HEART-BREAKING BLACKBERRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 53, 11 June 1910, Page 6

HEART-BREAKING BLACKBERRY

GOATS AS ERADICATORS. Mr. Fairfax Cliolmeley, Inspector of Noxious Weeds, interviewed the Board of School Commissioners yesterday with regard to the section held! by the Board on the Kent road, and which had been for years a source of trouble. On account of the property 'having become over-run with blackberry various tenants had found it impossible to continue in occupation. Mr. Cliolmeley complained that he had not been treated fairly by the Board. He (the inspector) could have prosecuted the tenant, and then put on men to cut the weeds, charging the cost to the Commissioners as the owners. He had tried to meet the Commissioners fairly, and had written them, receiving the reply that the matter had been referred to one of the members residing in the district. Later on, he .telegraphed from Inglewood, complaining •that the ragwort was being allowed to flower on the property. In regard to that lettor, he had not received even the usual courtesy which one business man ns'uaJJv received from .another. The, letter had not as yet even been acknowledged. Of course., he was responsible for this business, anl ho required some «c----knowledgment, s? th?.t bis Department would know that :..■> was doing something in the mrtier. The Board should certainly have tioue something long ago to have'these we 'ls attended to. The chairman said the Commissioners had been under the impression that Mr. Morton was givini; the matter his attention, but Mr. Morton explained that he had been instructed only with regard to the ragwort, which he had had cut.

The chairman could not understand the complaint that the inspector had received no reply to his correspondence. The secretary said he had not, thought a written reply necessary, for he bad had very frequent interviews with Mr. Cholmeley on the matter.

Mr. Cliolmeley said that as an official he. was entitled to an official answer from th« Board.

Continuing, Mr. Cliolmeley then made an application on behalf of a couple of residents for a lease of the land, on which tiny proposed to run a heard of goats ' Mr. Jennings: Angoras? Mr. Cliolmeley: No, Angoras are useless here. It is too damp for them.-Half-bred Angoras might be all right. He considered' that if this offer ware accepted it would prove a very valuable object lesson for farmers as to the utility of goats in eradicating blackberry. Personally, he though very favorably of goats. There would probably be from fifty to a hundred' goats placed on the property. The secretary, Mr: Corkill, said that the Board could only Tease from year to year, unless the sections were offered for public competition. Mr. Morton said he would like to get rid of the freehold of t&e property altogether.

Ultimately, it was deckled to offer this land for lease by tender;, with a view of 'giving an opportunity of. testing the utility of goats.