THE PRICKLY PEAR PEST. 
be an appreciable amount per acre, but much less than the value of the land; 
whilst scattered infestation would apply to parts where there were only one 
or two plants of prickly pear to an acre or perhaps a square mile, and the 
cost of eradication would be very small per acre. 
It would be necessary before notification could be required to define more 
clearly these various types of pear country, so as to afford a guide to land- 
holders in describing the infestation on their property. The basis for such 
definition could rest either on the amount of land surface covered by prickly 
pear, which would be suitable for the higher grade of infestation, or on the 
number of plants per acre which would apply to the lower grades. Another 
feature for consideration would, of course, be the big variations in the degree 
of infestation within quite a limited area. The main object of the notification 
would be to ascertain the limits of the pear-infested country, and especially of 
those parts where prickly pear is only just appearing. Where the prickly 
Photo., Dept. Agriculture, Brisbane. 
Flowers and developing fruit of the Spiny Pest Pear, from Gracemere. 
pear infestation is scattered it could be no hardship to any one, and it is an 
absolute necessity. in the interests of all, to have that pear eradicated before it 
extends further. The owners of land have under this suggestion an opportunity 
of describing the degree of infestation on their property, and on those places 
in which the infestation is described as scattered should then be required, under 
reasonable conditions, to eliminate the pear from these parts. Supposing, to 
avoid this requirement, the land was classified as belonging to a higher scale 
of infestation, this could be covered by later inspection, when, if it was shown 
that a deliberate mistake had been made in making the return, measures might 
be taken to deal with the matter according to the circumstances of the case. 
Supposing by inspection prickly pear is found on property in scattered amounts, 
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