ONEHUNGA WEED

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 159, 2 April 1937, Page 15

ONEHUNGA WEED

Enemy of Greenkeepers

ERADICATION URGED The need for gree.nkeepers to lake some steps to eradicate Onehunga weed, which, they said, was invading domains and greens ami over-running the South Island, wa.s emphasised by Mr. W. M. Horton, advisory officer to the Green Research Council at. Palmerston North, and Mr. T. Easterbrook, greenkeeper for the Christchurch Golf Club at Shirley, at a meeting of greenkeepers and sports club executives in Christchurch on Wednesday evening. Mr. Easterbrook also made a plea for greater co-operation between the greenkeepers and the executives. The meeting was convened by the Christchurch Bowling Centre, and wa.s presided over by .Mr. F. S. Barnett, chairman of the centre.

Mi-. Horton, in giving an address on the diseases and propagation of plants, said that Onehunga weed was the greatest enemy of green-keepers. One disadvantage was that when growth was most wanted by bowlers, the Onehunga weed died out, making it useless as a covering. The weed, lie added, had been fought by the research council for a long time in the North Island, and it was now possible to eradicate the weed successfully without spoiling or interfering witli play. It was not an easy weed to kill, but arsenic pentoxide had been found to be an effective chemical, used in cool weather and sprayed on the scale of six gallons dilute solution over 1000 square feet of surface. This, he said, was one direction in which Christchurch greenkeepers would have to acquire a sound knowledge because Onehunga weed was certainly going to gain a hold on local greens.

Mr. Easterbrook, in support of this statement, said he "’as sure that greenkeepers and ground caretakers did not realise the hold that the weed was already gaining. He was equally sure that they would not even recognise the weed, of which Ihe existence had been almost entirely overlooked. There was no doubt, he added, that the weed was a prolific spreader and would cause trouble and expense if neglected. It

had already caused an expenditure of thousands of pounds to Auckland bowling clubs, aud the question to be asked was whether Christchurch clubs could afford a similar expense. If the clubs took a kinder view and looked on their greens as belonging to all members of those clubs and not just to an executive, they would endeavour to maintain a more progressive plicy, keeping the greens to the satisfaction of the members.