Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-06-19
FRUIT.FLY WORK losing UNLESS
CITIZENS SHOW COOPERATION

ing a fine host" for the fly pest. Sew
eral more carts to haul away the fruit
and burn II are necessary, he thinks.
He dwells at length on these condi.
lions which II Is declared every house
holder and everyone with fruit In the
yard should take to heart.
Referring to the fruit.ny work in
General, so far as the result OF the
campaign Is concerned, he says:
THE only hope | have, as has been
repeatedly stated In previous reports,
Is in the discovery of specific para.
site. To find. introduce aud success.
fully establish such parasite would
be worth the best part 81 any one
large appropriation which either this
Territory or Congress would set aside
for clcan-culture methods. with the
successful establishment of such a
beneficial insect, natures methods
would accomplish much more in n
general way of perfect control than
we can ever expect by the usual arti.
fetal methods, more particularly II
both of these were combined in sys
tematic and scientific manner. To
this end every effort should be made
to push the chronological research
work in suitable tropical countries
where this particular species of fruit
I fly Is known to have its habitat in OK.
ceedingly small numbers. Such work,
to be successful from a scientific and
economic standpoint, should only be
undertaken by entOmologists of the
| highest order and who have had pre-.
vious experience in successful work of
a similar nature.
I'm Dr.. Silvestri, who Is already pre-.
I pairing for the field, we have one OF
these men and the very best authori.
| ties indicate tropical West Africa
where he is going) as the most suit.
able place to explore for a parasite OF
the Mediterranean fruit fly. If later
on funds are available, | believe II
would be money well spent to assist
this research work by the addition OF
another equally good economic ento
mologist and have him sent to another
section of Africa where the fruit fly
IL not known to be pest but exists
only In small numbers. u IL quite pos
sible that in such q locality the ny Is
being controlled by either a parasitic
or predaceous enemy, either of which
might be found to some extent suit
able to our requirements. OF course
such parasitic research work (partic
ularly that of the Mediterranean fruit
iy) Is altogether problematical as tC
results, but the Territory has already
succeeded on similar lines under pri
Vate organization and there Is no rea
son why. under Government auspices
and with sufficient funds, proportion
|, ate amount of success should not b,
obtained. In any case it would be set
tied once and for all whether future
search for such parasite was to b,
negative In results. The success o.
such work to very great extent de
/ pends on the selection of the entomol
ogists, not only for the field work, bu
|, also as to those who handle the ma
I terial after II arrives safely at its des
4 tinatiOn. For obvious reasons onl,
the most experienced of men In Thu
class of special work should be allow
Il ed to handle such material.
: "Since my last report have receiv
n ed a communication from the Chief o
the Bureau of Entomology at Wash
a ington. ID. G., in which he informs m
!. that the Congressional appropriation
, to assist the Territory in the fruit.h
campaign has passed both Houses an
would eventually find its way to tn
President for signature. II signed, tn
appropriation will become availabl
on July LIST and will, of course, be eS
pended under the direction OF the FED
Cral Bureau. The Chief Entomologis
DR.. l.. o. Howard, in asking for co.ol
Grafton and advice, states that he ha
engaged a DR.. Back to direct the e'
penditure and that the gentlema
would In all probability be in Hone
lulu early in July. After the arriya
OF DR.. Back, the Board will co.operat
with the Federal department in e.
tending the work which will no doul
be possible with the larger sum avail
able. II goes without saying that ID
Back will also have 10 undertake wOr