GORSE ERADICATION

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

GORSE ERADICATION

Cheap And Effective Method The -rent bane of gorse destruction is the hea"vy labour entailed when it s cn-ried out bv customary methods Ln “Chopping, hacking and grubbmg’ Procramme is slow and disheartening. In these times of extreme shortage ot labour an effective and easily-applied cure for tois serious weed pest is d -»h - uablm A Feilding farmer, Mr. M . Seifert, nas evolved from years of gorse “Miyteite such an improved method ol dealing xs stands of this noxious weed. , ■■ Recently an inspection was madei ol several treated areas on his farm LW country is typical Snndon laud, which is verv disposed toward gorse, and on nearby farms are considerable areas put out'of production by the weed. In the past this very farm was one ot the worst about E'eildiß|4« Burn and Sow. The first paddock inspected was one of about 20 acres, containing a once bad patch of some eight acres of gorse. Uarlj in March last, this gorse was tired. Hist as it stood. , , Immediately the lire bad gone out. rough tracks were slashed through th eland for access and o assist st' < penetration later. Ihe f"" I ’.''!! lg 1 . • •irea was hand sown with (H)lb. ol gin*'seed au acre, on the ash. Ami a point here to be yliserved is that hrst-elass certified seed was put on. Ihe olio vh,o dav. again, the area was topdressed with ffi-wt. of fertilizer an acre. Ilespite the drought prevailing last autumn in this district the seed held, ami. with April's rains, came n«n.' to urovide wonderful winter feed. Great feeding was provided all tliroug i flle winter ami spring am , when .- speeted. the pasture slaml was <.ll splendid. II was a dense stand of about four tn tiie inches in depth. Grazing inow so arranged as to keep the grass a this length; Io guard against U belli-. dried out bv dry weather ami also so i , llay acl in smothering the young gorse "All." will say the doubler, "but what I tihmil that regrowth?" This is a fail question and one that must Im answered. I The old gorse stalks standing where the tire ran through are all dead, but from

the stump or butt of quite 70 per cent, there is a fairly strong grow h of joung shoots. Grazing has kept these Pitt J well in check but eveii. so. xvere P otllin S else done, they would provide reiufesta tlO \ow comes the second part of the programme. When autumn’s jams come and the dead stalks have become well sodden and the ground moistened, the area xxill be again given attention. A good heavy strainer post xxt.l be at taehed to a swingle-tree by t"® These will be oi «uch length that .trainer is pulled along at about a quarter off the right angle, at about ~-*de ? . off the line of direction. 'I he strainer u pulled not endways but mdewiiyw am) m stead of being puHed dead fr-qtiare it 1 pulled at about the aforesaid M ua ‘ u , the square. A strainer eigh fee. 1 > u g thus cuts a swathe ol about 6 feet 111 As ri ihe old gorse is by this time rotting out, a single good horse can I’ llll , "leveller.” This very effeetnelj ikato the overburden of dead rnbbmh and also pulls out many regrowmg. stumps it - desirable to tackle this Job as mon a> possible, ami inid-Apnl s-hould usually _te conditions right. A Little Scrubbing.

I'ollowing this work, go over the area thoroughly with an adze or grubber am chop off all sbooto or second growth. U not bother to grub this, just chop it on level witli the ground. Ibis work is speedily done ami is quite as effective as the thorough Job. . , When this is completed, give the patih a vecoml topdressing ; about 2ewt. an acre will suffice. Then keep the area proper!) Stocked all the year round. Gut keep < fair ••lop" OU the grass for that second vear. This bus an excellent smothering effect on the gorse that may come. A swift run over witli a grubber during tin* twi» succeeding autumns will give couiplete ami final clearance. Several areas so treated over past years oavi' clear proof of this assertion. One of the earliest gave, too. a lesson tn the value of certified seed. It bad not been sown witli iliis ami the pasture was poor bv comparison. ~ ' To sumuiariz.e. this nietliml ot eradicating gorse is .-heap, takes little labour, m entirely effective, and, finally, provides earlv h maximum of feed. It m all as effective an ploughing and tar more feed and costs much less. I see everv reason to recommend its general adoption. But one word of warning: "Don’t tackle more at a time J han you can be sure of doing thoroughly.” So said the originator of thin method, from a full experience.