RAGWORT IN MANAWATU COUNTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3907, 14 February 1929, Page 3

RAGWORT IN MANAWATU COUNTY.

The spread of the noxious weed ragwort in the Manawatu county w r as referred to by Cr. W. E. Barber at Tuesday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council. He had noticed With surprise the extent to which the weed had spread and it was high time steps were taken to awaken the interest oL.farmers to the danger the weed presented. ■Cr. J. H. Perrett stated that some 400 . lambs had recently met their death through eating ragwort in the county.

Cr. J. McKelvie said that its presence Was not' noticed until the weed was in flower. ‘There was no doubt about its being a serious menace.

The chairman mentioned he had seen the weed in one of the stock holding paddocks adjacent to the Feilding sale yards recently. The country inspector was directed to take steps to acquaint the Government noxious weeds inspector of the position. It was also decided to issue a warning to the ratepayers to keep the weed down. ENGLISH FARMER'S VIEWS. Mr. Isaac Coates, of Papakura, writes as follows to the Auckland Herald:—• “As an old English farmer, having been born on a farm in North Yorkshire on which I carried on after my father’s death, in 1863, until I left England for Nerv Zealand in 1867, and as I was well acquainted with ragwort both in England and after I came to New* Zealand, I think I ought to be able to give satisfactory advice in the matter of the host way of getting rid of the weed. It is to stock with sheep, say one to the acre for each and all the paddocks so infested, in the early spring or just as the plants are starting to grow. The sheep are then very fond of the plant, but they must be taken away when the plants are all eaten, which will not be long. Of course, some people do not have any sheep, but I think a farmer might always borrow a few sheep for the purpose, as it floes not take long. But do not put any sheep on full-grown ragwort. As a proof of what I have said about the sheep, I refer your readers to Messrs R. and H. Heddon, Pukeatua. Some years ago they had the farm stocked with sheep, and had no ragwort, but they sold all the sheep and started milking. The ragwort then became very prevalent, so 1 told them to get some sheep, which they did, and now they have no ragwort. I could give plenty of other instances of the sheep cure.”