CALIFORNIAN THISTLE AND CHAFE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14282, 3 August 1908, Page 8

CALIFORNIAN THISTLE AND CHAFE.

On Saturday morning Messrs A. Moritzsoii and Co. furnished one of our reporters «'ith an explanation in regard to tho recent olialf shipments from Dunedin to Now Plymouth which worn seized by the Governmani on account of being- found to contain ljalifona.il thistle, which would make tho < istribiilion of the (odder a source of danger. Jt was telegraphed from New Ply. mouth recently that the Government had refused to allow, these shipments to go into consumption owing to the presence of CaJifor.an thistle. It has transpired that this shipment of some 1500 sacks -was seized by the Agricultural Department, their ultimate method of disposal being unknown to -Messrs Moritzson and Co. Mr Moritzson' v ' however, received information from Aew Plymouth in regard to a parcel of 0U tons which his firm shipped themselves, and for which they rcceivcd payment. Delivery w;is given of this chaff in New Ilynumfh, but apparency the Government nad an examination made of this parcel i i al i"' (a "' c to t' lc conclusion that the chan should not bi consumed. It was asserted that it contained Galifornian In -, therefore should be destroyed, iiie Government Noxious Weeds Department took the line over, and it was shipped 011 W th ' !IS ' lnon, h to the destructor •it. Wellington, there, of course. to bo destroyed. There has, Mr Moriteson stated, been a great fuss over this matter in New 1 lymouth,. tho local newspapers making a goal deal of the dangers, etc., 0 f this weed boing 'introduced to the district. Messrs Moribson and Co. hero point out, that their fihipmojit did not consist of cue parcel, but of six different lines, from six different districts. All the lines had ken specially solected, and were bright, heavy, aud clean samples. One line, however, consisting of a truck and a-half, or 210 sacks, contained a little thistle leaf, but there was no indication whatever of the thistle seed. The simples wore open for inspection to anyone interested. It, was a well-known fact, Mr Moritzson stated, that oats are generally cut any timo between the end of December and tho end of January, especially if intended for- chair purpeses, being then required a litt.lo on the green side. It was another well-known fact that at this timo of the season the thistle is not fully developed, and the seed neither ripe n<y sufficiently matured to germinate, it not being on the wing, so to speak, before March or April. Mr Moritzson thinks that tho Government department has hardly diagnosed this matter correctly, At ajiyrate, he maintains it has not done so in regard to their 50-ton paved, which has been destroyed. • Furthermore, it is common knowledge that tho tliistle is pretty well all ovor tho South Island, and also in tho North Island, and if tho Government intends enforcing the regulation that no chaff I is to contain thistle, then the result will be that very little chaff will be available for the North Island. Another fact, is that m regard to the bulk of tlio chaff that has been shipped to New Plymouth from Dun-1 edin, the Government supplied a grader's certificate as to its quality. j