THE WEEDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 97 



unpardonable. I am quite aware that farmers and pastoralists have not, as 

 a rule, the funds with which to employ sufficient labour for its extirpation, 

 but, even under present conditions, much more can be done to combat this 

 terrible pest. I would still remind those in charge of roads of the amount 

 of good they can do to the country by insisting on keeping the roadsides 

 free from the worst weeds. In this connection the roads are the arteries 

 of the country; along them course things good and bad, and bad weeds 

 allowed to establish themselves on the roads will as assuredly contaminate 

 the surrounding country, as impure blood will induce disorders throughout 

 the animal system. Let us have some enthusiasm in this matter of weed- 

 repression. 



Its introduction to South Africa is attributed to the merino sheep brought 

 from Europe. Writing in 1873, Dr. Shaw (Journ. Linnean Soc. xiv, 202) 

 says : " The weed extended itself throughout the sheep-walks of the Colony 

 to such a degree, and so endangered the character of the wool through its 

 achenes, that special legislative enactments have been made in regard to its 

 extirpation ; and rigid enforcement of penalties alone has kept it from being 

 a sweeping curse to the wool-producers. In the Orange River Republic, where 

 only until last year this weed was allowed to revel undisturbed, it had so 

 affected the wool of some parts of the country as to make it 'nearly unre- 

 munerative as a staple product. Tardy legislation on the obnoxious intro- 

 duction had to be adopted there also." In a note in the Victorian Naturalist, 

 vol. 71 (1888), Consul Layard, of Noumea, stated it was introduced to the 

 Cape in a cargo of wool wrecked off Cape Agulhas and spread out to dry 

 on the^ shores of Simon's Town. He adds that he " believes and hopes that 

 he destroyed the first and last plant of Bathurst burr that sprang up in 

 New Zealand, about 1863." Unfortunately, as we find from Cheeseman's 

 " Flora," it is by no means scarce in the North Island of New Zealand, 

 while I feel sure it was an introduction before 1863. 



Magnitude of the Pest in New South Wales. The B'athurst burr (leaving 

 out Prickly-pear, which is in a class by itself) is far and away the most 

 widely diffused and most feared weed pest in New South Wales. Up to 

 June, 1919, it had been proclaimed a noxious weed in ninety-seven muni- 

 cipalities and 103 shires, making 200 local authorities in all. The next 

 pest is the blackberry, which is proscribed by 101 municipalities and shires 

 altogether. 



It always seems to have been our premier pest. Mr. L. Shepherd, of the 

 Darling Nursery, Sydney, wrote in December, 1856, to the Sydney Magazine 

 of 'Science and Art, i, 109: and Mr. F. Creswick, in June, 1858, had a 

 paprr in the same magazine, ii, 23, urging its importance and suggesting 

 its destruction. 



The following is the list, as furnished by the Local Government Depart- 

 ment, of shires and municipalities in which the Bathurst burr is pro- 

 claimed: 



SHIRES. 



Abercrombie Bibbenluke Canobolas Copmanlmrst 



Adjungbilly Bogan Carrathool Coreen 



Amaroo Bolwarra Cessnock Crookwell 



Ashford Boolooroo Cobbora Culcairn 



Bannockburn Boomi Cockburn Dalgety 



Barraba Bulli Coolah Demondrille 



Bellingen Burrangong Coolamon Dorrigo 



Berrigan Byron Coonabarabran Dumaresq 



