CALIFORNIAN THISTLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 124, 7 March 1930, Page 2

CALIFORNIAN THISTLE

USE OF SODIUM CHLORATE. (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. A new method of dealing with Californian thistles is being tried in Canterbury by j the Department of Agriculture, and with promising results. Sodium chlorate, which has killed ragwort at sue application in the North Island, is now being tested on Californian thistles Tor the first time. Mr R. MeGilliyray (Fields Superintendent, Department of Agriculture) stated yesterday that sodium chlorate had been tried on two patches of Californian thistle in the Kaiapoi district. The results, while not by any means successful, were encouraging. It was intended to treat the area again this week, as it was thought that, with a plant having a root development of the nature of the Californian thistle, more than one application would be necessary to. ensure success. If the treatment were a success, the chlorate would be put on the market next year. It had the advantage of being nonpoisonous, .and did not injure grass to any extent when applied. In the case of ragwort, one application was com- 1 pletely successful, as the plant had died down and withered right down in the root. The sodium chlorate could be applied either in dry fojrm or as a spray of lib of chlorate to two galloos of water. Asked what the cost of treatment with chlorate would be, Mr McGillivray said that that aspect had not been studied in detail yet. He was of opinion, however, that the cost would not be unreasonably *■