THE WEED LATANA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 159, 31 March 1919, Page 10

THE WEED LATANA

ACTION URGED IN PALMEKSTON. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Palmerston North, March 28. Tho serious danger of latana, a'l.uxious weed of tho most pronouilced type, which has been introduced into tho Dominion as a specimen of horticultural beauty, spreading over tho countryside, was emphasised at a meeting of the Farmers' Union provincial executive. Tlnj matter was introduced by Mr. Hebenton, who 6aid that tho Wairarapn, branch of tho union had passed very strong resolutions nskiug tho" Agricultural Department to take steps to deal with it with the object of preventing its spread, and with a view to its eradication. The weed was a native of Mexico, and had overrun every country to which it had been introduced. It grow to a height of about three feet, and then twined itself around any shrubs, eventually smothering them. He had known cases where it got away and covered tho country for miles like a dense mat, -which oould bo -walked upon. In Ceylon ho had spent large sums in trying to eradicate the pest. He had communicatcd with the Agricultural Department on tho matter, and gol; the reply that theywore not sure that it was a noxious weed, but eventually he thought that some steps would bo taken to have it placed in thS noxious ivoeds class. Dr. Cockayne, .the Government Entomologist, had expressed tho opinion that ■ tho frosts would hill tho plants, but he (the speaker) knew of places where severe frosts wore experienced, where latana was flourishing. Tho spread of such a weed could not but be a danger to landholders, and every means should be taken to rid tho country of such*a dangerous pest. The seed was being imported, and sold by nurserymen, who advocated its use from an ornamental point of view. It had been introduced into Queensland some years ago, and a lesson should bo taken from, the fact that it was Suite overrunning tho country there. It was spreading rapidly in the Taranaki Vlistrict, and had also been introduced into Ifawko's Bay and other districts, and if drastic steps were not immediately taken to check it, it would soon bo. a curso in Now Zealand.

Mr. Douglas remarked tliat the Agricultural Department was extremely lax in the matter of noxious weeds generally. Californian thistle and other pests wero, allowed to spread without any attempt being made to check them. ■ As an upshot of the discussion, tho meeting resolved:' "That this executive desires the Agricultural Department to take drastic steps to" eradicate the noxious shrub latana, at present in this country, and to prevent tho importation of any latana seed by nurserymen and others into this country."