Another Weed Eradicator

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4372, 11 February 1909, Page 4

Another Weed Eradicator

TThe discovery of a mixture which ia claimed to be capable of effectively eradicating Californian thistle, briar, - ragwort, and blackberry, as well as other . weeds, will be noted with great interest by farmers (states the Poverty Bay Herald).’ Mr Thomas Long who has taken, out the patent rights; of his discovery, informed a Herald representative that his specific was under offer .to the Government at the present time, and if fit withstood a six months’ trial, as;he was confident it would, he was to receive £15,000. __ ‘ Thef eradicator will, it is understood, be submitted to a two years’, teat, to Cover a couple ,of seasons. Mr Long added that on his property at Matokimatoki, he was able to show patches which had been treated two years ago and were to-day without a blade of grass. •The eradicator, he said, completely destroyed all vegetable growth until the ground was turned over. ■On th last, an experiment was iriecPthe added, at Waihirere, where to-day the patches are as bare as a table. The eradicator, Mr Long . explained, could be applied equally effectively at any season, with the weeds standing or cut, and in 24 hours the effect was visible. After a lapse of fourteen days, Californian thistle, he claimed, could be pulled out with Bin or 12in of the roots, the latter petisbed and black, a week was sufficient to do the same with ragwort. The mixture, the inventor went on to say, could be manufactured very cheaply—7d for a kerosene tiu of four gallons, and he was in hopes of further reducing the cost of production, Mr Long recently obtained his first commission from Mr Faulkner, of Muriwai, where he ir to receive £SO for eradicating the weeds on a quarter of an acre, Two offers, Mr Long added In. conclusion, had been received from private concerns for the purchase of his secret, which, in fact, would be more remunerative to him than his offer to the Government, and ho M ould be quite satisfied to receive the Department’s;; of approval. The \ official' test will be . watched with considerable interest. ’The swag er nuisance is sometimes a serious one, but it- assumed rather aggravated dimensions in the opinion of a farmer in the southern end of the North Otago district the Other day. In the morning about B 30, he saw jthree men approach his front entrance and camp there. At 8 o’clock one of went up to the house and asked ; for. the usual billy of .tea and someth i ngtoea the application with the announcement that ’here wore three of them. The request was granted, j dot altogether willingly ; but the climax waß reached when half an hour later the three <V, men boarded the same train as the farmer and travelled, tq Oaraaru, consuming a bottle, of whisky on the j-iurnJy. " :i , ' “ ~ITT .