CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1371, 23 February 1912, Page 8

CALIFORNIAN THISTLE.

A PRACTICAL FARMER'S EXPERIENCE. Although the Minister for Agriculture is reported as having found some virtue in the. Californian thistle, there are fewpractical farmers between the North Cape and the Blulf who will agree that the pest in question has any merit. A correspondent, "Huttoft," liens the following note on the subject of the thistle:— "In a recent is.-ue you have, among your farm notes, a paragraph regarding a disease appearing among the patches ol Californian thistles on DunvaU's farm, Seaward Downs, and add: 'It would he interesting to know whether any other farmers have had a similar experience. I may sov that t hold land on the banks of the Akitio River, and unfortunately an'i annoyed bv the presence of thistles in abundance, 'but last season I noticed several had been attacked by a blight, which simplv 'snuffs' them out. It comes in the form of a brown fungus, lodging on the under part of the leaves. This year I notice it is ten times thicker in the same locality, and'trust it will continue to snread, and prevail over the com-, liiou nuisance. I forwarded a sample to tho Agricultural Department, but until now have had no reply as to whether it in a likely matter for hope in the future. . "ifcardiug the saltine of thistles being a means of inducing the sheep to wipe them out, for some time T have had an idea that if a patch was sprayed with a strong brine, it would give such a .relish' to them that the stock would lake to them like ducks to water. Anyway.l am going to try it. and will let .vour readers know later"if it is successful."