A WARNING TO FARMERS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10522, 10 January 1912, Page 5

A WARNING TO FARMERS

SPREAD OF THE FOXGLOVE; WAIRARAPA FARMERS IN DANGER. Mr F. W. H. Kummer, of Maur•icevile, writes as follows to the "Wairarapa Age":— "I feel it my duty to '■ ask you to warn settles in the Wairarapa of a very dangerous weed, which is rapidly spreading in this part of the Dominion. I was first informed of the danger by Inspector Rankin, but it was only after a visit from a South Island settler that I fully realised! the seriousness of the position. The purple foxglove, unless taken in hand at once, will; 'in' a short time, become a curse comvpared to which blackberry, Oalifornian thistle, and all the rest of ow weeds' will seem insignificant . and iharmless. Nothing will eat it, and it grows so dense that it takes comr plete possession. My friend and eight or nine neighbours helped l a new I ohum (who had bought a farm) for a week or more,' and did' their best to impress him with the need of constant vigilance. He did nothing for about three years, and now his holding is absolutely worlhl-ess. The Ihiulsides, instead of being green at •this time of year, are a deep purple colour, which can be seen for miles. The foxglove is an annual, and can Toe easily pulled out of the ground, but one year's, seedintr means no less than ten or twelve years' weeding. In this respect, it resembles its near re-y Jative, the giant burdock (commonly known as Maori tobacco). I have | pulled odd plants of tlrp weed in certain spots for years, and. can find a few every year, ailtnough I have seen., no seed mature. Hie seed of thisj family has orreat vitalitv, and un<W certain conditions may lay dtoimatirtij for many years, as will gorse . and'i many other .small, hard seeds,, and' germinate on being brought to light. The weed is spread mainly by sheep carrying its-seed in their"'wool, and a few plants seeding close to a sheep track will cause an enormous amount of trouble. So - much so that my friend and his brother have to weed 1500 acres three times a year without hired assir'tance, as ft is impossible to get men who will fossick rough country thoroughly, especially in hot weather. It will impress sheepfarmers all the more to be told that their store sheep will !be tabooed in the sale yards, when the danger becomes more known,, compelling. <1 foxglove stricken estate to fatten all' its surplus pheep. Where do they come from ? will be the firstquestion asked at any sale yard. At the 'last meeting of the MauricevilJe County Council, which I attended, I indlueed the members to proceed to have this wed proclaimed l in the first schedule under the Noxious Weedis Act, and I understand :.;teps are being taken to have this d'one. But unless our neighbours in Mastertoii and Eketahuna do likewise, and that promptly, there is serious trouble ahead. A prominent member of the Masterton local body told me a few days ago that be had been surprised at the spread of the foxglove in. a part of the Miki Miki district. _ It is also rapidly covering the foothills of the Taranias, across the Waingawa. I know of settlers in our County ■whose spare time is mainly occupied in cutting foxglove (they should pull it), but unless concerted and determined action is taken all along the lin°. farmers will in time have to fight for their very lives. It is obviously absurd that a few of the worst, or for that matter all, noxious weeds should not be proclaimed as such all over the Dominion by Act of Parliament, instead of allowing local bodiies the option. This is a subject which should appeal to our new member, who is a practical fanner. The importance of this question is my excuse for taking so much of your valuable space."