Ragwort Menace

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 16

Ragwort Menace

SEED ON CROWN LANDS (From Our Own Correspondent.) NAPIER, Feb. 16. The part that individual settlers can play in the eradication of ragwort which is rapidly evading Hawke’s Bay was stressed at Monday’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council by Mr E. H. Beamish and other members. Speakers were strongly of the opinion that if prompt steps were not taken ragwort would, in the near future, menace a considerable area of the province, rendering it almost worthless for farming pursuits. The back-country was regarded as being a vast seed-bed, which was responsible for the spread of this yellow peril. Dusting plants with sodium. chlorate was stated to be a most definite means of killing this menacing weed, and it was by its.use that councillors eonsideredthat farmers could effectively deal with isolated patches and so keep their holdings under control. ' In bringing the matter forward, Mr Beamish said that any farmer had a duty not only to himself but to posterity to make efforts to cope with ragwort on his own property. “I maintain that what can be done now in five minutes will take five months to do later on,” he said. “I have made a practice of carrying a small tin of sodium chlorate and of dusting any plants of ragwort that I have seen, and it has killed them out. I notice it coming into a paddock which I sowed in new grass only three years ago. The settlers, have got to wake up and deal with this question which threatens to be a real menace. Wind causes Spread. “ There has been mention of the weed being spread by travelling stock, that might be so, but I am satisfied that the wind is the greatest means by which it is spread. It is a matter for the Department of Agriculture to clean up the Crown lands in the backcountry, which are seeding beds from

where tho seed is carried by the wind.” The chairman, Mr F. B. Logan, referred to the good work carried out in dealing with variegated thistle by tho present inspector, Mr H. E. Allen. Without assistance, however, the inspector could not be expected to cope with ragwort. “I think that the settiers will wake up to ragwort being a menace as they did with tho varigated thistle,” he added. “It took them 20 years to wake over the thistle,” said Mr R. Harding. “Thousands of acres towards Tarawera are practically yellow,” said Mr M. S. Chambers. “We want the department to. tackle the State’s own back-country and the roads where ragwort is growing freely. If this is done individual farmers can tackle the position on their own farms.” Continuing, Mr Chambers urged that the attention of the department should be drawn to the little effort being made to tackle ragwort on the Crown lands. It was essential, he said, that it should put its house in order as soon as ; possible. Sodium Chlorate Best. i Mr Chambers agreed with Mr Beamish that pulling tho plants out was of kittle use and that the most effective method was to dust with sodium ehlor- ■ ate. 1 Mr Hardir g stated that he had recently been ip the Wanganui river and had been informed that a number of . returned soldier settlers there had been practically driven off their holdings by ragwort. Their wool production had dropped by more than half. Mr Harding said that if every farmer carried a small supply of sodium chlorate with him to deal with isolated patches tho pest could be kept well in check. The attention of the Department of Agriculture is to be drawn to the spread of ragwort, the menace of unoccupied Crawn lands being especially stressed.

During the performance of an opera in a Paris garden a wasp stung the leading lady. The flautist grew red in the face through trying to reach her subsequent high notes.