THE THISTLE QUESTION.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 428, 15 November 1876, Page 2

THE THISTLE QUESTION.

“ Agricola,” thus w'rites in the Weekly Herald:—

“ X.Y.Z." complains that his young grass, sown on oush land, that he wants to keep for seed, is choked with thistles, and be earnestly desires to know how to get rid of them. Iu reply 1 have to say that thistles and their eradication used to be a most perplexing and distressing subject to the bush farmer. Looking over his clearing that had cost him so much toil, and beholding countless thistles luxuriating, rearing high their heads and unsurping the place that should be covered with grass and clover, the emotions that filled his breast were not of the most joyous character. It was really thought at one time by some settlers that owing to the dense and persistent growth of these noxious weeds, they would have to clear out. Just as the rabbit pest is at the present time disturbing the equanimity of farmers in the South, so thistles used to harrass and annoy the farmers in the North. The consequence was that in order to keep possession of at least some portion of the ground, months used to be spent every year in the vain attempt to eradicate the weeds. It seemed to be almost binding as a religious duty for settlers to go about armed sometimes with a grubbing-hoc, and sometimes wit a slash-book, demolishing the as they were wont to be called, them up, cutting them down, sionally burning them. I f any not believing in spending his time tMHK amusement, let his thistles for him, what blessings descended <4Rus poor pate 1 Receipts of various In nils used to be published aud circulated iu the bush to the effect that this or the other method would exterminate the nuisance, and I don't know how much kerosine wax wasted in dosing thistles, with the com-\ forting thought that every plant so* destroyed might hinder thousands of others from growing. However, it is to 4 be presumed that farmers have learned from experience a wrinkle or two concerning thistles ; for now they are allowed to grow, to flourish, to seed, and to die out. Still, as they are not a nice thing to have growing in a ploughed paddock, whore they sometimes come up pretty thickly, anything of a simple nature that may tend to their eradication is very serviceable. Now it seems that the Berlin correspondent of Land and Water records that rape being sown near thistles the latter will be eradicated. “ Who ever knows,” he says, “of two plants being so inimical to one another as to kill the other by a mere touch ? This, however, seems to be the case when rape grows near the thistle. If a field is infested with thistles, give it a turn of rape seed, and this plant will altogether starve, suffocate, and chill the thistle out of existence. A trial was made with different varieties of rape seed in square plots, when it was found that nobody believed that the rape was having a fair run. But it had, and as it grew the thistle vanished, faded, turned grey, and dried up as soon as the rape leaves began to touch it.

Other trials were made, and the thistle had always to give in, and was altogether annihilated, whether old and fully developed or young and tender.’’ It is to be hoped that some fanners will, by way of experiment, try whether rape will have the same effect in this country. For my own part, though giving the above extract as an alleged cure for thistles, I should very much question its effectiveness as a permanent remedy. In regard to “ X.Y.Z.” and his trouble, if the thistles are very thick, it is little use in trying to keep them under. As a rule it cannot pay to spend much time about, those weeds. Unlike docks or sorrell they will seed and die out in course of time. If, however, the plants among a crop are not very numerous, then it is better to cut them just below the surface of the ground with an adze or hoe. As is pretty well known, opinions vary considerably in regard to whether thistles are a good or an evil. Mr Chambers, of Napier, a large run-holder, in writing on the subject some time ago to the Cambridge Farmers' Club, said: “I have every reason to speak well of thistles, for a few years after t heir appearance here, my run carried extra stock (fed on them.) which increased my income at least £lOOO per annum. No food is fattening than the flower. I believe this plant was sent hero by a kind Providence, and that all the Acts of Parliament or others to extirpate it, will be in vain. It will fulfil its mission of preparing land, particularly fern, for the highest state of vegetation.”

And in the same strain a namesake of mine recently wrote to the editor of the Australasian : —Sir, —lt becomes a question nowadays whether the thistle is a blessing or a curse to the colony. Many a controversy has taken place in your columns, for and against the eradication of the thistle ; and I certainly think the advocates for its growth have had the best of the argument. In your issue of the 17th instant appears a letter, signed “ W.R.,” in which that writer endeavored to show that those who laud the thistle, and object to its extirpation are totally in the dark, and have not discovered the curse of it. Very likely not, but facts are stubborn things. I for one, after years’ experience, have come to the conclusion that the thistle is a splendid fodder for sheep, and that they quickly fatten on them. Further, I have found the more you do to destroy them, the more luxuriantly they grow. Take, for instance, a piece of ground that has been ploughed, and in no time it will be covered with thistles. How is this ? I would ask “ W.R.” Is it not on account of disturbing the ground, and forming a hotbed for the seeds ? The same, then, would apply to the rooting up the ground, which you must necessarily do if you cut thistles with a hoe. Now, to show that thistles will die out of their own accord, T may mention that I have a paddock (adjoining a three-chain road). Five years ago it was completely covered with thistles. Now it is almost free from them, although I have never cut them. My neighbour on the opposite side of the road, ■who holds a different opinion to me, spared no trouble and expense in trying to destroy the thistles in his paddock ; but now he has tenfold, although they were cut with great care every year. I need scarcely add that he agrees with me now viz., the more you cut them the faster they grow,