MINISTER’S VISIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22314, 26 April 1947, Page 6

MINISTER’S VISIT

FARMING ISSUES APPROACH ARRANGED WEEDS, PESTS AND CROPS Control of the red-legged mite, Hie establishment of nuclear rye in the Gisborne district, and delay in germination tests results are suojects to be brought before the Minister ol Agriculture, Mr. E. L. Cullen, by a deputation from the Gisborne branch of the Federated Farmers, which will wait on him during nis visit to Gisborne next week. This was reported to the annual meeting ol the Gisborne branch held on Thursday, and the suggestion was made by Mr. C. H. Williams that the suojects ol noxious weeds control and the destruction of vermin, particularly rabbits, should be added to the list. 1 he suggestion was supported strongly by the mealing, and a'proposal was made that Mr. Williams ana another member present should be appointed, to deal with the matter berore the Minister. Tne other member named, amidst laughter, commented that he was hardly the man to take up the subject; the poini being that ins property is one oi those which is seriously infested with variegated thistle. The president. Mr F. E. Humphreys* pointed out that the matter had to oe dc-att with from more than one angle, one being the difficulty—almost the impossibility—ol some farmers carrying out the clearing ol noxious weeds trom their properties. He coula thinn of no one who was better qualified, lie added, than tire second mem ber proposed. The efl'orts of this farmer to control weeds on his own land were commended oy a neighbour, who stated that he had reduced the infestation which he had found on nis property at the outset very consideiably Another speaker suggested that for the protection of other lands trom the winn-blown seed of noxious weeds, farmers should at least be obliged to clear land within a certain minimum distance of boundary fences.