GORSE AND BLACKBERRY MENACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4498, 30 August 1930, Page 2

GORSE AND BLACKBERRY MENACE.

EXPERIMENTS WITH KILLER. DEMONSTRATION TO BE HELD. An outline of the experimental work at present being carried out in ibe perfection of an effective killer for gorse and blackberry was to members of the Manawatu Rab-‘ hit Board on Thursday by Mr. A. Grant (Government Inspector). - •Mr. Grant said that experiments had been under observation at Massey College for some time now with regard to a gorse killer. Those in charge had been somewhat disappointed with the - results obtained after the first fortnight after spraying but during the laM ten days the “killer” had begun to take effect in n marked degree and there was every hope of its sueeess. Sodium chlorate had been used and the gorse under trial had been stronggrowing and about four feet in height'. The Department- would be quite prepared to give a demonstration in the Manawatu district, if a suitable block was located on which to carry out operations. Mr. W. E. Barber (chairman of the Manawatu County Council) gladly accepted the offer and said lie would ask the Council’s noxious weeds inspector to select, a suitable locality. He was also arranging for a demonstration of a proprietory “killer” and a comparison would prove interesting. Mr. Grant said that the Department's “killer” had been tried out on some ragwort at Thakara and there had been no doubt at all about the result. With blackberry nnd gorse they were of the opinion that spraying .’would be much more effective if done at certain times of the year. Hu was of opinion that sodium chlorate would be far more effective on gorse in the Manawatu district in October than at any other time. It was apparently deadly in respect to briar as he liad witnessed the spraying of this weed at Flvger’s Line late in the autumn and when inspected the other day the bushes treated appeared quite dead. It would not be possible to definitely say that it was dead however until the spring. The Department was experimenting with different strengths also in order to make its . application as cheap as possible. Mr. Glrtyn said that it did not appear as if the cost would be prohibitive. There were many acres in the Manawatu to-day which would cost their owners more to clear than the land was worth glider the old system of grubbing and if by the expenditure of a few pounds the country could be cleared by spraying it was going to mean a big thing I'or this district, tie suggested that the demonstration should be carried out in Campion’s Line which was very central. There was both gorse and blackberry there and the experiment would serve a double purpose. Wherever there was gorse in the Manawatu to-day there was blackberry, the seeds having been carried by the birds and even if the spraying did not kill the blackberry they already knew that it shrivelled up the fruit and the prevention of the spread from this course alone would he considerable.

Mr. Barber suggested that as the sodium chlorate was so highly inllannnable it might be worth while to spray the gorse and burn it and i lien spYay the young shoots as they came through again. 'That should effectively kill it; and it would be far cheaper than cutting it. Mr. Grant said that as long as the spray was on the growth for four or live hours before rain came il was effective. It had been tried on Goats me and with this weed belter results had been obtained by seasonal spraying. When the plant became fibrous it was found that it withstood the killer to a great extent. It was also nn effective ’killer of prickly-pear.

After some further discussion on the subject Air. Barber agreed to make arrangements for a demonstration of the 'killer at Campion’s Line at an early date. Air. J. E. MeKelwie said that a convincing example of what could he done by means of spraying gorse was to 'be seen on the hillside between Turatkiua and Whangaeliu. There written in dead gorse on the face of the hill was the name of the killer while the rest of the hillside which had not been sprayed was quite green and nourishing. The killer, peculiarly enough did not affect the grass although it was advisable to keep stock off it for about three weeks.