RANGITIKEI COUNTY WAGES WAR AGAINST VARIEGATED THISTLE

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 November 1946, Page 6

RANGITIKEI COUNTY WAGES WAR AGAINST VARIEGATED THISTLE

Dr tails of the Rangitikei County | Council's wai Tare against variegated I tgittles were given by the inspector, qt noxious weeds, Mr. J. Robinson (Hlinterville) at the monthly meeting yeerterday. He said that so many applications had been received from farmers in the southern portion of the County, asking for an inspection of boundaries with regard to variegated thistles, that he had nn*j Ud an opportunity of making a coni-, plete inspection of the northern por-' tipn of the county. * “To try and check the influx of thistles on to the cleaner country in the Bonny Glen and Fern Flats districts. I have concentrated all avail - •able men to clear the badly-infested areas in the Turakina Valley, in all 27 men have been engaged by landowners and at present these men are working on properties from the Turakhw township to the Mangahoe Junction,” Mr. Robinson said. . ‘*On the larger holdings between the Turakina River and the War.gaehu, wfhere it is impossible to clear all the thistles in the one season, I have instructed the owners to concentrate all available labour to clearing outlying Sections, which bound on to neighbouring properties. This is meeting with a certain amount of opposition from some farmers who would much prefer to try and keep their freehold country clear of thistles, and not bother with the leaseholds, which in most instances are on the outskirts of the property. - “Now that a certain amount of labour is available for this class of work, more thistles have been cleared so fpr this season than in any previous year.’’ During the past month he had placed six men with farmers on the clearing of gorse and broom, and further applications had been Received from farmers for another 12 men. Mr. Robinson added. The names of farmers requiring labour had been forwarded to the district employment Officer in Wanganui.