LUPIN AS A NOXIOUS WEED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3763, 6 March 1928, Page 3

LUPIN AS A NOXIOUS WEED.

COUNTY COUNCIL’S ACTION

CRITICISED.

“PREPOSTEROUS PROPOSAL.”

The Hon. Edward Newman, M.L.C., and fol-mer M.P. for Manawatu, warns settlers against the action of the Manawatu County Council’s proposal to declare lupin a noxious weed. Mr. Newman’s views, in the main, are endorsed by Cr. McKelvie (a member of the Council), and Sir James Wilson (late chairman of the County), and other settlers who have given the matter serious consideration. Mr. Newman writes as follows: —

“I am not a ratepayer in Manawatu County, and therefore have no right to speak at a public meeting of ratepayers, but I venture to write to say that I earnestly hope that ratepayers will be present in force at the meeting of the County Council on Tuesday, the 13th inst., to oppose this most useful plant being put on the schedule of noxious weeds throughout the county of Manawatu. Any person who has observed the condition of the sand dune country on the West Coast of this island fob the last twenty or thirty years must realise that were it not for the spread of lupin the sand dunes, would be an infinitely greater menace than they are. and he would also realise that lupin is the only plant that can beat the spread of the sand. It is not very many years past since the hills along the coast from Paekakariki north were moving sand dunes. Now, they are under fairly good pasture and carrying a large amount of stock, and this has resulted solely’from the fact that lupin was introduced by settlers in that district in the earlier days. “The importance of this subjeil to settlers in Manawatu and to the country generally cannot but be realised because, if the council thinks fit to make lupin a noxious weed under the Act, then farmers may as well abandon all idea of fighting thfi sand drifts on the coast, lands, a work on which many have spent a great amount of time, energy, and money of late years. I desire to emphasise the followingfacts bearing on the subject: — Ist. —That if lupin is made a noxious weed in the Manawatu County it will pretty well ruin every settler whose land either fronts the sea or the Oroua or Rangitikei Rivers where lupin exists. 2nd.—lt will make such properties almost unsaleable. Who would buy a property fronting. th« Oroua River or the sea coast with the liability of eradicating lupin hanging over the head of the purchaser?

3rd. —The council will be asking the settlers to do a thing that they must know it is impossible to do, but which they (the settlers) might easily ruin themselves trying to do. Will any practical farmer say that it is within the power of settlers to clear the bed of the Oroua River or the sand hills of lupin established as it is now? If the county council has-its own way regarding lupin, there will be no “unemployment problem in New Zealand from now on for a time. All the unemployed will find work grubbing lupin in Manawatu.

“May I also point out that while marram is a most useful plant with which to arrest the spread of sand without the help of lupin the sand, so treated remains a desert and useless for grazing purposes. Lupin, when it dies down, provides humus with the result that if suitable grasses are sown a quite good pasture can be obtained on what was worthless sand dune Probably you are aware, sir, that tree planting on the sand dunes is rapidly increasing on this coast. This is preceded by planting with marram and lupin. Nothing can be done in" the way of afforestation until the stability of the sand is assured, and lupin is the only known plant that can be depended on to do this effectively. Personally, as I have indicated, I have no property within the Manawatu County, but I have interests in the adjoining counties, and I am afraid/ of the effect of a bad example. 7 Besides, I am seriously alarmed that the Manawatu Council should have already passed one resolution making lupin a noxious weed and that the position now is that it only remains for this to be confirmed at the meeting to be held at the Council Chamber on Tuesday, the 13th inst., for it to take effect. I cannot believe that councillors are unaware of the hardship that would fall on the settlers with lupin on theik farms if this preposterous proposal is confirmed. I understand the idea in the minds of some councillors is that the Act will only be enforced in special cases that is, where people are allowing lupin to sinead on good land. Such a method of carrying out the law would neither jje practical nor expedient, and even if it were it would not prevent farms with lupin becoming unsaleable. “I trust the ratepayers in Manawatu will protest before it is too late and prevent the resolution already passed by the council being confirmed on Tuesday week.”