BY) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ava., 1898. 
consideration, but it is certain that, unless action be taken, and that quickly, to cope 
with the difficulty, noxious weeds will become as great a pest as the rabbits, and will — 
mean a large expenditure of money. In the West Moreton district, Noogoora burr 
has spread to an alarming extent. I am assured that ten years ago this weed could 
have been eradicated for £10. Now it would cost thousands, and no doubt the same 
can be said about the other weeds in other districts. The Legislature has given 
divisional boards power to deal with these pests, but municipalities have no such 
power, which is a serious obstacle to united action. In the Divisional Boards Act, 
the legal power given them is quite adequate to prevent the spread of this evil, and 
if municipalities had the same power something might be done towards checking the 
spread of these pests, and eventually eradicating them altogether. This defect in the 
latter, together with what is everybody’s business is nobody’s business, has allowed 
the pests to obtain such a strong hold as almost to render it a national question, and 
one that should be intelligently and systematically dealt with by special Act of 
Parliament. ‘Take the first three named pests—Lantana, Noogoora burr, and Bathurst 
burr. These threaten to overrun many a fertile district and render it practically 
useless. Why? Because one board or owner may use every effort to eradicate the 
weeds from the division, but if the adjoining lands (some of which are on higher 
-levels) are not treated in a like manner, the result is obvious. The first shower of 
rain, the first fresh in river or creek, carries the se2ds and germs down to 
the clean land again, to choke all cultivation and grass, and to strike dismay 
into the heart of the man who honestly tries to do his duty and help himself, 
his posterity, and his country. Again, we often find these seeds carried for 
miles by the birds as they fly from tree to tree, by horses and cattle when 
taken from one place to another, and by native animals in their travels. A 
State of things hardly to be understood is found in connection with lantana. This 
is known and treated in Queensland as a noxious weed, and, as such, strenuous efforts _ 
are made to eradicate it. On the other hand, it is catalogued in the nursery lists of 
flowering shrubs at from 1s. to 3s. 6d. per plant, and, as such, is daily brought into 
the colony in order, one would think, to prevent its being stamped out of the land. 
It is past comprehension how such a state of things is allowed to exist. In the case 
of most seeds, if we destroy the young plant that grows from the seed, we have killed 
the effects of that seed. ‘This is not the case in the Noogoora burr seed, for it has 
two germs, and therefore grows twice. Very often one germ will grow one season, 
and the second in a year or so’s time. The prickly-pear has one good point. It does 
not spread quite so fast as other weeds, but even a leaf of it dropped on the ground 
will grow, and so start it in another locality. The pear is now being somewhat made 
to pay for its footing, for in many cases the plant and fruit have been used for pig 
and cattle food when boiled, and it is now also being made into ensilage. The boiling 
of the pear softens all the prickers, and so minimises the danger that would otherwise 
present itself to all who look to the future health of their stock as well as to keeping 
them alive for the present. From Sida retusa it is possible to make hemp, but up to 
the present it has been found too expensive to be able to do so and make it pay. 
Hence Sida retusa must and ought to be treated as a noxious weed. Nut-grass is 
puzzling the heads and hearts of many of our best farmers. Scores of farms have (as 
In the case of the pests already mentioned) had to be abandoned because the nut- 
grass has got too secure a hold to check it. In some few instances crops can and do 
keep it down and thrive where it is; but the exception only seems to serve to prove 
the rule. It will be seen from the remarks I have made about these weed pests 
that the time has arrived when something must be done, and done quickly, if we 
would keep the farming industry alive in Queensland. This end can nits be attained 
by concerted action on the part of all concerned—from the Government on the one 
side to the smallest farmer and landowner on the other. ‘The Government needs to 
provide the laws giving power to cope with the matter, and local authorities and 
landowners must then work in harmony to the end of freeing the land from these 
noxious weed pests, which are a menace to the future of our fair colony. (Applause). 
Mr. P. Hacensacn (Warwick) said the destruction of burr and other 
noxious weeds on roads was a great burden to divisional boards. If any 
fresh legislation was carried in connection with the subject, he hoped greater 
powers would be given the boards to deal with such pests. Only the previous 
Saturday it had been brought to his notice that a great quantity of Noogoora 
burr was making its appearance in his district. Action was taken, and the 
chairman of the board was empowered to send men round to find and destroy 
the weed at once. There were other weeds that also wanted looking after, and 
amongst these was the prickly-pear. The prickly-pear was allowed to geow on 
