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Friday, 7 March 2008
A question of weed control
One of my three brothers dared me to share what I was doing today, just so that you don't think my life is all roses! Here is a clue:I know all you Aussie farm girls will recognise the scene immediately! Here is a closer view of the task at hand:I have been back to our little farm to assess the Bathurst burr population. Bathurst burr is a common weed on Australian farms, causing contamination of wool & crops. We have had a wet summer, which is wonderful, but with it comes Bathurst burr infestation. When we were kids, Dad paid my brothers & I one dollar an hour to hoe these spiny plants out by hand - we thought we were so 'in the money', potentially able to make $10 a day! This summer, the population is so thick, we resort to chemical means of control, either using a quad bike, or boom spray. So no gardening or stitching today!
So glad to see you still get the chance to get down and dirty at the farm. I can't imagine getting rid of these by hand. Child slavery was rampid back then.....
ReplyDeleteBrings back memories - my brother, sister and I had to pull out sunflower plants from the sorghum crops - don't remember being paid for it though
ReplyDeleteGreat to get some pics of you down on the farm.... The bathurst burr has taken off here in Central West NSW too. Our local CMA has suggested DH and I do a green burn of the burr to prevent is spread. Have you heard of this??? It's supposed to be pretty smokey but effective nether the less.
ReplyDeleteJodie :)