NOXIOUS WEEDS ACT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 December 1924, Page 4

NOXIOUS WEEDS ACT.

NEED FOR DISCRIMINATION. POSITION AT OMONA. The necessity for discrimination, in the application of the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act to rough, back country land as against level dairying land was emphasised on Saturday, when the Eltham County Council decided to make representations to the Minister of Agriculture, asking him to take steps to bring into force the necessary amendment. The matter was brought before the council by Cr A. McWilliam, the representative of the Omona riding. At the outset Cr McWilliam pointed out that / the scheduled noxious weeds applying to the Eltham County was different from that applying to some other counties. In the Eltham County foxglove wmg thistle and Californian thistle were on the actionable schedule, but in the case of the Omona settlers, with their rough country and large holdmgs, it was impossible to sDare the time to eradicate the nuisances. The weeds had come on the Omona riding i l f\ a , de , lu g e l - a «d th °ugh in his case he had fought them honestv it had been impossible to eradicate them altogether If settlers had to eradicate the weeds entirely it would mean that they would have to spend all their time at them and give. no attention to their ordinary farm work. Everything seemed to carry the seed, and the weeds plastered the whole countryside, home counties had removed these’'three weeds from the actionable schedule, but in the case of Eltham it would be undesirable to do this from the point of view of the level dairying land, unfortunately the law at uresent did not allow of discrimination between the ridings of a county, but he would prothe following resolution: ~ .representations be made -to the Minister of Agriculture, asking mm to take steps to discriminate in Y 1 ® application of the Noxious Weeds Act the rough back country of the Omona riding and the other ridings of the Eltham County. The council desires to point out that in the rough back country of the Omona riding, with its large holdings, it is now impossible for occupiers to cope by hand With the growth of such weeds as foxglove, wmg thistle and Californian thistle, which appear on the third schedule and which have inundated the rough sheep country; but it is always necessary and possible to control these weeds on the smaller dairy farms • °, ther , nclin gs of the county. It is felt by the council that it is abseil 1 / , ne S eSSary , to liave » different schedule for such a riding as the Omona riding, and the Minister is • hereby petitioned to make the discrimination sought.” ~ Yl'i Knuckey said the seed of wing thistle and foxglove dropned into the wool of the sheep, and when the animals were_sold the seed was spread all over the district. . -.Cr McWilliam said that the seed was carried by the birds and in every conceivable way. Foxglove took a delight m growing on the sides of uungas, and he had even seen the ..plants 30 feet up in the_air on the branches of a rata. Or Knuckey also mentioned that noxious weeds were distributed in ordinary grass seed. He would give twice as much for seed that, he knew for certain came from a paddock that was absolutely free from noxious weeds. Personally he was frightened to plough up pasture, and preferred to bring the grass hack by liberal applications or manure.

The chairman. Cr C. J. Belcher, then seconded Cr McWilliam’s motion, which was earned unanimously.