NOXIOUS WEEDS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 73, Issue 6284, 18 September 1946, Page 7

NOXIOUS WEEDS

ORGANISED ERADICATION SERVICES WAIPA COUNTY SYSTEM At Monday’s meeting of the Waipa County Council, the noxious weeds inspector (Mr G. M. Wall) reported that during the month a considerable amount of time has been spent in office work, and attending to the various complaints which keep arising. The council’s application to have the Native land part Maungatautari 4E. 18. vested in the Native Trustee foi alienation, came before the Maoli Land Board at Ngaruawahia on the 27th of August. Die Judge gave the many owners concerned a period of two months in which to apply to have the land brought under the Native Development scheme- and farmed, otherwise the Court would grant the council’s application. It was gratifying to hear a pronouncement from the Court that these areas of native land cannot be allowed to lie idle, and grow noxious - weeds to the detriment of adjoiningfarmers. Sc far the council has heard nothing further from the Agricultural Department in regard to its request for an allocation of £5OO for ragwort eradication work, during the coming season.

The demand for sodium and lime mixture has commenced, the sales from the depot for the month being--18 tons 12 cwt.

Car: Mileage for the month, 925; total, 67,185; benzine, 43 gallons. Cr. Hall asked if any hemlock is growing in the county, and was informed that it is a fairly generally spread plant and it is found, in all parts of the Dominion. Great care is needed as it can be readily mistaken for a wild, carrot. Cr. Hall said that cattle do not readily eat this plant. That had been the general experience in Taranaki. To another question the inspector said the prospects for sodium supply are very good- Quantities are now coming forward in keeping with the requirements. In a general discussion which ensued Cr. Church said that sodium had been found adequate not only in checking but in killing blackberries. The inspector remarked that regular attention with sodium was the solution of the blackberry pest. It was not sufficient to give one spraying and then attempt to burn off. Periodic spraying was the effective method and obviated a great deal of laborious and ineffective cutting. The spraying method, correctly done, replaced the old labour method. Cr. Garland suggested that subsequent harrowing would speed the process of eradication. He went on to refer to an earlier discussion about tall fescue which had been regarded as a noxious growth. He quoted an instance where hard grazing had killed the fescue right out. Cr. Cunningham thought hard grazing would stop re-growth of blackberry. He quoted cases of bad gullies which had been kept cleared by suitable stock grazing. To a further question Cr. Cunningham said a government inspector had claimed that 12 cwt. of lime to the acre would kill out rushes.

To a question the inspector said California thistle had defied every form of eradication. It could be held in check by cutting when iin the flowering stages, but the root establishment had persisted over all methods yet triedThe report was formally adopted.