Noxious Weeds

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 30, 5 February 1937, Page 2

Noxious Weeds

COUNTY COUNCIL ACTIVE. Tho Dannevirko County Council yesterday decided to instruct the noxious weeds inspector to take more striugent measures in connection with tho control of ragwort in tho county. * 4 We must get tho ragwort under control or else H will get away and become a serious menace/' said Cr. D. U. Grant, who moved the resolution, which wus seconded by tho chairman (Cr. J. Peters). Tho noxious weeds inspector, Mr. J. A. Winter, stated that during the past mouth ho had been concentrating on ragwort in the Norsewood district, whero it was particularly bad this season. Some farmers, particularly on the Rakaiatai block, havo cut their ragwort no less than three times this season. Tho native blocks were bad too, and he understood there was a possibility of tho Native Trustee clearing up tho block and settling it in the near future. (Several farmers who had top-dressed their paddocks where ragwort was thick with sodium chlorate, found that the spraying had killed tho weed, but they had also lost the grass for about nine months. “This, on a small farm, is ti serious matter as you will understand, and daca not make tho problem any easier for them/' stated the inspector. BLACKBERRY BEATEN. “As an example of what tlio constant spraying of blackberry can do I would like to mention the cuso of Mr. Evans, of Otawhao," slated the noxious weeds inspector (Mr. J. A. Winter) in liia re port to yesterday's meeting of the Dannevirke County Council. “He lias a very pad patch, including a bad gully off the Napier road whore it crosses the river north of Norsewood. This block has now been sprayed for a number of years and now it never fruits or flowers i understand that some years ago the gully was completely filled with black berry bushes from top to bottom. Mr. Evans has now to a great extent got if; under control."