Pastures Past: Gorse eradication in the 1940s

One day there is a patch of gorse and before you know it, it has taken over the whole paddock.

Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

Gorse, it has to be the bane of a farmer’s life if it is on their property.

That sea of yellow may look colourful to some, but close up, the nasty needle-like leaves are just waiting to get you!

Back in the 1940s, there was a debate about whether gorse was a noxious weed and a suggestion that farmers who couldn’t control it should give their land to the government.

In 1947, Federated Farmers was urged to investigate the economic value of gorse and the prospects of securing an insect to combat it.

Spread of gorse

Wanganui Chronicle, October 28, 1944

Sir, — in my opinion, Mr Coleman is uneasy in his mind in having voted against the motion declaring gorse a noxious weed.

It is high time that it was declared a noxious weed.

Some of the best land in Rangitikei is becoming overrun with gorse.

Some of the secondary roads have gorse right out to the water table, eight to 12 feet high, and on the farms some of the gorse is at least 20 years old and spreading fast.

There are some farmers who grub the gorse on their property and are kept busy because their neighbours would sooner go to a race meeting or a fortnight’s holiday, and the gorse keeps on spreading and puts a greater hardship on the efficient farmer.

Gorse, Note the nasty spikes on the leaves

It may be that the one farmer is a lover of Nature and his heart delights in the sight of acres of gorse on his property.

He has no excuse that there is no labour available for, years ago, when there was labour, the gorse was there.

It amounts to this: That with most of the farmers whose farms are overrun with gorse it is because they have too much land and can’t look after it.

Well, this is what should be done: The farmer who cannot and has not kept the gorse down should be compelled to sell a portion of it to the Government for returned servicemen.

There is no excuse for gorse on ploughable land.

With the tractors of to-day an efficient farmer can, and does, make short work of gorse. — Yours, etc.,

“WORKING FARMER”

Economic Value Of Gorse To Be Subject Of Investigation

Wanganui Chronicle, November 27, 1947

The suggestion that Federated Farmers should circularise other executives with the idea of getting an authoritative statement on the economic value of gorse was made at yesterday’s meeting of the Wanganui Provincial Executive by Mr. W. J. Tripe and was adopted.

In introducing the matter, Mr. Tripe said that Dr. Miller, in dealing with the gorse grub weevil, had mentioned that no steps had been taken to introduce an insect to destroy gorse because of its economic value.

Mr. Tripe instanced the amount that was being spent by some farmers in an endeavour to eradicate gorse with little success.

He would like to see Federated Farmers secure an authoritative opinion on the economic value of gorse and forward this to Dr. Miller with the request that if the opinion favoured the eradication of gorse what would be the prospects of securing an insect to combat it.

He considered that the average gorse hill farmer would be prepared to contribute toward the cost of establishing something to eradicate gorse.

In his opinion the value of gorse for hedges and fodder was far outweighed by the loss of land.

The destruction of the seed in the pod by the weevil was insufficient.

There was seed in the ground which soon sprouted up.

Members considered that it would take 25 to 50 years to get the gorse seed out of the ground.

Mr. Tripe’s suggestion was carried.

- Source: Papers Past