COLLECTION OF ERGOT

Southland Times, Issue 24605, 29 November 1941, Page 8

COLLECTION OF ERGOT

School Children To Be Encouraged

Complete approval of the drive for the collection of ergot for Great Britain was expressed by members at a meeting of the Southland Education Board yesterday. “Great Britain is unable to draw her i supplies from the usual sources and it behoves New Zealand to step into the I breach,” stated the chairman (Mr S. i Rice). Children could perform a most useful war service by collecting ergot during the school holidays. The board urged that Southland farmers should locate areas of tall fescue and marram grass which contained ergot and urge the children to collect it. It was stated that tall fescue was one of the worst weeds in high fertility swamp country. It was an erect, tallgrowing perennial grass which grew freely and spread rapidly from seed unless kept under control. It was a very poor quality grass and, although eaten to a certain extent by cattle, afforded little more than a starvation or maintenance diet. In its native state tall fescue was not difficult to recognize because of its erect, tussock growth and dark, shiny-green leaves, which were fairly broad and serrated on the edges. IDENTIFICATION BY CHILDREN Agricultural instructors throughout New Zealand are asked to encourage children to collect ergot during December and January. All children should, it was stated, learn to identify marram grass (such as that at Oreti Beach) and tall fescue, and should know the places where they were likely to be found and what seed merchants would buy the ergots. The Department of Education stated in a letter that it had been asked by the Department of Agriculture to help in the drive for the collection of ergot for Great Britain. Ergot contained important alkaloids used to check bleeding and there was at present a great shortage of it. The collection of ergot was work that could be done easily and safely by children during the school holidays. The department would be glad if the board would do all that was possible to encourage children to collect ergot.