MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 17 January 1938, Page 12

MANAWATU RABBIT BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. (From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, Jan. 14. The monthly meeting of the Mauawatu Rabbit Board was hold yesterday afternoon and was presided over by Trustee B. G. Gower. Correspondence from (he North Island Rabbit Boards' Association in connection with a proposed union was discussed, and it was decided to appoint Trustee Craig to represent the board at a conference to be held in Palmerston North and to instruct him to advance the view that the proposed union is unnecessary and, further, to giro power to act. The inspector's report was read. It stated inter alia: During the past month I have been engaged in the general inspection of properties, both in regal'd to ra.bbit and noxious weeds destruction, but more particularly in dealing with the clearing of ragwort. The weather has bocn of a very variable nature, but on the whole quite suitable for fumigation of burrows, which has been carried out on a number of properties, while in several cases owners have been called upon to complete the necessary work. Certain areas of cover country are rapidly becoming parched with the hot weather, and if this continues it will be necessary have a phosphorised pollard poisoning carried out at the beginning of next month. Statutory notices will be sent out at the end of the month to all land owners >in tho hoard’s areas. On inspection it lias been found that ragwort is slowly on the decrease in the district. On certain properties on which it was found last year there is so far no trace, while it has been found on other properties on which it did not previously exist. Continuous supervision needs to bo carried out as it is likely to appear on properties at any time. Strict inspections in regard to this are being carried out and farmers have been notified in all cases that they arc liable to immediate prosecution for non-clearance of this wood. Tests are at present being carried out ill regard to tho sodium chlorate treatment of blackberry, and further tests aro to he undertaken with a new material on gorse and goatsruc. A number of requests for the clearing of blackberry from road lines and properties have been sent out. and during the coming month these will be followed up with an inspection, together with the gonoral inspection of properties, more particularly, as was the case last month, with regard to the eradication of ragwortTho chairman referred to the serious spread of goatsrue in the district and urged that .definite steps be taken to have this weed eradicated. It was decided to warn property owners that goatsrue is a noxious weed and that they are liable to prosecution if neglect is in evidence. It was also decided to ask the County Council to dostroy noxious weeds on roads outsido the board’s area, and to draw the attention of the inspector of stock to the spread of weeds on properties under his immediate control.