RAGWORT MENACE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume VL, Issue 3132, 9 February 1934, Page 8

RAGWORT MENACE.

SPREADING IN WAIPA COUNTY. REGULATIONS NOT ENFORCED The menace of ragwort spreading throughout the county was discussed at the monthly meeting of the Waipa County Council at Te Awamutu on Monday, when the chairman, Mr S. C. Macky, presided. Mr D. B. Livingstone contended that the inspectors should more strictly enforce the regulations. He added that the ragwort was spreading rapidly, and now wherever one went one was confronted with numerous patches of ragwort in flower. The opinion that unless the department took drastic steps the farms on the back country would be over-run with ragwort, and would be unworkable, was expressed by'Mr J. Fisher.. Mr F. J. Onion said that ragwort would soon be beyond individual control, physically and financially, unless immediate steps were taken. Mr Livingstone thought that the riding members should have more power to instruct erring farmers in their riding to eradicate the weed. After further discussion a resolution asking the department to draw their inspectors’ attention to the spread of ragwort, and instruct them to take the necessary steps, was carried unanim-

cusiy. The riding members were also asked to point the position out to any farmer in their riding who had ragwort on his

property. The danger of one or two bunches of ragwort on clean land, and also on the road sides, was emphasised, and it was decided to notify settlers to eradicate ragwort by the end of the month, any person failing, to comply with the regulations to be prosecuted.

WIND-BLOWN DANGER

EACH FARMER HIS OWN SAVIOUR

At Friday’s meeting of the Matamata County Council Cr J. W. Anderson expressed the opinion that ragwort seed did.not blow very far with dan-

ger to farmers. Or Anderson mentioned a ease of which he had been told where a farmer had complained to the inspector about a neighbour, saying that he would be driven off his farm unless the neighbour cut his plants. Acting on the inspector’s advice the farmer got busy on his own place. A year later, when asked how he was : getting on, he said he had no ragwort on his property and was quite satisfied there was little danger from blown seed if attention was given to one’s own farm.' - Continuing, the chairman instanced the case of his own farm, where he had a somewhat similar experience.

Cr P. Dee was not impressed ,and remarked that plants kept coming up on his place from blown seed.

The chairman agreed that some plants would come up. Various other councillors gave their experiences, the general Opinion being that only about 10 per cent of the seed blown germinated, that birds also carried the seed, and that odd plants should be kept in check. Most councillors thought that favourable circumstances had to be present to enable the seed to germinate.