HAWTHORN HEDGES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 23, 27 July 1927, Page 12

HAWTHORN HEDGES

AN ERADICATION ORDER

A protest against an order issued by the Department of Agriculture that all hawthorn hedges within a radius of. five miles of the Palmerston North Post Office should be destroyed, was made by a deputation which waited on the Minister of. Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hawken) yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., said that recently all farmers within . a radius of five miles of the Palmerston North Office were served with notices to get rid of their hawthorn hedges. That, of course, was an impossibility. It would be a hardship for farmers to have to do away with their hedges, as it would mean that they would have to re-fence. It would simply mean that several farmers in the district would have to walk off their farms altogether. Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., said that he doubted whether the demolition of the hawthorn hedges would be of any great advantage to the district as a whole. The Minister: "There can be no doubt that hawthorn harbours firebhght."

Mr. G. Elliott, M.P.. supported the representations of the former speakers and asked that no further burden should be put on the farmers at the present time.

At the request of the Minister, Mr J. M. Campbell, of the Horticultural Dxvision of the Department of Aricul- Kgail? the result 3 that had attended the elimination of hawthorn hedees in the Auckland district. The elimination, said Mr. Campbell, had had the effect of reducing very materially the^ 111-efeects of fireblight. Finally it was agreed that a conference of thoso interested should be held ™, PaWston North as soon as possible The Minister made it p ] aia t F ha t he, did not wish to harrass the farmers unnecessarily.