BLACKBERRY PEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 13 January 1926, Page 9

BLACKBERRY PEST.

i SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC. JOVERTY BAY EXPERIMENTS. GOATS FOUND VERY USEFUL. • (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, this day. J An interesting account of the experiI mental work which is being carried out I i.ffairoa in connection with the eradiI Jition of the blackberry was given to-day 1 ullr. E. F. Northcroft, officer in charge J f the work. The whole of the work is f concentrated in Poverty Bay the GovI Lment having acquired a small infested I £ fl a t Wairoa, where all practical work I is being done. I Bealising that varying conditions of J dimate and soil probably played their I "nart in the s P reatl of tlle blackberry, it I tfiß decided to get plots in other parts of I xjj c district and test out specifics under 1 different conditions. Six plots, widely I icattered over Poverty Bay, have been I obtained, and assistants are engaged in I c&rrying out experiments under the supervision of Mr. Northcroft. The results of these experiments are beftfe tabulated, and it is hoped that by experimenting over a fairly lengthy peribd it will be possible to come to definite conclusions regarding control. many of the experiments at Ttffdroa have been attended by good reI mite, it cannot be said that any eradi--9 cator has been found so far. The DeH partment is naturally anxious to disI cover some specific which will completely I eradicate the weed, but, even if no such 1 ftici£c is found, the experiment will be J useful in demonstrating the best methods J of keeping the blackberry under control. I One unusual feature of the work is 1 that bo far only one application has been I; .received for the Government bonus of I £10,000 offered for a blackberry eradiI c»tpr., This "specific" is now being I " tested at Wairoa, and it is understood I that a Gisborne resident has also made a I "specific," which will be tested later. I Goats are also being tried out at Wairoa, I |fld these have been found very useful I in keeping lightly-infested areas under I control.