NOXIOUS THISTLES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2612, 1 December 1865, Page 5

NOXIOUS THISTLES.

To the Editor of tli* Daily SovTiunit Cnou. Sin,— ln lust Saturday's paper there wa« ft letter on Scotch lhi«tln, in which the writ-or diun"! hiirnflf " Wlie»t6licaf." Before entering on the subject, allow me to inform Mr. " Wheatsheaf" tbat he nerer law ■ticli a proud plant as a Scotch thistle, and, what ii more, there are few Scotchmen who hava ever seen one, as the only places they are to bo met with are hothouses. It stands from six to eight feet high. Now tilt name of the plant that is crowing here is " noxious thiitlci." I s*y with Mr. "^y^eatshca^" that Him plant is gaining ground in this province, and in Pttkekohp, also in Tuakau district*, t» a fearful extent ; and if they are not looked nfter, and rooted »ip before they seed, they will nrvslvr the settlers. But as to Mr. " WheatshcafV suggestion, 1 with ho had come out with his own name, not making free to me another*, Let me inform him that there h a contractor— oue Mr. Carter— whose duty it is to look after the rootiug up of thistle* iv tlii<* district, «nd Mr. Frederick Russell ii subinspector, v. hoie duty it it to \isittht districts over which he has been appointed, and ice that both contractor and settlers take out these noxiom wccdi. As one of the officers in charge of immigrant", let me inform Mr. Carter, forthela»t time, tint Mr. Kussell informs me that he wrote to Mr. Carter twice en the head of his coming to this district ; and that if I put some of the men in ray charge, to perform part of hii work, I will send to his Honor the Superintendent the list, showing the number of men, and howmany day* cmplo>ed taking out thistle* , so that his Honor msy deduct their psy from -Mr. Carter's | salary. But let me s*y that until each di-trict hai the power of looking after the rooting out of thirties within iU own boundaries, and until a tax be put on all unoccupied laud, f..r the purpose of rooting out thistles growing on the tame, every year will give to ths thistle more poi\er. — I am, tec, A. McDonald, Pukekoho Valley. [By Mr, McDonalds account thcr« ii a pretty complicated system of thUtlo inspection, and little comes of it. There is au inspector paid to eradicate thistles, who doe* not stem to do wo «atUf»ctorily ; then there is a sub-inspector paid to look after the inipector, and he appears to let things rtraaic M they are. In the meantime the country is being over-run with thirties. Our own opinion is that tho salaries of inspectors and sub-inspector* might be saved, and the work done much better under the district boards. —Ed. D.S.S.]