NOXIOUS WEEDS.

Evening Star, Issue 22577, 19 February 1937, Page 7

NOXIOUS WEEDS.

TO THU EDITOR. Sir,—l have noticed many disparaging comments recently in the Press from farmers and others on the subject of noxious weeds—especially ragwort and how they propose to eradicate it. I certainly .agree that in many cases it would cost ten times the value ofthe land to pay for the labour necessary to make a practical test of the proposed solution. Surely there is ample evidence of self-eradication without expense to the farmer. If such is lacking hero is a specific instance. When the Moa Flat station was offered for subdivision some thirty or more years ago I was interested as a prospective farmer, but alas! ragwort had a hold even worse than it is to-day from Arrowtown to Shotover, and elsewhere. At that time the whole countryside from Millers Flat to Beaumont and from the... Blue Mountains to the Molyneux was, with minor exceptions, a garden of ragwort in full bloom. If 1 mistake not the Noxious Weeds Act—covering ragwort especially—became effective about this time, and the landowners were notified that steps had to he taken to eradicate it, under a heavy penalty for non-compliance, and, in consequence, 1 was no further interested as a settler. Strange as 'it may seen, two years later—perhaps three at most —the ragwort had disappeared entirely —by Nature and not by man’s fruitless efforts. For all practical purposes the area included in the foregoing statement has to the best of my knowledge and belief been free of ragwort ever since, the countryside being mostly hilly , and covered with bracken, but nevertheless, good sheep and cattle country. Perhaps some other correspondent can explain the cause of its demise in this particular locality, and I would expect the same thing to happen on the Arrowtown-Shotover section within two years. So why worry? Ragwort will grow and flourish in spite of all that can be done to prevent it, and my personal belief is that the more it is encouraged to grow the quicker it will die out.—l am, etc., Deprived Setti.ee. February 28.