ever set its plague hold upon a fertile
land. came in an evil hour to Austria
liza, George Compere of California has
started around the world to nrB tie in
sect that prcys upon the destroyer. says
the san Francisco Examiner.
Every insect las its particular
enemy. AIr. Compere viii continue to
search, with magnifying glass in hand,
until he finds the specimen for which
he Is sent. His success affords the only
hope of salvation for Australia's fruit
growers. He VIII carry the search, If
necessary, into every portion Of the
globe where an insect can thrive. lie
has been employed by the Australian
government TO perform this singular
errand.
En- route Mr.. Compere stopped long
enough In San Francisco to thoroughly
~acquaint the board of horticulture with
the new danger which demands their
zeal.
IF one of these flies should come to
California" said Mr.. Compere with
simple -earnestness, "the consequences
might be fatal to the fruit industry
here for all time to come"
These words were not idly spoken,
for Mr.. Compere is a careful, conserv-
alive man, who, realizing the power Of
the pest whose humiliation depends
upon his %endeavors, is gravely appre-
hensive for the safety of the state.
With farseeing eyes he behokds the pic
ture of desolation that our fair land
would present were the dreaded fly to
reach California before he finds its an
%tagonist.
This warning has been needed. Sen
tlnels at the orchard outposts of Cali
fornia are watching with the utmost
vigilance every sort of craft that sails
from the a%ntipodes through the Golden
Gate. These sentinels are the members
Of the board, and down at the docks
they guard the states splendid or
chards from chance invasion by the
worst enemy that could enter their do
main. This enemy is the Queensland
fly.
For many miles around Queensland
the farmers have been burning their
beautiful trees and sadly setting them
selves to the only task they may now
venture upon without ruin to them
selves. They are either converting their
acres to pasture land or blowing and
planting TO reap such products as
wheat and barley in place of the fruits
that were their pride and their means
of maintenance until a fly came to
Queensland on a vessel from the Med
i%terranean.
The Queensland fruit fly cannot be
fought by the ordinary methods Of
spraying, rs ii does not itself eat the
fruit, but pierces through the skin and
deposits eggs that, developing into lar
var, eat their way through the solid
flesh of the fruit, ecure from all
sprays, washes and fumigations except
such as would destroy the crop entire
ly. No means of checking the fly has
ever been known. and that is why
George Compere is going around the
world in such a hurry.
Mr.. Compere makes the interesting
statement that nothing is a pest in its
own native country, because there will
be found in that place its natural enc
my which will hold it in check. When
a destructive bug succeeds in escaping
from its home and getting to some 9th
er country. il so thrives and multiplies
that it loon eats up and destroys ala OF
the material upon which it feeds. and
If that happens to be anything like
fruit the damage is incalculable. But
If the country where the pest started
can be found there also will be discov-
cred some sort of an enemy which will
destroy it. As a rule the beneficial in
sect is never found in any place where
the pest is reported, else the offenders
would not be numerous enough 10 be
classed us pests.
At present the orchards of Queens
land are useless. and fruit is Il thing Of
the past. Hawaii has also been invad-
ed by a similar lily, and now there is
nothing to protect California but the
vlEilant quarantine maintained 10y the
board OF horticulture. Every avenue is
being watched, for railroads and ex-
press companies realize that the adj
vent of the fly would mean ruin to the
state and@to their business. So agents
everywhere refuse to deliver TO con-
signees any fruit, growing trees or
shrubs unless the same have first been
inspected by the quarantine officer Of
the board.
Mr.. Compere is of course working
primarily in the interest of the govern
ment of Australia, but his discoveries
will benefit the whole world.
The Queensland fruit fly is of n yen