THE SPREAD OF BLACKBERRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 May 1918, Page 7

THE SPREAD OF BLACKBERRY.

A SERIOUS MENACE.' The serious position that is likely to arise in South Taranaki unless steps are taken to ileal with the spread ol noxious weeds was strongly impressed, upon delegates at the annual conference of the Taranaki Farmers' U'niou in -llawera on Thursday. The subject was introduced by a remit from tile Jiltham branch — *'That the Minister for Agriculture be respectfully (but urgently requested to instruct the fields inspectors to enforce the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act, so far as it refers to blackberries, to its uttermost limits in the Eltham Drainage District." Mr. Dawes, who moved the remit, said that blackberry was the worst of the weeds that the farmer had to contend With. He asked permission to extend the area covered by the remit to the district from the -Patea. River to the Opunake-fitratford road. They were limiting the arfca, because they did not wish to include badly-infested areas, which it was impossible to keep down by cutting. At present it was only necessary for a. man to keep clear a certain distance from his boundary, but the seed was spread by thq birda, and it cost more to keep these clear than it would to cut a patch. Unless something was (1 on» to keep blackberries cut, it would spread all over South Taranaki, where there, was the finest dairying land in the world-

Mr Voullaire, in seconding, favored tlie Mountain Reserve being the boundary, .Hid tliis was agreed to.

Mr, Deem, of the Agricultural Department. who was present, said that the question of coping with spread of blackberry was one that gave the officers of the Department considerable concern. The present Noxious Weeds Act was useless, and it should be amended so that the whole of the country could he classified and divided into areas, according to tlie amount of blackberry now on them. Tn Area I. they should see that the blackberry was cut properly and eradicated in three years, for blackhern- could be eradicated- He knew of thousands of acres in North Taranaki where it had been. In Area 11., where there would be a considerable amount of blacWberry, so that it would be too 'big a proposition to clear it iin one year, six or eight year s might he given. Area 111. should be where the (blackberry was worse, as it was, say, at the back of New Plymouth, and here 12 or 14 years should be given to clear it up; but they should see that a certain amount was cleaned up each year. Area IV. would ho where the blackberry was so bad that it was not an economic proposition to touch it. A Commission of Settlers could fix up the boundaries of the respective districts. Inside Area I. there might be half a dozen farms so infested that the present occupiers could not satisfactorily cut all the weeds, and tliey would hare to adopt some plan to assist those farmers. Otherwise there would he no solid progress. Tho Act, too, would have to be amended so as to make the clearing of the weeds a chanre on the land, as at present the Act made the occupiers responsible, and in the oases of dirty farms, highly mortgaged, the occupier, who sometimes went on the land with £lO, could do very little.. He was prob&bly fined for his neglect, but there were so manv changes of ocrilpier that the position gradually got worse and worse. That was the' weak spot. The regulations also provided that one-quarter chain from the boundary should be cleared. This did not cheek the spread, as the birds carried the Reed over that distance, and his advice to farmers was, each year to clear a defi-

nite patch and place it under the plough. He did not think that blackberry would increase much over the good country in South Taranaki, hrnt there were places that would get worse, such as the Nsraere swamp, and he did not know what could be done there To Mr. Wood: Mr. Deem said that blackberry had been eradicated in tlje Mangorei, Carrington, ahd Frankley roads. Mr. Wood challenged Mr. Deem to point out' ant place in North Taranaki where 'blackberry had been eradicate' lie could remember the time when there wero only a few clumps on places around Kew Plymouth that should carry a cow to three acres, which were now overrun with blackberry. If they did not do something, and quickly, too, the whol<j of the district would be ruinedMr. Owen said it was high timo the farmers and officers of the Agricultural Department set their minds to stern the increase of blackberry. Mr. Astbury agreed with the scheme outlined by Mr. Deem, and thought that a committee should be set up from the executive and those directly interested, who would draft a resolution to place before the Dominion executive for the object of getting legislation .passed at the earliest poseiblo moment. Ho moved in that direction. Mr. Mai-fell seconded the amendment. Mr. Maxwell said that the question had been before tho Dominion executive for some time past, and the officers of the Department were giving them every possible assistance, and he thought were desirous that legislation should be passed to assist them. lio suggested that the Government should be asked to introduce legislation to deal with the matter, the provisions of the Act to bo subject to tho local authority. Mr. Wood pointed out that the resolution dealt with the strict enforcing of tho Act. Mr. Marfell did not think there would ever lw much difficulty in keeping the good land in South Taranaki clear, hut if the .blackberry got »n the rough country out east, it would be impossible to get rid of it. Mr. Davidson favored the committee being composed of men who had had practical experience of blackberry. To have a committee composed of men with only a few clumps of blackberry on their property bringing down driistie'liiws that men should eradicate all blackberry would =ncll ruination to many on black-berry-infested farms, Mr. ferry thought local bodies should be compelled to keep their reserves clear of blackberry. ITe also thought that N'orth Taranaki should be included In tbe resolution. Mr. Dawes thought the adoption of the motion would urge the matter on. whereas t.im amendment would shelve it for a while. The amendment was carried.