858 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



orange and lemuii orchards have beeu treated by means of the cyanide 

 gas, the tent being available to those applying for it. Owing, how- 

 ever, to the capricious changes in our climate, the results have not 

 always been qnite satisfactory. 



The necessity for dipping, i.e., scalding, used fruit-cases appears to 

 be plainer than ever, as it is largely through the agency of these cases 

 that the grubs of the codlin moth are distributed. The matter is 

 under immediate consideration, the trouble being in working out a 

 scheme for the proper treatment of a large number of cases with a 

 minimum of inconvenience to the grower. Dipping the cases is of 

 the greatest importance, but on a large scale extremely difficult, for 

 the reasons before stated, to carry out in a practical manner. We 

 hope shortly to be able to solve this question. 



Miscellaneous Insect and Bird Troubles. 



The grasshopper pest having been successfully tackled, it remains 

 for this branch to devise some practical means for the suppression of 

 the caterpillar plague so much dreaded b}^ the farming community. 

 These caterpillars, several kinds, have been treated in both book and 

 pamphlet form. The trench system on large areas, and the food 

 poisoning by means of arsenic, bran and treacle for small buildings 

 have been tested and found to be quite satisfactory. 



With regard to the probable introduction of " fruit flies," there 

 appears to be a grave and increasing danger, no less than 14 larvae 

 of the Mediterranean fruit-fly having been found in one Mandarin 

 orange taken from one lot, which was promptly condemned. This 

 consignment had been sent from Maryborough (Queensland) and had 

 not been fumigated, and if it had been so treated the results would 

 probably have been the same, as the cyanide would be unlikely to 

 affect grubs inside any fruit. 



Whilst on the subject of the fruit-flies especially, I desire to point 

 out that the inspection here is as perfect as circumstances will permit, 

 but that the said inspection will keep out the fruit-flies, the enemy to 

 fruitgrowers most of all to be dreaded, is impossible, and I take this 

 opportunity on behalf of myself and staff to point out this fact to the 

 Department and to the fruit-growers of this State. There is but one 

 of two evils, either to prohibit all citrus fruits and bananas, in fact 

 all soft fruits, from certain outside sources, or to take the risk of 

 introducing these pests into our State, and as I mentioned previously, 

 this matter is of the gravest importance and should have the best 

 consideration of all concerned. As showing the importance of our 

 banana and orange imports, it may be mentioned that during the 

 past year the value of the former was no less a sum than £81,700, 

 and of the latter £68,000, this being the lowest estimated value. 



The arrival of an enormous quantity of rice, 130,586 sacks, badly 

 infested with the larvae of the " dried-flour moth " (Epliestia kuhi- 

 nellaj , has given us some concern, but as this rice is to be converted 

 into starch we have allowed it to be treated under our supervision. 



