RAGWORT CONTROL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3898, 7 May 1937, Page 4

RAGWORT CONTROL

URGENCY OF PROBLEM. MENACING DAIRY INDUSTRY. “That the ragwort problem is now one of urgent and national importance, menacing the very existence of the dairy industry; and that though we believe that parasite control is the real remedy, in the meantime it is vitally necessary to help the farmers by subsidising labour costs and the purchase of sodium chlorate.” This discussion at the Northern King Count: y Sub-Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union on Monday at Te Kuiti. The general consensus of opinion seemed to be that though sodium chlorate could control ragwort on areas where it was not firmly established, and though every assistance should be given for the control of such areas, the parasite control of weed was the only method likely to be of any use on rough country. From that rough country, it was pointed out, seed was continually being blown over on to the more closely farmed lands, so that until some better method than manual labour was employed to control ragwort it would be a national menace. Mr V. S. Simms and Mr Grierson said that much good werk had been done by the gang system of control in Otorohanga County, and Mr C. L. Browne held that sustenance men unfit for heavy work, might be employed to come after the gangs to perform the clearing up. They would, he said, be far better walking round quietly attending to individual plants that had been missed than passing their time in idleness in the cities. However, the Government had made a mistake in fixing 16s a day as the minimum wage tor this work. It had a bad phychological effect on the farm labourer who worked twice the hours for a little over

£2 a week. .Mr Middleton referred to the need for assistance for those farmers living in districts where the use of the gang system of control of ragwort was impossible owing to the men not being available. A ’emit from Otorohanga referring particularly to parasite control, an I another from Te Anga, requesting assistance, particularly in the purchase of sodium were received. Collaboration resulted in the above motion being put to the meeting and carried.