Jane Ransom wrote:

In article , Bigjon
writes
In a fit of excitement David Hill uttered:

Ragwort. Bin as soon as possible.

Thanks. I checked out a few more pictures here and there, and decided you
are right, It's ragwort.

What's so wrong with it - the flowers look pretty !

It's deadly to grazing animals - farmers have an obligation to get rid
of it if it appears on their land.

Not entirely truthful. I am not surprised that someone has said this. I
knew someone would. There are organisations with an agenda who have been
putting out stories to the press and issuing leaflets saying this.
However, this does not make the two statements you have made true. The
first one I dealt with in my other posting. Ragwort is only _mildly_
toxic. This is what the scientific data say.

To illustrate the inaccuracy of what is being said about this plant,
let us look at the second statement.

"Farmers have an obligation to get rid of it if it appears on their
land."

You are saying this because the press stories and the leaflets say this
they say that this is what the Weeds Act says and therefore it is the
law. One can show this to be absolutely untrue by looking at what the
Act actually says.
----------------------------
(1)Where the minister of Agriculture fish and food(in this act refered
to as '
the Minister') is satisfied that there are injurious weeds to which this
act applies growing upon any land he may serve upon the occupier of the
land
a notice, to take such action as may be necessary to prevent the weeds
from
spreading
(2)This act applies to the
following injurious weeds, that is to say-
spear thistle
creaping or field thistle
broad leaved dock
ragwort
----------------------
It is a piece of legislation that provides for AN ORDER to be made.
There is nothing that says that you automatically MUST eliminate this
plant
from land.

This is like the legislation that exists to impose curfew orders on
kids. It gives the power
to act _where_a_problem_exists. It doesn't put an obligation on parents
to keep all kids indoors.
The Weeds Act creates no obligation for anyone to do anything unless
they are ordered to do so.

--
Neil Jones- http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve