BLACKBERRY NUISANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1930, Page 3

BLACKBERRY NUISANCE

■ DFjPARTM ENT OPT!.M I,STIC. USE- OF SOD I I'M CHLORATE. NEW- p. L fM i ) \ Pi- H ? Ji I he' 14. " sunguine hopes that sodium chl'or■atp solution will dea.,l., effectively .wi.tlu; ..the hlTu-klieiTv .jnengee were express-. f 'd; by .j’lib J ~ W,. ; i)eeiii ? Jiij'eeto>, of the fields’ gtiyisjon of the Agricuituri? Departiuciii't, w’lieii addressing 200 I armors, whp visited the farm of Air W. Hooker, at Waipuku. '. Experiments have .been carried out there, in, connection with ragwort. Surprisingly efficient results have been obtained in Hawke’s Bay, said Mr Deem, although the department, had not anticipated success with the spray as the means of application on a badly-infested area there. Of one-, eighth of an acre, all the blackberry, except a few plants, had been killed. The best method of dealing with the blackberry, Air Deem thought, would be to cut the yine, . find sprinkle .some undiluted crystals around the plants' Toots. Mr Deem said in connection with. luigwort that l)e„ would unhesitatingly advise farmers to spray plants at the present time, and not in the spring, as lie had formerly recommended. The plants now were low and confined in nature. The crystals nf sodium chlorate, proved most effective when ,mixed mitli no stronger tintix, from 2 to 5 per cent of say not more than half a pound of crystals to a gallon of water. Solutions up to 10 per cent did no better work, and, had a tendency to affect the pasture grasses if carelessly applied. At only 2.1 per cent strength, the solution appeared to work admirably, and 100 per cent, kills could be depended upon with ragwort, ox-eye. daisy, and even Scotch thistle. A farmer could cut. pull or grub ragwort without success, but the slightest touch of the spray would kill it within three days. Experiments had also shown that with

bese solutions from 70 to 80 per cent, of kills could he depended upon when Californian thistle was sprayed, and in some places the kills had reached! 100 per cent. The department, however, was not going to claim permanent kills until further experiments had taken place. Meanwhile every hope was entertained -for the realisation of expectations of one hundred pel' cent kills with the Californian' thistle.