RAGWORT MENACE

Te Puke Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 55, 21 July 1939, Page 5

RAGWORT MENACE

* ERADICATION WORK START TO BE MADE AT EARLY DATE APPLICATION FOR GRANT At last meeting of the Tauranga County Council a letter was read from the Director of the Livestock Division of the Department of Agriculture, with reference to the Council’s application for an allocation to enable the Council to undertake noxious weed eradication work and advised that it would not be possible to inform the Council of the amount of allocation, which would be granted to' it until all applications had been ret ceived and given consideration. However the Council was authorised to commence operations when it was opportune, in accordance with attached conditions, and in due course he would advise the amount of the grant. Cr Alaqh said it was very satisfactory to know that an earlier start would be made. Cr McClinchie urged that a start should be made at once. > Several councillors concurred. The matter of appointing. an additional inspector was left in the hands of the County Engineer. , Mr H. S. Stratford, First Avenue, Tauranga, in a letter regarding the ragwort problem suggested that it might be,possible to create a. fungus disease on .ragwort by extracting .the juice from ragwort plants and -feeding it to otherragwort plants.. He pointed out that diseases on fruit trees are formed by failing rotting fruit and cuttings. There were many methods of juice extraction and he believed it would pay to give the idea a trial.

Or McClinchie mover—That the letter be forwarded to the Cawthron Institute. —Seconded by Cr Hume and carried. The County Clerk, Mi - 11. Lewis, reported that an application had been made to the Department of Agriculture for a grant of £2,900 — (£2,CCO for labour and £9OO for. material)—for the purpose of carrying on with ragwort eradication. The Department awaited receipt of all applications ere making; its allocations.

The County Inspector, Mr T. B. Turley, in reporting on noxious weeds, said: ‘■‘This section of my duties is receiving every possible attention, particularly is attention being given to ragwort, Bathurst burr, blackberry and gorse. 'lhe areas inspected were Maketu, Pongakawa Paengaroa, Ranginiu, No. 1,2, and 3 Roads, Te Puke, Papamoa, Omokoroa, Otumoetai, Ivatikati, : Aongetete, Kauri Point, Athenree,' Lind’s Road and Highway. Where possible, personal contact had been made with the occupiers regarding clearing weeds, and in btliei cases warning notices have been sent, and following visits have been .made since notices have been -given. Cood clearances have been and are being effected. Some farmers were -not aware of the dangers of Bathurst burr, and some did not- even know the plant, but when shown or described were anxious to keep it o- their lands. It was stated that two areas in the Te Puke district, totalling 1400 acres, were infested with ragwort and were ’’ menace to neighbouring lands. It was considered that these areas should be planted in trees.