The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1905. NOXIOUS WEEDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 786, 31 March 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1905. NOXIOUS WEEDS.

Ait the best of times, and under the most favourable circumstances, the majority of our settlers have a harid task to make headway, and obtain a lair return for their labour and capital. The back-block pioneers have to face endless difficulties in preparing the bush land for, pasturage), and it is really marvellous how they in many cases succeed. Too lofton there aro no roads and the ' tracks which they are forced to makq aro only usable in the fine weather, and ; then only for light loa3s. Then again the numerous water-courses have to be negotiated by some means or another, and it is only after years of desperate struggles that

they can relax to the slightest from constant toil. In the case of the cleared land values have been inflattd to such an extent that the burden ia proving very heavy, especially so now that stonk brings such low prices. On the top of all this conies the worst evil of all—the noxious weeds pest. It was bad enough to to have to copo with blacklwrry and gorse, but now that a wore enemy in the form of ragwort is in o llr midst the outlook for our farmers is anything l>ut cheerful. The spreading power of ragwort is prodigious, and yet when this weed first made its appearance in Southland a little over twenty years ago little notice was taken 1 of it. Nevertheless, it has thriven and spread until it has reached the Northern Island, and may be found from one end of the colony to the other, causing not only enx)lcss trou'ble and worry to landholders, but also entailing en o rmous expanse in attempts to eradicate it. Moreover, horses, cattle and' s hoep are ifatally affected by this pestilent weed, which causes such: heavy lostes. ThQ activity of the inspectors ap- j pointed 'to attend to tho stamping out of this weed is very commendable, although it fMjuently happens that their efforts are misunderstood, and l their, advice disregarded, or acted on in such a way as to nullify the good that was intended. For instance, a settler was told to cut down his ragwort and destroy the stalks. His idea of carrying out the latter part; of tho instruction was to throw the flowering heads into the roaidway, where, as he thought, they would rot and l>e cut to pieces by tho traffic. Fortunately, the inspector came along, and quickly aroused the settler to the danger lie was incurring, the result being that the staflfe were gathered up and burnt. The difficulties and expense attending tho eradication of noxious weeds on busihi clearings arc almost insuperable, once these pests have taken a hold there. The greatest danger, however, is> likely to ai'is ( , from those | weeas finding a home on uative and Crown lands', and until the whole of the native lands! lire individualised so as to foiling the owners under the penal claluses 1 of the Act, and until tho Government not only does ;>s own part in this important work, as w<|ll as helping the settlers, tha'i; little chance of successfully coping with the evil,- Under any circumstances it will be a costly business, while the longer tho remedy is delayed the greater will be the expense. Much has been done by indi\"so»al effort at great pecuniary sacrifice!, yet nothing short of n complete and deadly warfare against thjs |tn(»L(iiou.s enemy will avail. Tho time tag ari-lvud when strong pressure may justly be bruughj to bear on tho Government to take a/.|ivp and well organised means to rid the country of the nox|oun wocln. or the Hay will 1 come when the settlers ujjl find themselves unable to bear their ever-increasjng liurdcns.