THE FARMERS' BETE NOIR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 10

THE FARMERS' BETE NOIR.

SOME BATTLES AGAINST WEEDS. AN ANECDOTE OR TWO., .''■■! Noxious weeds are a good deal in men's minds just now (writes our travelling. : correspondent), and 1 notice .that, at some of the conferences of tho Farmers' Union, remits on this subject have been discussed. A few weeks ago, travelling along a road in the' Eangitikei district, 1 saw a man on his kneo3 ia the paddock. I stopped to inquire what he was doing, and ho told mo that'he was trying to combat an invasion of buttercups.' Hβ only had it in one paddock, and had mado up his mind that he would, if possible,. stop it from spreading. When he first began to handle it, ho had used the boo to cut oat the plants, with the result that, at each cutting, tho quantity became smaller and smaller,' till, on the day I saw him, ho was engaged in taking out the seedlings, which still appeared .in two or three plates. He considered that he bad now overcome it, and was hopeful of. being quite able "to clear it out of his place. I wonder how many men would havo taken, this'trouble; but it shows that "if one only makes a start early, and keeps'"on tho go," one may bo able to come ont on top. ■ A friend of miuo in the Kiwitea district, somo fow years ago, found a small patoli of California!} thistlo on. his. place. By repeatedly cutting it, not allowing it to grow,but keeping- it from fonning fresh leaves, in three years he had entirely got rid of it. At the same time, ho said, one of his neighbours had a'fairly big patch;,the latter took no pains to get rid of it, with the result of course that it was spreading; and • probably infecting other paddocks belonging to neighbours. ' . • , .

_. "How doos this thistlei becomo established?" is often asked. It is usually thought to be introduced in\ grass seed, or ' seed grain. No doubt this is so, but there is another .'means by which it is, introduced, and thatjis by quail. .They are very, fond of the seed of Californian thistle, when they can find it, and thero is no doubt that, in frequent . cases, the seed has been carried by quail. .Some people think, that it is also carried by the wind, but,' against this, onu must consider that it is a very heavy seed, not easily carried ,by the wind. It does not fly like the. ordinary thistle. I Howevor, by whatever means it may bo introduced on a farm, it is of the utmost importance that the farmer should bo constantly, on tire look-out for'it. But I'have como across lots of men who do not, know what it. is like; consequently, if they saw it, they would probably think it was a sow thistle, to which it has a considerable likeness in its early.i stages. It is a great pity that, in bo many' some'of them are of the most vital importance—we' are apt to be careless on tho farm. I don't know of one detail of more importance than nipping, in tho first stages of growth, any noxious weeds wo may. come across.. It is a protty'safe rule.that, if you.see something you aro not acquainted, with, , ;:-you-,-shouldi cut ito.trt. ... ' , ~;.. .;',' . Passing tho Onepuhi Pα,'tho other'day, I noticed that some white men were cutting tho blackberry which is, bo much in .evidence there.' The Maoris have : ■ not,.. : taken,> any troublo to copo with it. It has spread very much, and now that there aro such hordes of blackbirds in the. laud, blackberry, is coming up ovorywhere. On making inquiry, I was informed that/the men are put on by tho Government. They..ara paid, eight, shillings a day. Whether the money will eventually be. repaid by the Maoris is hard to say. It seems absurd that an entirely different treatment is accorded to the pakeha. When he .has any blackberry on his land, the weeds'inspector is on. him ;'liko a pig I on a paring," and if.he does.not at once attend to instruction, bo is hauled b'eforo' the nearest Magistrate. There is no putting' on-of: Government workmen for the Dakeha., ■■«.'(§- ■■. : —' |: ■'£, COST OF WHEAT-CROWING. '•"The cost of wheat culture in "Western Aus-, tralia is thus estimated by Mr; Despeissis, the Xlndor-Secretary for ' Agrkmlturo for ' that' Btato: —. . ■ ■-. ■ ■ _■■ Pbugiiing,. ■'. ...I ....... 6d to 8 6 Cultivating ; ... ... i g Drilling '■■'■ . •■' ... ... ... __ 3 q Seed and pickliaig 1J bushels'.... ...." S 0 Manure, , 841b. super '.., ■ ... 3 9 Rolling (if done) ... ... ;• 1 3 Harvesting, 4 horses 5 ... ; 15 s.bags at Bd. and twirio 2d. ... ■ ... 3 6 ■" . ... , 30 '6 If the orop is cut with the binder and subsequently threshed the cost of crowing tho crop will bo as above—;ttame]y 225. 6d.—and this with other costs will bo as follows:—' ' „'.'■"■' b. d. Growing orop ■ ... ... 22 6 Reaper and binder ... 3s. 6d. to 4 0 IVino. ... ... ■ ... -2 3 Stocking. .'•■■ "... . ... ' ... 2s. to 2.6 Carting and stacking ... ... .....': 2-6 Threshing ... ... ' ... -./.':2'6 Bags and twino ... ... ... ... 3 6 '.." '■■•.' "■''' ;' ■ ~ 39 9 He gives usual.values as follow: Wheat 3s. to 3s. 6d.; oats, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d.; barley, 2s. 6d. to 35.; Oapo and malting barley, 4s. to 4s. 6d.- .... .■ ,