RAGWORT PEST.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19971, 4 July 1930, Page 20

RAGWORT PEST.

SPRAYING WITH SODIUM CHLORATE. MANY ORDERS FOR PUMPS. It is estimated that at least eight thousand farmers in New Zealand will be spraying to kill the ragwort pest during the coming spring, largely as the result of the demonstration given by Mr J. W. Deem, Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agricul ture in Taranaki, recently. Mr Doom then proved conclusively to the seven hundred farmers who attended* the demonstration that ragwort could be killed by spraying with a Solution of sodium chlorate. A Christchurch firm has been deluged with orders for knapsack spray pumps, principally for the Taranaki district. "The demand has come all in a rush," said Mr 8. Holland, one of the principals of the firm, yesterday. We have had to treble our staff, and aro working overtime. Where we used to make about fifty of this type of pump in a year, we are now making the same number in a week. If we don't get another order, we have enough work to last us till Christmas." Mr Holland attributed the unprecedented demand for pumps to the sue cess of the demonstration in Taranaki. Ragwort was very bad in that province, but in the Waikato and through tho North Island generally it grew in abundance. There was almost as much

ragwort in Southland, but ho had received no orders for pumps from there. Thirty Demonstrators. The fact that ragwort could be controlled seemed to have nomo home to farmers all at once. The Agricultural Department intended to put on thirty demonstrators to show how the pest should be treated, and pumps for them had already been ordered. The retail cost of the pump was about £4, and it weighed fourteen pounds empty. The best time to spray with sodium chlorate was in the early spring. The spray was practically harmless to stock, while it actually benefited the grass. In the North ragwort was a very serious pest. Mr Holland said he had been told by agricultural experts that when sheep who had been feeding on it were moved to fresh grass many of them died. The poison in the plant to dry up the livers of sheep. Moreover, it spoilt pastures, and was even a bigger nuisance to the North Island farmer than was Californian thistle to the Canterbury farmer. Californian Thistle. The amount of ragwort in Canterbury is not great, but here spraying with sodium chlorate assumes a fresh significance, for it may provo the means of eradication of Californian thistle. The results of the trials of Lincoln College in this connexion show that they have obtained an 80 per cent, kill with this spray, but that continued treatment seems to bo necessary for completo eradication. Otago and Southland, however, have the ragwort to combat, and Mr Holland considers that once tho success of the treatment known farmers all over New Zealand who aro troubled by ragwort will resort to spraying.

Price of Sodium Chlorate. He understood that 110 supplies of sodium chlorate would be arriving in New Zealand until August. Enquiries made from some of the Christchurch mpreh."nts showed that they had little in stock. According to the representative oi. one firm, there had been a brisk demand for the product in the autumn, and they had then sold all they had. Another merchant said he bad handled only one-quarter of a ton of sodium chlorate, and this had been all for one client. It appeared, however, that the demand was going to increase, but he did not think there would be any arriving in New Zealand for some time. One big firm with branches all over' New Zealand sells the product at from fivepence to sevenpence per pound, according to the quantity ordered. Another firm quoted it at sevenpence, but it was stated that it had not been sold in Christchurch at anything like Is 6d a pound, which was the price that mem bers in the House this week complained that some North Island merchants were charging.