RAGWORT.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1170, 16 April 1903, Page 2

RAGWORT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Ragwort has been casting such a yellow glare over the columns of your paper for such a length of time that it has at last stirred me to tell what ray experience of this weed has been, and also to make a few remarks on what I have road in your paper. Ragwort was introduced into this district about 14 years ago. It was noticed first in the bush where the sawmill bullocks were fed. The seod came in ohaff that was bought in the neighborhood of Winton. In the course of five or six years it had spread from a few plants here and there to large patches, so that anyone could easily see where the working bullocks had been grazing. The settlers adjoining the reserve began to bo alarmed. About this time the Government was framing its Noxious Weeds Bill, and when the Gore Farmers' Club met to disouss the bill I endeavored—unsuccessfully— to get the Club to interest itself in the matter, and induce the Government to spend a few pounds in eradicating this weed. The members present thought that the weed would not spread very far, and the late Mr D. Dun (the only member who seemed to know anything of the matter) advißed me to get sheep, when, he said, the weed would speedily disappear. This I could not do, and I began to obip the weed. I did this for two years, but the weed steadily increased. I found that wherever the ground was broken in chipping ragwort a dozen plants sprang up for the one that had been destroyed. I then tried cutting it down when in flower, but found this was useless, unless done at least three times a year, when the spreading was checked a little. I found that when the plant was cut, branches sprang from the stump left, and started flowering and kept at it in spite of the cutting. The frost in the month of August will kill the flowers, but cutting will not. This is my experience for the past seven years. I have never lost any stock by the weed, nor have my neighbours; and I do not believe it will kill stock in this district.

When reading the letters that have appeared in your columns I was forcibly reminded of what Joan Billings said about bees:—" The less you know about them the better you can handle them." And so it is with ragwort. People say a lot about the damage the weed will do, but nothing about bow to destroy it. In your leading -article of April 11th you say that oompslling the Government to destroy the weed on its reserves is a matter of detail. In my opinion that is the gist of the thing, for, had the Government kept its reserves clear the weed would never have been the source of annoyance it is. You further state that the only guide to what the Government will do is the experience of the past. Well, Sir, about thirty years ago I put in many a hard day's graft cutting Scotch thistles—by order of the Government. Did it stop the thistles from spreading ? No. But the poor settler had to cut them. This year I have received notice to cut the Californian thistles on my property, and to keep on outting them. Will it do any good? Very little; because the very body which is ordering me to cut mine has scores of acres blooming outside my boundary, while hundreds of acres are blooming on the Croydon and Keaby hills. So will it be with ragwort. The Government will not clear it reserves for the very good reason that it can't. It would take more money to check the growth of these weeds on the Southland leserves than the reserves are worth. Mr Green, in bis speech at the County Council, said that his experience was that those who objected to its being scheduled were afraid of the cost of clearing ragwort. I should like to ask Mr Green how he would clear it, and further, what he would consider a fair price per acre to cut it with the sickle, which is the only method I know of cutting it on bush land.' Mr Green also had a lot to say about the Southland sheep, and seemed to think thay would not be improved by eating ragwort. I don't think he need be alarmed. They have had a very fair trial of the weed, and still hold their own with Canterbury. I have a word of advioe to Mr Green, and that is not to " foul his own nest." In conclusion, I would say that I got all my weeds, both Californian thistle and ragwort, from the Government reserves, aud that I firmly believe nothing but sheep will keep ragwort down. * Yours, etc., r, . „ . 0«0- BIGOAIt. Croydon Bush, April IS.