NOXIOUS WEED QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 735, 9 January 1915, Page 6

NOXIOUS WEED QUESTION.

BOARD OF- AGRICULTURE ACTION.

LOCAL BODIES CIRCULARISED. The following circular letter, received by the Waitomo County Council, from Sir J. G. Wilson, President of the Board of Agriculture, should be of widespread interest to farmers, and any suggestion on the subject will be gladly received: — "The question of noxious weeds has been referred to the Board of Agriculture. It is an extremely difficult question to deal witb, and the Board seeks your advice to assist it in its inquiry. Since the Act has been in force experience has shown that it is an impossibility to enforce its provisions in all cases. The Board fines that the general opinion is that, on bush country and grazing land, it is waste,' not only of time but also of money, to cut down weeds more especially the Californian thistle; it has evidence,, however, to show that there is a necessity for enforcing the Act in some districts, especially the agricultural districts. "It will thus be seen that there is one body of farmers saying that the Act is of no use, and that it should not only be nut enforced, but repealed, and another body saying that it Bhould be stringently enforced. The evidence before the Board, tt:o, shows that both classes of farmers may exist in a district controlled by one local authority, and the difficulty of the Board is to Know what is best to be done in such circumstances. It would therefore like to have yuur opinion on the following point: "What is the general feeling among the farmers in the district under your control as to whether it is advisable to have the Act fully'enforced: In the whole district, or in any portion of the district. "You would greatly aßsist the Board in coming to a conclusion as to what it should adviße in the matter if you would give the fullest information on this subject in connection with the district under your control, stating whether in your opinion your district should be divided into two classes; if so, will you please give some idea of the division you think necessary? /

"The weed which is specially mentioned- in the evidence before the Board so far is the Californian thistle, but there ,may be other weeds in your district in connection with which the Act should be stringently enforced—or otherwise, as the case may be. "I may say, for your information, that the Board has been informed that the ualifornian thistle, can be best dealt with by a very simple procession agricultural districts — namely, by shooting the cavings at threshing time, so as to cover the whole of the.thistle. In grass country, if fresh grass is cut and thrown upon it to a considerable extent, it is said that this will completely kill the thistle. Merely putting straw upon it seems to have no effect, but the cavinga and the grass exclude the air, and therefore .the thistle cannot live. Californian thistle is so general now that it may be worth the while of any farmer in your district to give this treatment a trial."