RAGWORT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12177, 28 January 1903, Page 4

RAGWORT.

Now is the when the ragwort scatters its % millions of s^eds to be carried by the- four winds in every direction from the' spot where it has been allowed to. flower and como tomaturity, Alreacly the decaying flowers are releasing the downy cai--irier-&-.and the mischief has begun. Still muehsof - iftma : y be prevented if landowners will make a point of closely inspecting- ' their properties at once, before' a spell ' ,ot hot dry weather* makes the matter ten- * times' worse. A correspondent informs us, in another column, that isolated plants may be seen in bloom on this side of Egmont Village, •ran'd.vafeo.-rthsrtr "he^xltscovered" three plants on his farm at Puketotara. One of these latter he has brought to our office, so' that people whp are unacquainted with the weed may see it and be able to recoguiseit in future. t Jlagwort is one. of )eht> most dangerous weeds it is.\pdssjb,le--to get iri ' this country, and^* no pf£-1 oautions- shjuild be neglected to pi'grj vent it spreading and getting a ,'f(ej^ manent hold . of the land., There is only one way ' v 'to ■ deab with it, ji\nd that is'tb pull it out by the roots- {abd burn it. ' To cut it down and l^ye the heads to_^dry, when the flowers are on them, is useless, the seed will ripen arid -j scatter almost as well as. iif the pientf ;had been left standing*. Where the pesi -exists! on an. -extenjsiye, scale the- -noxiotts - wieeds inspector,^, should see that !> measures are t4ken ! to eradicate itK Where' ;there are isolated plants it should be the, care of evjsry-' one" who j; sfeesf them, whether lths; owner of th'e^ : land or> not, 'to "p"ul|/ them up at sight and take steps f toj destroy them., ?In that; way ragwo v r|< may perhaps be prevented from taKingi charge of, until the soil übs* comes sick of it.. Otherwise- the will undoubtedly spread. % £% ■' . -. ifelV

An amatea*- operatic society ,, 4 -was formed at Feftdmg .on Tuesday eve; ling.:;, , In this 'issue, Messrs Kirkqald £;antl Stains, Wellington, enclose aa inseC'l <. * MigsjjrA. pidfield annonuces th is!ner( musical , classes commence on M l^dayj next, 2nd .February/ w , t ■, ; ; « r ff { The, registrattottfee forlf 03 fo* -4ogs is now" d>?& A- notice to dog-owners appears in!, this issue »-■*, Vf'fn Captaia Edwin tGlographeoT td-das : Winds, moderate nortb,;wjei tifa-ad west and south-west ; barometer rjss ; sea- moderate : tides moderate i.thiHderstorm and showers are probable. Mr 'Harry Peters, of Egmont 1 Road, has presented a collection of B&w*Zi aland vegetable -caterpillars to ihe local museum. The Collection is reported ti be a cood one'f " ' > 1 Begging in the streets appears to be growing in Auckland. The Pa] iatija -Herald states—that this begging onmrt possibly be the result of poverty, fM. We \ have : w on the authority of a Very; high personage that , poverty is unknown 4 'in Sew Zealand;".. l . ] | ' 'J The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile : Agency Company, Hamilton, advjertise in this isaac the sub-division o1 .tlje Woodlands [ Estate of 12,268 acres nfear Hamilton, Applications for se< tio&s close on 20th February nerfc. Plac B^ftnd particulars aro obtainable from^ ■ iany branch of the Loan Company. ■' ' Thj?;Htfuraki Brass Band, who wi llM«> •rive^b'fcre^'fcn' Friday morning on 1 way to thePMastertpn Band Contest prop^ses giving a concert in the Beorc ilion Grounds on Friday evening. 'A o flleft-? will be taken at the gates to help 1 o defray their expenses. .;„ . ■> A\_ 'l There are fewer English touristy jta JJew Zealand this, month than has been the rale in previous years at a a lire's* ponding period, remarks the Wt»Uii tfitoh Times. , Itiis surmised,tnat the dec resile in numbers is in a great measure atl rtfm table to. tHe durbar at Delhi having; at-, .tract? dan number,, of sigh sears J ain 3 traye|^ra < t'aln.dja. ' ' v \ , '„ „ With regard-to the Borough dpben t , tures, respecting which a discussion^ took olace at the Borough Council meeting on Monday night, we learn upon enquiry that an .effort was made to .place a portion of the debentures loeaHy, but Only i 1000 worth vtos actually taken up, the balance of £40,000 being, disposed or in Aucklana;, » , .... - ; t ;fr .jAnott»§r hrgp Auckland stock, tliat. of »es^X|bs^ Page &' : iC^''clo]thiers,;m!Er,;' cers, dltftlifiers,' and hatters, has been 'so 7 bureS Dy-> I( 'the' 'Me"lbourne Clothing Cony pany at'a'big bargain price. The wholt; of the stock has" been ' TenTovea~to Is ew' Plymouth, and the pale will comriidn'pe Friday next. The Melbourhe Cloithing Company's premises will be closed ail day on Thursday to arrange stock and prepare for sale, which prove ajinost succ saf ui one. " > ' '- The Master ton Times* records that in emptying a tea-pot the other day a peiuliar shape was observed amongst the leaves, which upon examination proved to be a small snake abput.f our inches'in length. How this baby reptile came to be packed in tea t otu Jcoral strand," how it died in its prison house, and its remains scalded' in a Mastjbrtpn tea- potf' belong to a chapter of acci'clenjie which may happen to the. best-regulated family. - - 4 n <i. The meeting of the New Plymouth Association in the Council Chambers this should be largely, attended by, the business people. A glance .through draft of rules which it is pfpp'osed' to submit for approval indicates a spirit of , progress, and 'it would bo well if by combination many of the suggestions could be adopted. There are many matters which would work advantageously by such an organisation being formed; and it is to be hoped fthere 1 will be a good attendance. Every storekeeper is invited to be present. |" .' At the meeting of the Hundred Ye^r Clufy held in New York last moh thy weri, presented gome statistics on longevi by recently compiled by the Census Deport; meat in Washington-. The last Inited States census shows that there v one person in the Uaitcd States, a negrfeas of who is over 150 years old. There are 33,762. persons over 90 ;jihef e are nine vrho are over 130, and 86J who are oveV-120;. , Of -the latter 28 are males and 58 females. All those who af 3 upwards of 115 are negroes, with the exc!?j#lon ot one Indian, .who is 130. Next to th 6 'negroes 1ho : Irish race hold a the record in the United States, for old! age. Izai Rodofsy, a Russian, who is 1|36, is believed to be the oldest white man Jiving. . >

j Miss C- ,H. Retforii^unounces that her 'Urga' sto6k of pr^ents and Christinas .iS? 0^???.. n.9.Wn .9.W JO.!. Ja^ge (reiJuctions for cash, prior to alterations.

7 When tbe- Papanui left Wellmgiuii last week with" a record .shipment of «!airy produce for London, the Ktw Zealand Times, in recording the irfScrt,'" omitted to credit New Plymouth wiih^a single pound of xh« product, allh ugh avery other port of New Zealand 'htit" had 'contributed was mentionerUwith the quantity despatched. Thinking that possibly the shipment from Uhis p^rt, which was really larger than from miy other, had been by some means shut .nt, \lr H. Couk. who happened to bf. in Wellington at the time, made enq^ims at the Times office, where he was told that ihe Tamnaki butt,er . ha,d I .eon shipped .alfrijs£jt, Mr Co^k.ithen a^ktd; why it wa* not credited to this port, nnd was promised that ib should be rectiiied. The correction appeared two or three d&js_ plater iti the folio wit.g form :—: — f" "Ambngifihe dairy produce shippt-ti io ( 4 ondou by the Papauui last week" uv the' MatioDal ...JJrtiry !\(Nortfc fsland) was a considerable consignment of butter and -cheese from Taran.ki." 4'his tardy ,a.pd,indd|pite acknpwli t?g•mettTjb^ar's out'^e'lap^^ptio-fl^fhat t litre lS~ardeliberate inter tion "on' rflie, par.r. qt, peopla in Wellington .to'concgaSl \the" fadf that the" port 61^!Sw^'Pl^hdAm inihe. larger contributor to the-exports. 6f dafify 1 produce. Before long, bo/ceyer; WeilNiiftiitWill lose ttie^dfidlihg^as. well as \ he credit of Taranaki, dairy produce,- vhich wiU\be'-snipped v -direut from the bic^kwater- . .•' r. ■- /'^- r :-^ T^'\ < ' < :-' ' (