RAGWORT.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 199, 10 March 1905, Page 2

RAGWORT.

(TO to XDttOL) Sin,—l hav. noticad rercnuy u> yoav columns usvual tetten re wart. Thtre is no doubt that lbs weed is a oarsa, as everyone who baa bed experience with it knows, and it behoves every person in the distetot to keep it in eheck. It it once needs it will take years to get rid of. Perhaps it is not generally known that even when a root is palled op any email tendons that are left and get the ail and sun will grown again—but such ia the ease, as baa been proved by many farmer! in tba South. In pulling tte plant up sore should ba taken that any of the small roots that may ba left in tbs ground are well covered, or, a mush bettor plan is to sprinkle them -with a handfull of salt, eheep dip, 01 any of the weed deatroyers, as the roota are then easily killed. When the plant is in flower great care should ba taken to oat all the flowers off and burn them, aa if they are left on the stalk they get sufficient nnnriehrrrenf to mature. Every settler and drover in tile district should take great aero whan droving their atoak through To Bau-a-moa, that they era not paddooaed in any place where the weed is growing, as both cattle and aheap are carrying the eeeda in their wool, hail and hoofs all over the district. I know for a fact of several new burns ia this district that have been stocked with cattle and sheep that were paddocked at Ta Ban-a-moaa year ago, plants have been found in full bloom this season. This being ths case, the hundreds of thousands of acres of good grazing country round the harbour will be flourishing with ragwort ia • few years, aad thus be nestote to any oaa. ErsryodrthauidlfoialLinlhste power to urge “ tile 'Gov#rbment the necessity of eradicating the weed from Te Rsntanaan, and Iwbuld an*, geat Wai pttbL’B in the various centres, and that the Go. vernment be petitioned 4w-at caca aU toad io this Wtatter. At • Uta present time ragwort is thriving on unoccupied Government buri,-and-no steps are being taken td Urn'll cfeatedjtybi pri. veto landholders are being sued for not cutting the weed. Why do they not clear twit oWn TaMs,' tbnfi ettting a good example? I stncsrttylibpe that this mattes-wiii ba-titeea'wp by tha public; as the plants are in flower and the seed riponifig >thu» M dd- W»e to lose. Nearly the whole W'the had round the harbour and diatriot belongs to the natives and the Government. II the subject is properly'‘ mutilated through the proper channel, and the ruin it means, Ido not think there ' will be much difficulty in getting something done to help the sotuezs.— Yours, etc., F. A, PEABBON. Lawhia, 7/3/1905. >