ERADICATION OF RAGWORT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 80, 4 March 1929, Page 5

ERADICATION OF RAGWORT.

THE USE OF SHEEP. (From Our Own Correspondent). FOXTON, March 2. Some interesting facts concerning the eradication of ragwort were mentioned at the monthly meeting of the Manawatu Rabbit Board. Mr Gloyn said that it had been stated that the weed could be successfully eradicated by crowding sheep on to the affected area, but his experience showed that it was a dangerous thing to place sheep on ragwort country. Ho had known of 600 lambs being put on to ragwort, and afterwards when they had been removed and placed on rape 400 out of the 600 died. Ho also know of another farmer who had placed 200 fat sheep which had been taken off ragwort on the train and before they reached tho works over 100 had died. Tho greatest care had to be exercised if sheep were used to eradicate this noxious weed. Other opinions expressed were that the only method of successfully eradicating ragwort was to placo sheep on the property so affected and to keep the plough going. If care was exercised and the sheep wero not bustled after being on ragwort they wero quite all right. The best sheep for the job were old gummy ewes.