FIREBLIGHT MENACE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 255, 27 July 1927, Page 14

FIREBLIGHT MENACE

DESTRUCTION OF HAWTHORN HEDGES MANAWATU FARMERS PROTEST , DEPUTATION TO MINISTER Tlie problem-of the fireblight menace to orchardists was discussed at a meeting between the Minister of Agriculture (Hou. O. J. Hawken) and a deputation of farmers from the Manawatu district, who made a protest against being compelled to destroy all hawthorn hedges within a five-mile radius of Palmerston North, on the ground of the great expense and the loss of shelter for their stock involved. The deputation comprised Messrs. I). Buchanan, K. I). Knight, D. Collis, J. Knight, H. Lovelock, W. J. Young, and W. G. Shannon. Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P. (.Palmerston North) in introducing the deputation, said that orders had been served by the Agricultural Department upon farmers within a radius of seven miles of Palmerston North Post Office, giving them three weeks’ notice to eradicate all their hawthorn hedges. This .was a very drastic notice, and it was an utter impossibility to comply with it. To do what the Department suggested the hedges would have to be cut down, and the roots grubbed out, otherwise the hawthorn, would grow again. The townspeople had no kick against the order, and they would destroy all the hedges in the town. The farmers, on tne other hand, would bo affected very seriously. The milking season was just starting, and the dairy farmers required shelter for their cows from now on for the next three or four months. They were relying on shelter that had been growing for many years, and had been told that they must remove it instantly. Ho quoted from letters from two fanners each of whom said no would bo faced with a loss of .£5OO. One said the cost of eradicating the hawthorn and erecting other ifences would bo <£loo. His was a farm of 39 acres, and if he received no compensation would have to walk off. Mr. Nash said there were so many cases where hardship would be inflicted upon farmers that the matter required very serious consideration before any action was taken. He recognised that the orchardists must be protected, but they should meet the farmers in a reasonable way and give them, say, five years in which to remove the hawthorn and replant other shelter trees for their stock. Mr. J. Linklater, M.P. (Manawatu) said ho fully agreed that the matter was of very great importance to farmers in the Manawatu district. If the hedges round, their fields had.to.be destroyed they would be faced with great expense in rei'encing. Blights were attacking bluegums, pines and other trees and the loss of shelter, was a serious matter. Was there any guarantee th it. the destruction of hawthorn hedges would pr? v ®nt the infection of orchards by fircblight? The Minister of Agriculture. Hawthorn hedges are undoubtedly camels of fircblight. ~ Mr. J. G. Eliott, M.P. (Oroua), said he thoroughly endorsed the remarks of his fellow members. This was not the time to creaot an imposition on farmers who were “right up against it. Lua department’s order would impose undue hardship on farmers. Mr.. \\. JYoung, a farmer in the district had seven miles of hawthorn hedges on his land and he would lie faced with great expense if he had to destroy them an erect new fences. Mr. B. D. Knight, (a member of the deputation): I’ve got 131 chains of hawthorn hedges and if I nave got to.pull them un. I’ll let you have my farm. It waP pointed out that the order applied to a radius of five miles from the Post Office, and that therefore Messrs. Young and Knight and several others were not affected. . Mr. D. Buchanan, another member or tho deputation, said hawthorn could not bo eradicated if it were merely cut down. The “suckers” would grow and I °TIS lUnhlln It r™ SiVttaMh. l *Mr! C <PShannon: I 'Vfe I’ve been trying to get rid ' of : years, and haven’t been able to do it. Mr. D. Collis said a very great hardship would be imposed if all hawthorn hedges had to be taken, out. Famers should receive compensation to pay for the erection of new fences. The Minister said the positron was «. serious one, and the Orchardists Act was one of the’most difficult that he had to administer. There was a direct conflict between two types of farmers. He bad been through the trouble and seen the same sort of thihg elsewhere. Mr. J. A. Campbell, Director ofl the Horticultural Division of the Decrement of' Agriculture s . atd nlayod a very important pait in the spread of fircblight, which was a most serious disease as far as the fruitgrowers were concerned. To combat the spread of tlie disease, specific fruit areas had been proclaimed covering the proeent mcharels and the. future, develop meat of commercial fruit growings. Outvie those areas farmers were to grow hawthorn, but inside them i must Iw destroyed when r «? uir ® d ’ . Replying to Mr. Bash, Mr. Campbell said fireblight was spreading, all over the North Island. The fnnt areas were large enough to meet the Dominion’s future requirements, and there was no intention to increase them. Tho fight should bo between the .nil grower and the disease. Once fireblight got into hawthorn hedges it would remain 8 there. Tho Farmers’ Umon had supported the proposal that the I a mor Mon North district sh°uld bo pioclaimod a fruit area. In the Auckland d£ • tricts tho fruitgrowers bad got the> dis ease out of their orchards as soon as tho hawthorn hedges had been rcr“° ved - The Department did not insist upon grubbing out tho roots, and the shoots could bo easily dealt with There to 250 acres of orchards in the Jnlmerston North area. The infection of fircblight was carried within. the range of the flight of the bee, which was about three ” Mr.' Nash suggested that a round-table conference should be held betwen the o icers of the Agricultural Department, the farmers and the fruit-growera to dtoCUM the whole matter and reach a men y solution to cover the Palmerston Noit dl The C Minister pointed out that in all probability the disease '™uld destriay the hedges, and the farmers would not have a single apple or pear tree. As • farmer ho thought that would bo a verv bad thing. Hawthorn was a coatiniial source of infection, and it was all a Question of what was the best thing to do. They should not allow the infection if it could be avoided. Hawthorn hedges and orchards could not go together. Eventualy farmers would have to get rid of all hawthorn hedges. Tlie only method of controlling fircblight was to control the host plants. They had got rid of it entirely in Auckland when they got rjd of the hedges. There was no argument ajainst this method, except time, areas, aid means of eradication. He did not want to do anybody an injustice. and he was quite billing that a conference as suggested by Mr. Nash should take place. . After soma further discussion it was agreed that such a conference should Uq hMd.