VERY ORNAMENTAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 125, 29 May 1928, Page 11

VERY ORNAMENTAL

BUT A NOXIOUS WEED THE WATER HYACINTH History teems with examples of good or innocent intentions which developed an aftermath of disastrous consequences, and history has a habit of ■repeating itself. It was "solely to remind them of the Home Country,, and perhaps also to provide the wherewithal for jams and tarts, that the . early settlers brought into New Zealand the blackberry, with what result the country now knows to its cost. Similarly enter the prickly pear in Australia, first brought as a garden ornament; and the rabbit, introduced into Australia and New Zealand to provide a. little homely shooting, with a resulting economic loss of millions of pounds. Will history repeat itself in the case of tho aquatic plant known as the water, hyacinth? Will future generations pile opprobrium on the memories of those who introduced it into New Zealand? Botanically known as Eichornia speciosa, this plant belongs to a small family of water-plants not in any way related to tho true water-lilies. It is a native of South America, and is cultivated in parks and gardens because of its beautiful racemes of mauve • flowers. So ornamental is it that flower lovers readily succumb to its charms, little knowing what ' a noxious weed the water-hyacinth really is. Being a plant of extreme beauty, it is natural enough that those who possess suitable sheets of water and who have not' heard of its evil repuation as a weed in other countries, should look on it as a great acquisition. Introduced originally into tho Waikato district, the water-hyacinth, has for some years been established on a small. scale in several different parts of the North Island. In some crfses but little trouble has arisen; in others great regret is expressed that it was ever planted. As the water-hyacinth is exceedingly difficult to eradicate once it has taken possession, this regret ' in years to come may bo multiplied many times, as will tho area which the water-hyacinth covers. It seems to resemble the blackberry and some other plants, noxious and otherwise, in that away from its natural habitat it flourishes to a degree unknown in places where it is a native. Immense sums have been spent in the wanner parts of North America and Australia in keeping waterways free of-this weed, and of Australia's noxious weeds it ranks second only to tho prickly pear as a curse. Under favourablo conditions this plant, growing, on tho surface of the water, quickly covers largo areas to suclr an extent as to make even large open streams impassable for steamers. It was introduced into Australia in 1900, a fragment being quite innocently liberated in Swan Creek, a tributary of the Clarence River, in New South Wales. Within two years it was in indisputed possession of a long strip of the river 50 yards wide. Flowerlovers facilitated its spread into other parts of New South Wales and Queensland. In January 1911, it caused the suspension of all river traffic at Grafton. Every flood in tho Australian rivers in which it now grows brings down acres of this plant, thus facilitating its spread. Cattle readily eat it, especially in times of drought, a fact which leads to many deaths by drown.ing, the animals wading in to reach the weed and getting entangled in tho roots. In sluggish streams the waterhyacinth is very difficult to eradicate. But fortunately frost kills tho foliage, sO many parts of Now Zealand will probably be to cold for it, should it desire to take possession of the Dominion's waterways. In salt water tho water-hyacinth will not grow, at all.. In New Zealand local bodies have the power ,to declare the water-hyacinth-a noxious weed if it seems to be getting out of hand in any district, and the Department of Agriculture is watching the position. But no gazted regulations indicate how tho waterhyacinth- is to be eradicated if it really becomes a nuisance ias it quite possibly will; it is one thing to call it a noxious weed and quite another to get, rid of it. ■-,