NOXIOUS WEEDS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5384, 6 February 1929, Page 3

NOXIOUS WEEDS.

PREVALENCE ON PLAINS. FARMERS’ UNION CONCERNED. T,he rapid spread of certain noxious and other weeds on the; Hauraki Plains was t'he main topic of. discussion at this month’s meeting of the Ngatea* branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union on Monday. FESCUE ON STOP-BANKS. Fescue was the first to be discussed, a letter having beqn received from the lands drainage engineer, Kerepeehi, advising that practically all the Piako River and the foreshore stop-banks had been handed ’over to the centre) of drainage boards. Mr, Taylor expressed the opinion that the results likely to be achieved 1 by attempts to eradicate the fescue would be entirely incommensurate with the cost. Mr Phillips: Well, what nill be the; cost if the fescue is left ? It was agreed.that no purpose would be served) by approaching the drainage boards, and the view was expressed that until fescue was made a noxious weed, as had been requested by the County Council, there was little chance; of anything being, done. The fescue was so widely spread, and it was nobody’s concern in particular so no body or person took any action. As usual, there was. one member who, by expressing the view that tall fescue; could be controlled, and by quoting instances where it hail been eradicated, demonstrated l the general indifference of farmers at all times ejxcept when assembled at meetings suc,h as those of the Farmers’ Union. STINKING MAYWEED. In reply to previous correspondence the Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Co., Ltd., advised that, the stinking mayweed growing at its s.aleyards, although not a noxious weed, had been cut, as the company fully realised .that no property-owner should allow such weeds to grow on his land if they were to the detriment of surrounding holdings. Members commented that if the weeds had been cut they had since made very rapid growth. This season the plants had come up on all the surrounding farms, and 1 plants; could be seen on the public hall property from where members sat at the meeting. It .was meptioned that the County Council had, on the union’s recom-* mendation, applied to have the mayweed declared a noxious weed, but so fhr no reply had been rec;eivqd from the Government department concerned. FOXGLOVE ON CROWN LAND. The rapid spread of foxglove on the Crown land between the Kaihere and .Orchard West roads was next mentioned, members commenting that 'hundreds of acres had been overrun this season. This was a noxious weejd, but the land belonged to the State, and it was recognised that no matter how overgrown Crown land was with noxious weeds or pests the State would do nothing. RAGWORT. Ragwort, which is now conspicuous on account of its bright yellow flower, was next mentioned Owing to its appearance throughout the county in small clumps. One member mentioned that he had thirty clumps under observation and receiving attention on his farm. Most of t.hq other members present mentioned that the weed was growing bn their farms. Mr R. Burke asserted that ragwort could be destroyed by cutting and pouring a small quantity cf sheep dip on to the roots. INSPECTION. It was pointed out that the Govern inspector of stock was a noxious: weed inspector, and; the Hauraki Plains County Council’s inspector had jus,t been appointed to, a similar position, so it was decided to; write to these authorities pointing but the seriousness of the menace and asking that the inspectors take action.