ERADICATING RAGWORT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3399, 28 July 1932, Page 2

ERADICATING RAGWORT.

SODIUM CHLORATE. Some two or three years ago the Cinnabar moth was liberated in various parts of Taranaki in the hope that it would combat the ragwort menace. The results attending the liberation have been variable. In the Croydon district they have established themselves better perhaps than anywhere else, but the difficulty was that the activities of the moth do not extend over a sufficiently long period, only attacking the plants for from three to four weeks. During that time they undoubtedly do good work, but, if the weed is plentiful, then it would appear to be practically impossible to eradicate by this means. This at any rate appears to be the considered opinion of the Department of Scientific Research. In any case, after seeing the results obtained by the use of sodium chlorate, farmers would be foolish to place their trust in the moth. Sodium chlorate offers a cheap and 100 per cent, effective remedy for cleaning up ragwortinfested country. It is no exaggeration to say that during the last two years hundreds of acres of badly infested country have been thoroughly cleared of ragwort, and country which could only run dry stock is now being successfully devoted to dairying. Ragwort had spread to such an ex- j tent in some districts that farmers j were on the verge of walking off their properties—instances could be quoted j where arrangements had actually been made to hold clearing sales with this object in view—and then the Department of Agriculture was able to advance the claims of sodium chlorate and its officers travelled throughout the district giving demonstrations. Farmers were at first cal as to whether this new treat- j ment would be successful, but re- J turning to the properties where de-1

monstrations of spraying had been given a week or so later they were astounded to find all plants with which the spray had come in contact apparently dead. Even then, however many were not convinced. "Just wait a while," they said, "and you will see the plants growing again from the old roots more vigorously than ever." Again they inspected treated areas, but their fears were not upheld and a close examination of the plants showed that they were dead, the spray apparently penetrating throughout the root system. After the first few demonstrations farmers troubled with ragwort set to work with renewed hope, and to-day acclaim sodium chlorate as a definite destroyer of ragwort. Many farmers troubled with blackberry have also had very beneficial results when using sodium chlorate on this pest. Here the strength of the solution is increased and when all )the vines are dead a fire is put through them, and they burn clean to the ground. In the course of a few weeks roots begin to send out new shoots and when a few inches high these are again sprayed, this second treatment in most cases effectively destroying the plants.