A MENACE TO OUR INTERESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 42, 30 May 1910, Page 3

A MENACE TO OUR INTERESTS.

To the Editor. Sir,—Coming as 1. recently did from a .part of this province which is practically free from noxious weeds, and especially blackberry, I was struck by fhe i remarkable poor returns from many of the farms around this town. That the land is capable of better .tilings 110 intelligent farmer will deny, and this is proved by the returns from some farms | hereabout on which the herds are doing 1 as well as in other .parts of the province. But. sir, many —I might even say most — of the farms here are so OVeviUU With weeds (blackberry) that the owners eal* ' spare little time to do other worn iu;u ' fflff S continually cut, at the weeds while frying in vain to keep them in check. 'The' .appointment of noxious weeds inspectors 'hits not done anything to check the spread of the blackberry, hut is .proving -a source of great annoyance .to many who ave striving to keep their farms clean. The great majority of farmers ared oiiig their best to keep the blackberry under, but still it is creeping on. Ten years ago there wore practically 110 blackberries 011 the lnglewood side of the ''chain bridge'but to-day they are growing in the streets of Stratford, on the Kit ham road, aru.l on the top of the Raitake ranges, and have spread along .the Carrington road to the back ot Okato. In fact, the new bush countryis a paradise for the blackberry, and it spreads more rapidly there tlikn anywhere. So long as there are logs and stumps about and birds to carry the seed it is impossible to stop the increase of the blackberry curse, the scythe and adze and the noxious weeds inspector being powerless against it. I would suggest that meetings be held in all all'ected districts in support of Mr. IT. Okey, M.L\. ami the introduction of the blackberry blight, and that country settlers and townspeople alike a petition in favor of the introduction of some cure for the pest, -lust imagine the result to Xew Plymouth if the thousands spent annually in mit ting the weeds were spent in vv.inun' and other improvements!—l i'V. c.. .. | DROVER. '