THE WEED CURSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1919, Page 2

THE WEED CURSE.

To That Editor. Sir,—l see by the press that Mr. Simpson's) 1 motion dealing with, the spread of noxious weed! did not get much support from some of tliei members of the Road Board. I think something should be done. Anyone can see that the* pest is gaining on us. I know of land around; llere that only a few years ago was clear;. Now you can see plenty. Take some of the' toads under the Board's control. You mill' Olid blackberries within three feet of the centre of tbe road, some of the bushes being six feet high. Soma- say that the reason why the weeds have increased is the shortage of labor, but I know of farms that have bad plenty of labor. Still tho weeds are increasing. The worst offenders are the speculators. Take, for instance, a. farm not far from our town. There has not been a weed, cut on it for over two years. I know the inspector has done his best to get him to do something, but he harps on the excuse of shortage of labor. One of the Board members said "Don't be too hard on them. It may penalise them," but at the present time who is penalised? Why, the man who is keeping his place free, and. at the same time adjoining a man. who does nothing. Some of the remarks of the members of tho Moa Road Board, are enough to make anyone laugh. Why quote the South. Island ? We don't want to wait until this place is as bad. Again someone suggested "plough a foot deeper each year." If anyone was to do that what sort of a paddock would he hare, even if it was possible to do? Take, for instance, the American variety of blackberry. I have dug down four feet, and ; there found fresh shoots starting to make their way to toe surface. Then, again, someone said "put sheep, on." I know a section that has bad sheep, on for the last ten years, and the weeds are still gaining ground. .There was a .settler not long ago whose farm was nearly covered, except a corner which he ploughed up. When asked by a neighbor why he had ploughed his only clean paddock, he exclaimed it was the only piece of land that he could plough at tho time. Well, whose fault was it? Because that same farm, when he took it, never bad a weed on it. We also have the Californlan thistle spreading. I know a farm not far from the town which a few years ago had only a few square yards of the thistle. Now it has some acres. The spread of tills -weed is brought about by impure seed. I myself bought a Back of oats last year, and had to sift out the thistle. No doubt others • bought some of the same seed, but failed to sift theirs. Many do not know this pest when they see it. I heard of a farmer who when asked why he did not , destroy his Californlan thistle said he bad none. [When taken to the spot and shown them he said he thought they were a poor specimen of Scotch thistle. Then, again, a member of the Moa Road Board suggested the Government Should take over some of these farms, cleaning • them, for the soldiers. Why should the Government come to the rescue of these "don't care" 'farmers? There Is plenty of land yet without -having to fall back on the like of this. Look what happened only the other day. Two farms being sold, acreage the Bame, only a mile apart, both hilly; one man sold for £4O and the other for £ls. Why the difference in tie price?. You only have to see tho land to know. Trusting that the farmers of this district will wake up shortly,—l am, etc., PROGRESS. InglewoouV April 30.