A New Danger.

Manawatu Herald, 16 August 1892, Page 2

A New Danger.

We notice that our excellent Mayor has written a letter to our con temporary the Manawatu Times upon the subject of stopping the slips on the Gorge railway. For

Mr Nye we have the very highest respect, but in his desire to save the railway department all expenditure, and secure the safety of the traffic through that ticklish portion of the line running through the Manawatu Gorge* we hold that, he has only looked upon the subject from one point of view. He proposes as a remedy " that the whole of the spurs and cuttings might be covered with vegetation in two or three years at a very small cost* by sowing the seeds of the English broohi atid ground ivy the work being done by the surface-men from time to time. It; is a well-known fact that the broom tribe throws out long roots, and as tougfa as fdjle'si This class of shrubs will grow on rocky or very poor land, and will not readily take fire, and would line the whole of the slopes down. As this shrub seeds annually after the first sowing, it will cast its seed and soon cover the whole surface. Of course I admit this class of shrub is included in the " Noxious Weed Act," and it might be objected to, but taking into consideration that the Gorge line runs through the Forest Reserve, and the land is not likely to be used for grazing purposes, it can do little or no harm," Now we believe wholly in the planting of the slopes, and it may be with anything the departmeno pleases so long as it cannot become a nuisance. The proposal to plant the English broom is one of the worst suggestions that could be made. These plants seed abundantly and shed their seed most easily, thus in one sense excellent for covering the slopes, but as easily as they do this, so will they spread their species over the whole watershed of the Manawatu, below the Gorge. The seed, when the summer is dry, will slip, and as there are winds in the Gorge, will also be blown, into the river, down which they will float to rest and take root on the first convenient shingle bed. on which a few plants will flourish and transfer other plants further down the river. The settlers suffer enough inconvenience from the overflow of the river without being harassed with the doubt that probably a rich crop of broom seed has been sown on their valuable swamp lands. Under these circumstances we trust that the Public Works Department, or the Railway Commissioners, in dealing with the slopes formed by their own act, will take what preventive steps may seem best to them but which they can be assured shall be of no damage to their neighbours. Those owning river frontages near tht Gorge had best keep an eye upon what may be done, and object in time to any noxious weeds being so marvellously misplaced.