The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-06-19
FRUITFLY CONTROL
IContinued FROM PAGE NineI

, produce results IN proportion 10 the
/ amount expended. To great ex.
; tent this has already been manifest
to proficient and unprecedented invest.
gators. Such mechanical work when
performed by all in a proper spirit
of cooperation can do no more than
/ PARTIALLY control this pest.
Absolute Eradication impossible.
In a tropical country like ours the
su-called eradication or determination
Of such a pest as Mediterranean fruit.
/ fly by mortal man is not possible
| That it has been in measure con
/ trolled or lessened in numbers by
climatic conditions and artificial
methods in other parts of the world
| IS fairly well accepted, but such
/ countries as have recorded these
/ facts practically all have their fruits
growing in orchards on commercial
/ scale and again some of them have a
! mild winter frost which occasionally
checks the pest Few places have q
similar environment and tropical jun
sic Of fruits all the year round as we
have at our back doors To a more
or less extent very good results
should obtain here, provided tne
same unity and cooperation existed
amongst all our residents as occurs
in other places where large CONNER
ciul interests are at stake. The point
was raised by me early in the cam
paign as to the desirS bility of expend.
ms such a comparatively small APP
preparation as that which we are
working with and then expecting
great resu is in view Of local econom.
ic conditions, not only on this is.
lana, but also on others in the group
We have few fruits of commercial i'm.
portance other than the banana and
pineapple, and these latter, under nat.
ural conditions, are so far not at.
tacieo by the fruithy. When it is con.
sidered that artificial methods of CON
troll such as clean culture, spraying,
etc, means a continuity of immense
appropriations, are not some people
expecting too great results all at once
. from comparatively small fund ?
Even the $4,000 which it appears Con-
gress will eventually appropriate to
assist in this campaign will be but
a drop in the bucket considering the
scattered jungles of fruit trees in Ho.
nolulu and vicinity and the wild and
mountainous expenses of territory here
and on all the islands. These large
areas not only have the guava and
mountain apple on the slopes and in
the valleys, but also fleshy eeds of
Indigenous trees, most of which latter
are just as susceptible or adaptable
to the pest as is the kamani and cof
fee berry of the lower lands, two OF
the most infected fruits growing in
The Territory. However, as before
stated, results as to artificial methods
of control in any one region will be in
proportion to the amount continuously
appropriated for the work, provided
that the after is conducted under the
we'll accepted methods of other coun-
tries and that unity and cooperation
are at al possible.
Parasite Only Hope.
The only hope | have, as has been
repeatedly stated in previous reports,
is in the discovery of 2 specific para
site. To find, introduce and success
fully establish such Z parasite would be
worth the best part of any one large
appropriation which eithet ills Ter
ritory or Congress would set aside for
clean Gu ture methods. With the sue.
cessful establishment of such bene-
fetal niect, natures methods would
accomplish much more in e general
ever expect by the usual artificial
methods, more particularly if both of
these were combined in a systematic
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 fruitfiy is known
to nave its habitat in exceedingly
small numbers. Such work, to be sue
cessful from a scientific and economic
standpoint, should only be undertaken
by entomologists of the highest order
and who have previous experiences in
successful work of a similar nature.
In DR.. Siivestri, who is all eady pre-
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 para
site of tho Mediterran AN fruit
fly. If later on funds are available
| believe it would be money we'll spent
to assist this research work by the
addition Of anothar anualIv pOOd aponO-