THE RAGWORT MENACE

Patea Mail, Volume LI, 19 February 1930, Page 4

THE RAGWORT MENACE

A SUCCESSFUL SPECIFIC. DEPARTMENTAL EXPERIMENT,!. Important experiments which lead the officers of the Agricultural Department to believe that a sure specific for stamping out the ragwort menace has been found are being carried out. Some details of these were given by Dr. C. J. Reakes, Director-General of Agriculture, at Cambridge last week. Dr. Reakes said not only he but ail the officers of the Department were .fully alive to the seriousness of the ragwort menace, and the sum of £IO,OOO was set aside annually to cope with noxious weeds from unindividualiscd native lands, lie mentioned that individual native owners were treated on exactly (he same basis as European settlers, even to the extent of prose-

cuting them. The policy of the Department was that where there was a centre of infection in a clean area and the owner of infected land would not clear it tiie Government would put in men to do the clearing and would charge the owner with the cost. It was also the policy of the Department to adopt protective measures in areas that were comparatively clean and defensive measures in infested districts. Speaking of the experiments with the cinnabar moth. Dr. Reakes said there was reason to hope for good results from this course. He mentiunel that efforts were being made, by the Department to obtain a chemical specific for stamping out ragwort. The firs’, experiment had been with; a mixture of one part of sulphate of iron and three parts of common salt placed on the crown of the plant. This had proved very effective, not only in killing the plant as it showed above the ground but the root also. It was necessary to apply the mixture during a fine spell, as otherwise rain dissolved it and rendered it ineffective. Another form of treatment that had given most promising results had been with a preparation known as chlorate of sodium, used as a spray. The solution was very cheap and experiments had proved it completely killed the plant. Unfortunately there was only a

very small quantity of the preparation in Now Zealand, but the Department nad ordered a large quantity from abroad, and on its.arrival would continue experiments on a largo scale, it would be a most valuable spcciiic if it proved as successful in the field as it had proved under experimental conditions. It did not all'ect stock. Dr. Renkes said he was trying a further experiment with chlorate of sodium on an area of infested count:,, at Mamaku. He had no doubt .whatever that the preparation would Id,, ragwort, but he wanted to see its effect on fodder pbmts when sprayed extensively over large areas. Dr. Ecakcs emphasised that the tini:* to use any of these preparations wa in fine weather and when the plants were young. When it was ascertained with a definite degree of certainty tha' c-hlorare of sodium was safe and sure details of its cost anil application would be published in pamphlet form and broadcast to farmers.