SPREAD OF RAGWORT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1895, 1 December 1923, Page 5

SPREAD OF RAGWORT.

A DEPARTMENTAL VIEW. CO-OPERATION NECESSARY. Mr H. Munro, of the head office of the Agricultural Department, is at present in the district, and during the last two days has been making a tour of those parts whore it is known ragwort is growing to such an extent as to cause concern to the settlers. During these investigations Mr Munro was accompanied by Mr J. C. Rolleston, M.P. In an interview with a representative of this paper, Mr Munro stated that he had visited the worst ragwort infested : districts, and had discussed with Mr Rolleston, as well as a number of representative settlers, as to the best means of dealing with this problem. He stated that the Deparmont is fully alive to the menace of the spread of ragwort in .the King Country, and it was intended during the coming season to make' every effort to confine it to the country already infested, so far as this can be done, by enforcing the provisions of the Act in insisting that all owners of infested lands shall make an honest attempt to control the weeds on tlieir lands.

Quite a number of settlers have already found it necessary to reduce the number of dairy cows and replace them with an equivalent in sheep in order to assist in controlling the weed, and some have actually given up dairying entirely for the time being and stocked their land with sheep for the same reason. Mr Munro stated that many of the settlers did not realise the seriousness of the position in regard to the spread of ragwort, and the facts as stated above cannot he too strongly impressed by all wbo are concerned: in this matter. Messrs Munro and Rolleston are making still further inquiries in regard to this matter, but both are firmly of the opinion that unless the settlers are willing to co-operate, any efforts of the Department will to a large extent be rendered futile in keeping ragwort in check.