NOXIOUS WEEDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13523, 22 August 1907, Page 6

NOXIOUS WEEDS.

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

THE BLACKBERRY PEST.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

Wellington, Wednesday. A ncmbeu of questions in regard to noxious weeds appeared on to-day's Order Paper.

In reply to Mr. Berries, the Minister for Agriculture said that the question of clearing 'the scenic reserves and the unsold town and village sections in the Rotorua county would be looked into. The attention of the Roads Department would be drawn to the growth of weeds on the roads in the Rotorua district in charge of that Department.

Mr. Hemes said that one of the crying needs of the North was the enforcement of the Noxious Weeds. Act on unoccupied Crown and native lands.

Mr. Massey asked the Minister whether he will introduce an amendment of the Noxious Weeds Act this session so as to give members an opportunity of inserting such amendments as will make it perfectly clear that the law will be complied with. In parts of the. Auckland provincial district the law, he said, was being administered in a manner which caused unnecessary hardship, loss, and an- s noyance to many industrious settlers.

.Mr. McNab stated that, the introduction of an amending Bill was under consideration. ..'-..,. ■;:;.

Mr. Massey- said that when the Noxious Weeds Art was passed it was understood that, it would-be sufficient if the weeds blackberries, in particularwere cut at the proper season of the year, .to prevent them flowering and seeding. It was absolutely useless to talk about eradicating blackberries unless the. ground were ploughed five six times during a dry summer. , This ; would; howevc, be impossible on bush and 'scoria lands. Dozens of hard-wot king settlers were being frequently taken to Court and fined for failing to comply with the Act, and were also mulcted in costs, such costs he believed, including the Crown Prosecutor's fee. _ . '

Mr. • Okcy asked the Minister .whether he would instruct the- officers of his Department; to make inquiries as to.the advisability of introducing, into New Zealand a "fungoid that was said to be exterminating blackberry in.America? In replying, Mr. McNab said that, the fungoid referred to was probably Cacona nitens, which had long been known as causing great destruction "in "America amongst cultivated blackberry and allied plants. This fungus already existed in New Zealand, but the extensive distribution of it could not be recommended, as it attacked the wine berry, raspberry, loganberry, Italian raspberry, etc. Mr. Masscy said he thought that if they could ge't rid of the blackberries it would be a. good thing, even if the allied plants were also attacked. Mr. Lang said that if the Noxious Weeds Act were rigidly enforced it would mean ruin to a 'arge number of settlers. The Minister said that the noxious weeds question was one of the most difficult problems . that the Department had been called upon' to deal with. It was his intention to introduce a Bill dealing with .he subject this session. The Bill would be sent to the Stock Committee for report, and it Was hoped to thus obtain a workable measure. There were many parts of the.colony where.they could. not expect to havo the enforcement of a law relating to the eradication of, noxious weeds carried out in it? entirety. At the same time, there were other parts of the colony where a more' rigid policy could be adopted: What they needed was a workable measure which would deal with all aspects of the question satisfactorily. ;