RAGWORT CONTROL

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 February 1932, Page 11

RAGWORT CONTROL

I There is no doubt the question of | control pf noxious weeds has received 1 more attention these two years than ever before and that most farmers are alive to the seriousness of the menace. But it is also evident that not every farmer is doing his share, both for his own as well as his neighbour s_ sake. There are still large areas of the ragwort untouched in the backblocks sending out exery year clouds of seed, ready to settle on clean land in pthei parts. This has been stated by men of experience who have been through those districts and stringent steps are necessary. It was bad indeed to hear from a member of the E’ltham County Council that young plants had appeared on parts of his farm, previously perfectly clean and brought, he contended. on the wind. It would appear that seed will travel quite long distances and it serves to emphasise more than ever the extent and seriousness of the problem. There have been two more cases of damage and personal injury done by rather careless use of sodium chlorate which had dried on the worker’s clothes. In one case the man was badly burnt and in the other a car in which clothes had been placed was destroyed. There appears to have been no light or flame about when the damage was done and it emphasises the extreme care required in using the remedy for noxious weeds. A farmer suggested it might have been a case of combustion bv friction.