DEATH OF TREES

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 March 1946, Page 2

DEATH OF TREES

EFFECT OF SODIUM CHLORATE SPREAD OF TASMANIAN DOCK Towards the end of February two flowering cherry trees on the bank of Sawyer’s creek, in Heaphy street, died, and the Greymouth Borough Council sent samples of the soil to the Cawthron institute, Nelson, in an effort to ascertain the cause of death of the trees. A sample of a Tasmanian or South African dock, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in the Greymouth district was also sent for identification and. with a request for information regarding eradication of the weed. . For Some time efforts had been made to destroy the dock growth near the two cherry trees, and the director of the institute has advised the council that the use of sodium chlorate to kill the dock apparently had a detrimental effect on the trees. Sodium chlorate is universally used for the eradication of ragwort. The director also advised that the institute did not know of any certain cure for the weed and added: “I should imagine that frequent mowing or cutting would in the course of time exhaust the plant. The Mayor* Kir. F. A. Kitchingsaid to-day that it was considered the dock had been introduced to the district many years ago from Tasmania of South Africa by vessels coming to Greymouth in ballast from those countries to load timber. The weed had taken a long time to become acclimatised, but it was now flourishing and efforts to eradicate it had so far failed. The roots were known to go down as far as six or eight feet. He added that he had seen the wefed grown for ornamental purposes with the flower stalk eight to 10 feet in length. . , . -- -