NOXIOUS WEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 27, 1 August 1923, Page 10

NOXIOUS WEEDS

MENACE TO FARM LANDS

DISTRICT CONTROL BOARDS ADVOCATED.

Several suggestions for the extermination of noxious weeds in districts which n-re threatened by the more serious field pests were made in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon in the course of 1 a debate upon the . second reading of the Noxious Weeds Amendment Bill.

- Tlie provisions .of the BiJl. were 'briefly outlined by the Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Bell). The Hon. B. Newman referred to the serious spreading of noxious weeds throughout the Dominion during the war years., and of the menace caused to farm lands by the Californian thistle, which should be eradicated from the country. It had gained such a hold in the hill country that it was how absolutely impassible to eradicate it. Similarly, all that could now be done with the • blackberry was to prevent it spreading. The time had come for a drastic change in the methods of control of noxious weeds. Legislation was required providing for the getting up of noxious weeds control boards all over tho country, and he also suggested to the Government the expediency of setting up a Commission to inquire into the menace. The county councils wore not the best bodies to undertake such a responsibility as keeping down weeds, tor they had enough to do in keeping roads m order. The rabbit boards should be capable of dealing with noxious weeds. Ho would like the Government to offer a bonus for the preparation of an effective weed exterminator. INTRODUCTION OF HEATHER, i T'le. H°n- &. M. Thomson said he realised the necessity for special legislation in respect to the weeds referred to in the North Island., Ho could not imagine any exterminator that would effectively banish weeds and yet bo unharmful to stock and the soil It would be extremely dangerous to introduce such chemicals as- arsenic into the soil He supported an investigation into the problem by officers of the Atrricultural Department. He had read that it was proposed to introduce heather'■ piants m the Dominion, a step which" he strongly objected to. Restrictions should be placed upon'the introduction I ot any plants or animals. H, r'??*•■■?• Sc?- fc ?aid that wharea. the Californian thistle was spreading 25 years.ago.all over the country, it was dying out, and was not now regarded in the light of a. noxious weed. As a matter of fact, in-.grates lands it was not. looked upon as • harmful. Perhaps a greater menace than blackberry was the sweet brier, which was spreading with-- menacing rapidity in Canterbury and oh the West Coast, and if unchecked would mean the ruination of farm lands. ■,'lt would cost thousands of pounds, to eradicate it to-day, and millions twenty years hence. Shoep suffered by it, as it affected the growth of their wool. Another serious pest was St. John's wort, which was now covering thousands of acres in the South. He hoped the Bill would do some good in preventing the spread of noxious, weeds generally. He would welcome the, setting up of a Commission, although he had doubts as to whether it would result in anything satisfactory being done at this late stage. IMPURE SEEDS. The Hon. G. J. Garland had serious doubts as to the pureness of seeds sold by seed merchants', and suggested that the Agricultural Department might very well investigate the matter. He comi mended the use of the Angora goat as j a, means of dealing with the blackberry. I Unless something was done to cope with | blackberry and the Californian thistle millions of acres of lands would be lost to agriculture,' and he urged the Government, to take, the menace; into eerious consideration and ondeavoiir to put into practice some speedy and effective means of eradication. The Hon. D. T. Fleming referred, to the ravages of weeds in the Otago 'district, and remarked that the elderberry was making alarming progress, and- if unchecked would be a really serious pest in a few years. The question of noxious weeds was largely a matter of local legislation, and it was very difficult for •Parliament to make general rules. He advocated a greater inspection by the Department of seeds imported for the use of the farmer.

The Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Agricultural and Pastoral Committee.