BLACKBERRY CONTROL.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 11

BLACKBERRY CONTROL.

A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE USE OF GOATS. Blackberry control is a serious problem in many districts, and especially so in the northern Hawke's Bay district, where thousands of acres are steadily going back (states a correspondent of the Napier Daily Telegraph). Ploughable land, does not offer any serious difficulty, as constant working up eventually kills out both blackberry and gorse, but hill country always presents a problem, and if the area is large successful control is wellnigh impossible. Coats have been tried with some success, and the results on a Taranaki farm would seem to indicate that where the paddocks are of reasonable size both blackberry and gorse can be got under control with goats. For a number of years a farmer in the New Plymouth district has kept his 100-acrc farm in perfect order by means of goats, and as his land was heavily infested when he first took it over, it seems that goats offer one of the best possible methods of control. The method he adopted when he took over the farm was to get a large herd of goats—over 200 —in addition to sheep and cattle. After dividing the farm into small paddocks he stocked heavily with cattle, followed up with sheep," and then turned the goats in. By the time they got there the grass had been completely eaten, leaving only the blackberry and gorse for the goats. So effectively did they tackle these weeds that in two years the farm was practically free from them. Since then this fanner has kept about 40 goals on his farm in addition to sheep, and to-day his 100 acres are among the most productive areas of the district.

The method undoubtedly offers great possibilities to the farmer with a limited area to handle, especially as goats can usually be obtained for very little. The ones used on this farm cost 5s each, and the £SO expended on them very soon returned in ttie added profits from the clean farm.