RAGWORT MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23281, 25 February 1939, Page 19

RAGWORT MENACE

MATAMATA COUNTY REPORT [ritOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] PUTARURU, Friday Owing to the weather having been unfavourable to plant growth during December and January, late flowering ragwort was more in evidence this season than usual, said Mr. H. T. Brill, noxious weed inspector to the Matamata County Council, at the council's February meeting. Late liar-, vesting and the shortage of sheep in certain districts as a result of the eczema outbreak were also favourable to ragwort. "The owner with isolated ragwort plants is still the most difficult offender to deal with," said Mr. Brill, "not only in this county, but apparently wherever there is ragwort." The inspector was given power to prosecute property owners for failure to clear ragwort. A stipulation was made that he should confer with the riding member concerned before legal action was taken. CROWN AND NATIVE LANDS PIAKO COUNTY DIFFICULTY [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] TE AROHA, Friday The growing menace of ragwort on certain properties and Crown and Native lands within the Piako County was the subject of lengthy discussion at a meeting of the council, when several speakers emphasised the urgent need for definite action to be taken in the removal of the potential danger from these neglected areas. The chairman, Mr. W. C. Kennedy, pointed out that a grant of £4OO had been made for the purpose of utilising unemployed men on the work of eradication, but little progress seemed to have been made, duo to the shortage of elegible unemployed. It was considered that farmers whoso properties adjoined Crown or Native lands which were infested should receive some assistance as ifc was most unfair to expect them to try to keep their boundaries clean while ragwort flourished unchecked over the fenceline. It was decided to seek Government authority to enlist other than unemployed men in the work of ragwort eradication, with a view to forming a ragwort control gang.