Re: Monterey Pine

K1MIZE@aol.com wrote:
> 
> This is just a note in way of explanation to someone (Moira?) who wrote about
> Monterey pine's apparent fragility in its native habitat.  This comes from the
> July 1998 issue of Fremontia, the journal of the California Native Plant
> Society (snip)

Hi Kurt
I am way behind with my mail, but I wanted you to know I read this
account with great interest. What amazes me is that we ever managed to
import these pines into NZ without a single one of the diseases which
menace their survival in their native haunts. I wonder how long we can
sustain this desirable state of affairs.

Our Government agencies are very twitchy at the possibility of any
threat to rhis important area of our economy. A couple of years ago a
few individuals of a tussock moth (which might have attacked our
forests) were found in the suburbs of Auckland and a massive (and
ultimately successful) campaign  was initiated to stop their spread. 
The main thrust was a protracted series of sprayings with Bt over the
greater part of the city (For which special aircraft were borrowed from
Canada). I happened to be visiting friends in the area at the time and
we quickly got used to the early morning spray run passing low over our
heads. This went on sporadicly for a month or two, followed by ground
spraying, but it was a good year or more later before they were able to
claim success.

One wonders if they could spot a fungus invasion so early and how much
success they would be likely to have containing it.

We have so many endangered species of our own, both animal and plant
that we can readily sympathise with the fight to save the Monteray pine
in its native haunts. You mention the island where they have been eaten
out by goats. We have one island, which was fortunately visited just in
time, where two of our rarest plants were down to just one individual
because of these pests (I mean there was only one plant left in the
_world_ of each of these). Fortunately, in both cases it has been
possible to rescue them by urgent propagation and one, Tecomanthe
speciosa, has proved to be a real treasure for gardeners - a most
magnificent vine with wonderful dark green foliage and showy creamy
flowers. How easily it could have pased out of existence and never be
known to us. Those old sailors have a good deal to answer for.

Moira
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand
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