CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9222, 26 May 1910, Page 5

CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

Most farmers have been taught that Californian thistle is one of the deadliest enemies of agriculture that finds a place in the catalogue of noxious weeds. As in former years Californian thistle, and noxious weeds in general, were subjects discussed, at the Farmers' Conference at Marton on Tuesday, and the annual, request to the Government to keep down' . weeds oh Crown lands was made by resolution. One delegate, however, Mr • A, E. Ruseell, of Palmerston, came forward with some original ideas. He saw no reason to look aghast at the of Californian. thistle. He declined toj '■ believe that it would cause the devas-fl j; tation which most farmers believed.! f Once, he said it was believed that! ? Scotch thistle would ruin New Zealand,*- ■ but now it was plain that the Scotch \ < thistle was harmless, and as far as he V: knew the Act once passed to deal with ~■ it had never been repealed. In Great ; Britain, for instance, Californian thistle could be found almost everywhere, yet it did not ruin the country. The reason •.; for this was attributed' by another delegate, (who dreads Californian thistle) to the severity of the froets there. In ; New Zealand it grew as high as 6ft, j in Great Britain not more than 15in. ; Apart from Californian thistle, the other j bugbears of the farmers are ragwort and •{ blackberry.- It was affirmed by the con- j ference that a great hardship was being ; placed on farmers in having , to keep 1 their properties dear when miles of ! State land adjoining aro covered with ' noxious weeds, as is the case along the ; Main Trunk line.—Post. <