NOXIOUS WEEDS MENACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4421, 1 March 1930, Page 3

NOXIOUS WEEDS MENACE.

CONTROL BY RABBIT BOARDS

SUGGESTED.

The serious menace that is faciug this country in the form of the tremendous and rapid spreading of noxious weeds has for some time been a matter of vital concern to Mr. F. C. Raikes, of Oroua Downs. As a Trustee of the Manawatu Rabbit Board, Mr. Raikcs lias on more than one occasion drawn the board’s attention to the existing state of affairs and at Thursday’s meeting advanced the suggestion that Rabbit Boards should take over the control of noxious weeds in their districts.

The chairman (Trustee B. G. Gower) said that the position was certainly serious. New Zealand was called “God’s own country,” but it was rapidly developing: into “God’s own weed bed.” It was an absolute disgrace' to Certain farmers to see the state the country was getting into through neglect. They did not bother to uproot the first few roots of noxious growths on their properties and when their farms were practically covered with it they said it would ruin them if they were compelled to eradicate it.

Trustee Raikcs said what was wanted was some workable scheme that. Rabbit Boards could take up. Trustee J. Gloyn said that a Rabbit Inspector must see noxious weeds during the inspection of the properties in the Board’s area and he did not think; it would be difficult for the Rabbit Boards to handle the matter if they knew how to eradicate the different noxious weeds. The trouble would be how to do it. There was plenty of blackberry right throughout the Manawatu County but how were fanners to get rid of it.

' Trustee J. McKelvie said that Mr. Raikes’s suggestion was a step in the right direction. He had recently returned from a motor tour of the North Island and he had been astounded to see the state the country was in with regard to noxious weeds. The Manawatu was no exception and it was time some drastic action was taken to combat the evil. Trustee W. E. Barber said the matter should be taken up very seriously.

Trustee McKelyie: Its a serious question all right. I was astonished to see the hold noxious weeds had on good country in the vicinity of Cambridge. Trustee Raikes said that every time he brought the matter up everyone started to talk about how had the weeds were hut no scheme for dealing with the matter was advanced. He had brought the matter up to see if members could suggest any method of eradication and failing any such suggestions then he considered his idea of Rabbit Boards dealing with the matter worthy of consideration.

'Trustee McKelvie said lie understood that in the district the controlling body now put men on to clean up a property and charged the cost of same to the property owner where he failed to undertake the Work himself.

Trustee Raikes iu support of his suggestion, said that other Rabbit Boards had taken the mtater up and were operating quite successfully. The Board’s boundaries did not necessarily have to coincide with those of any particular county.

Trustee W. E. Barber: The time lias arrived when something will have to be done to eradicate blackberry and ragwort in the Manawatu. This is principally a dairying centre and at the present rate of increase it will not be. long before these noxious weeds have a hold similar to what they have in the King Country and elsewhere. In that part of the Island dairy cattle have been poisoned through eating ragwort while it is common knowledge that farmers will not buy sheep that have come off ragwort country. Some drastic action will have to be taken in the matter. Trustee, McKelvie said that before a. rabbit board could take up the matter of noxious weeds control it wpuld first have to educate its inspector in that direction. He would have to be able to recognise all noxious weeds and be able to advise farmers on the proper methods of eradication.- The first question he would be asked on informing a farmer that he had a certain noxious growth on his property that would have to be removed would be “how am I to get rid of it.” The ehamnan: It will be harder than 'killing rabbits. Continuing, Trustee McKelvie said that what would kill one noxious weed was food for another specieji. However, when the Board sought for a rabbit inspector they procured the services of a man who knew something about the matter and that would also have to apply if the Board considered taking up the matter of noxious weeds control.

Trustee Baikes said (that when the Board first took, up the matter of rabbit eradication it got a lot of abuse chiefly owing to different people having different opinions as to the best methods of eradication. The Board had, however, got on quite well and now had the rabbits well in hand and would be able to devote time to noxious weed eradication. It might prove difficult at first, but he felt confident that in the end things would turn out just as well as they had done with the rabbits.

-'Trustee McKelvie: It is a matter of educating the people. -We told them at first what the benefits would he if they got rid of the rabbits. They didn’t like it then, hut they are all pleased to-day. The point of stress in this matter is that

if the noxious growths are not arrested now they will soon take eh urge of the whole country. Trustee Raikes said that other Boards had taken the matter up and some were doing very satisfactory work. It was possible that they knew nothing about the business when they Ifirst started but the Maim wain Board would probably he able to obtain their assistance if it took the work on. Trustee Barber: Would our noxious weeds (inspector operate in our Rabbit Board district,or take in the whole of the Manawatu County ? Trustee Raikes: Only the Rabbit Board district. Trustee Barber said that if the matter was taken up there should lie no half pie methods. The whole of the county should he taken in. Trustee McKelvie: Control of noxious weeds by this board will mean an extra tax. Title chairman said 1 that there should not he any necessity for any great expenditure if the proposal were adopted. The work of rabbit destruction and noxious weeds eradication would go hand in hand. The inspector would be able to see noxious weeds during the course of his inspection of properties for rabbits.

Trustee Barber said there was a possibility of a subsidy for the work from the Government. The control of noxious weeds was undertaken by the Agricultural Department at the present and if Rabbit Boards were to take the matter up then they would surely be entitled to a subsidy as they would be saying the Department time and expense. Trustee Raikes said that his proposal had been considered at the conference of Rabbit Boards held recently and that body had been given to understand that no subsidy would be forthcoming from the Government. The chief thing iti his opinion, which favoured noxious weeds control by Rabbit Boards was that there would be no fear of oppression. The Board was comprised of farmers settled throughout the locality controlled by the Board and there would be no fear of hardship. All that the Board would need to do at the present, was to see that the spread of noxious growths was stopped.

The chairman said that birds were chiefly responsible for the spread of blackberry. They had taken it into hundreds of acres of lupin land iii the Manawatu.

Trustee McKelvie said that wherever a gorse hedge was grubbed but: blackberry came up. The birds had carried the seed into hedges and plantations alike.

Trustee Barber said that the Crawtliorn Institute had an insect which would attack the blackberry, but they were afraid to release it because of other small fruits. Blackberry had been successfully eradicated from the Makerua swamp where it took control by smashing it down- with tractors, burning and sowing with grass, the area then being kept stocked. Trustee McKelvie: The swamps are our trouble in this district. They are full of blackberry. Mr. McKelvie said the method outlined by Trustee Barber was quite all right. The land had to be well topdressed and kept stocked. Goats were long since proved to be useless and were liable to contract foot rot in swamps. After further discussion it was decided on the motion of Trustees F. C. Raikes and W. E. Barber to write to the different Rabbit Boards, dealing with noxious weeds and ask their advice on the matter and to also ascertain if the area was confined to the Board’s district or the County in which it was operating; whether au extra rate was necessary and what extra was paid out in salaries, etc. The matter will be further discussed at the next meeting of the Board.