Madam, - It is with wry amusement that I note an off-the-cuff article by your columnist Mr Kevin Myers on the hazards of the noxious weed ragwort has galvanised the public and even some Public Authorities into belated action.
Belated, I say, because the problem has been ignored for many years. This yellow peril grows on any soil and is capable of producing 150,000 seeds from each bloom with up to 70 per cent of these germinating.
Eradication is difficult as the seeds can survive for 20 years and any root left behind from digging or pulling will regrow to form a new plant. One plant may be responsible for vast swards in the coming years.
Ragwort attacks the liver system of animals that digest it, causing distressing symptoms including lethargy, weight loss and photosensitisation resulting in depression, abnormal behaviour (circling, staring at walls and even convulsions) blindness, lack of co-ordination and eventual collapse.
I have spent fruitless and expensive years speaking to various organisations to make them aware of the menace of this weed (as well as other harmful invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and giant hogweed which can cause untold damage to local habitats). But alas, I have been casting my seed on barren ground. Mr Myers has proven that the pen is mightier than the word. - Yours, etc,
THOMAS DONOVAN,
Lakelands Avenue,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.