TOUGHER ATTITUDE TO WEEDS CONTROL URGED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 9

TOUGHER ATTITUDE TO WEEDS CONTROL URGED

A tougher attitude toward i noxious weeds control was urged by Mr C. A. Inch, a member of the Selwyn : County Council speaking yesterday at a meeting of the HalswellJMalvern-Papa- ; rua-Springs and Ellesmere- : Selwyn noxious weeds control committees. i He said he could not ac- i I

cept a defeatist attitude toward the problem. Earlier the field supervisor for the Halswell-Malvern, Paparua-Springs committee (Mr F. E. Hoskin) reported ; an increase of nodding thistle in his area. Mr Hoskin said that most of the new infestations were , small and could be controlled by grubbing. There were • now 128 in his area. This was 15 more than in April ' last year and 55 more than in 1959. Malvern County, with 86 infestations, had the most, and Halswell. with 1 two. the fewest. “I am satisfied that far- ■ mers are doing their best to ’ control the weed,” Mr Hos- j kin said. “Although there has been an increase of infestations, the position is much the same as last season,” he said. ! “We cannot expect to get the last thistle, but I do believe that the areas can be re- J duced. In fact. I am of the 1 opinion that the small in- ! festations can be completely 1 cleared.” Mr R. W. MacKenzie, field 1 supervisor for the EllesmereSelwyn area, said he felt the 1 spread of nodding thistle ' from the Rakaia river bed could be curbed by a recently suggested scheme. It was proposed that far- I mers should spray three ' chains inside their boundar- I ies along the edge of the rivers; farmers leasing the river bed would spray two i chains inside their boundaries. There was a lot of argu- : ment about the spread of the seed. Mr McKenzie said. But it was evident that a large i number of seeds struck : around the mother plant. For i this reason the scheme should curb the spread. i i