FIRE BLIGHT MENACE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4329, 12 October 1921, Page 1

FIRE BLIGHT MENACE.

THREE COUNCILS CONFER,

RECOMMENDATION TO GOVERNMENT.

In order to discuss matters pertaining .to the fire, blight menace a conference between the Thames Borough Council, Thames County iCouncil, and Hauraki Plains County Coun-.il was held in the County Council Chambers, Thames, on Friday,, the Mayor, Mr E. N. Millar presiding over a large and representative gathering..

The Mayor said that the Borough had received a deputation from fruit growers with reference to fire blight and the complete eradication of hawthorn by having it declared a noxious i weed. As the' Borough did not pds- x | sess orchards to any great extent,, he I thought the County chairman would have s.ome plan to submit.

’ GOVERNMENT AND PESTS.

Mr H. Lowe (chairman of the Thames County Council) said that at a meeting of fruit growers it had been shown that the life of the hawthorn was a short one, especially if it became infected. If it were kept without leaves and the sap reduced it could be dealt with more readily. To the person, who had no orchard it would be a hardship to cut th? hawthorn down and re-fence., The conference should assist in every possible way to put down all pests; It should be fair to the orchard] sts and other farmers., He thought the Government .was the worst offender in this district in connection with cutting out blackberries.. The me.eting must come tp a conclusion whether it was to be of benefit tp eradicate the hawthorn, and,, if so, to insist on this course. If the hawthorn could be sprayed, that would be much cheapen If it was so necessary, why did not the Government take action and compensate the farmers for refencing ?

QUESTION OF SHELTER, 'Mr McCormick said that if the pests were eradicated the farmer should be compensated. Shelter was half the fopd of the. dairy industry in the Valley. Total eradication .would hit the farmer very hard. There were all kinds of pests in an orchard, and by eradicating the hawthorn he did not think, they would get r,id of the fire blight.

Mr Cox upheld that if total eradication was necessary some compensar tion should be allowed. He would favour cutting the hedges down to four feet. He did not see why those who had np orchards, should be penalised for those who had.> Mr Blackett said he had an orchard, and if he thought the hawthorn was a pest he would have had it out long ago. . He would not support .total eradication.

Mr J. C. Miller (chairman bf the Hauraki Plains Council) said he had come with an open mind. He

said there were no hawtho’rn hedges on the Plains, except perhaps some at Tahuna. .He contended that as it was not certain that hawthorn was actually the cause, they should dp no hasty action. Shelter .was one of 'the main things to a farmer. When it was known ' that hawthorn was a shelter all the year round and that farming was a main industry, he thought the farming industry should receive .as much consideration as any other, If. may be possible to get other shelter, but that would take some .time. He suggested that the process of eradication could be done gradually. If anything was to be a .menace to an industry they-should try to meet the party in every way. Immediate eradication would be a menace tp a great many. Something should be done to protect both sections ofi the community—orchardists and farmers. ' If hawthorn could be proved a menace it should be proclaimed a noxious weed. A gradual eradication, thought, would suit the case.

CONCERTED ACTION ESSENTIAL-

Mr Alley was not in favour of immediate proclamation of hawthorn as a noxious weed, as no evidence had been put forward to proclaim it as such. If it was proclaimed a noxious weed, some of it would be eradicated and some of it left tp grow.;. If it were shown i.t .was a pest, lie would be in favour of eradication, but the farmers should be given time to remove it.

Mr Hetherington said it would be useless for the Borough to declare a noxious weed if the other local bodies did not do likewise. He was not an expert on the matter, but experts had been insistent that the hawthorn was a menace. . The Government, so far, had not declared hawthorn a noxious weed. It .would be wise to take precautions before the menace reached a serious stage, but to the meeting it was not yet evident .that the hawthorn was responsible. Mr Lowe , said if he thought anything would jeopardise his business he would cut it put. He read extracts from a journal—-“Fruitgrower”—with reference to matter,, saying, though hawthorn had bebn removed in Auckland, fire blight .was still prevalent. .If action was to be taken it should be concerted action. The Government should give a lead in the matter and take the responsibility. Are we going to strangle or benefit ah industry ? - If it would strangle, it, we should have it but. Then the (lev-* ernment should see that it came out. They should take notice of the fact that .the farmer should have time. If the orchardists, were so certain that the hawthorn was a menace to them, why 'then don’t they take action ?

Mi’ McCormick said that on the stone fruit (fire blight only attacked pip fruit) he had seen practically the same form. He thought the only way to get rid of the blight was to cut the fruit trees down. He gave instances

where fruit trees were at ibeir best during the first flew years of their life and required replacing. GOVERNMENT SHOULD LEAD. The Mayor said he took a serious view of the matter. Experts contended that the evidence against the hawthorn was overwhelming. If there was any doubt about the evidence they should ask the fruitgrowers to meet*, them in conference. There may be other things whicii would hold the bacteria of the blight, but hawthorn was where they existed at present. He did not know how .they could insist on cutting dowp the trees. The fruit industry was important, and one that should not be ignored. There were three proposals to consider : (1) To urge the Government tp deal with the matter. The Government had seen fit to place the matter with local bodies. Compensation should be recommended. (2) That legislation be passed to have the hedges defoliated ; (3) to have a conference with the orchardists„< Mr Miller was in favour of the Government taking the lead. If hawthorn was .the menace nobody'could object to its eradication. If the Government took over the matter, local bodies would be guild,ed by .the Government. . ’

Mr Lowe said the Government had all inlflormation, and he would favour Mr Miller’s suggestion. He thought compensation should Ibe included. Mr Miller put his suggestion in the form of a resolution,, that the Government should pass the necessary legislation. Mr Lowe seconded. Mr Hetherington supported the motion, and upheld that it would be of little use one body declaring the hawthorn, a noxious weed and another! not doing so/ Mr Faithfull said it would be wrong to condemn the plant on the present information. * The motion was carried unanimous-

ly. , . _ ' On M z r Hetherington’s motion it was decided io ask the Counties’ Association to circularise the various local bodies, asking support of the resolution.