GRASS SEED.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XX, Issue 1521, 10 February 1891, Page 2

GRASS SEED.

TO THE FARMERS OF aKAROA

PENINSULA.

It ia jest a month since we had the pleasure -of issuing our circular ie cocksfoot to you, in which we eet out our belief that grass seed will open firm this season. This our belief is now fully born out from personal observations and facts from what Mr Moritzson saw while travelling Canterbury, Wellington, Hawke'e Buy, Poverty Bay, Auckland, Taranaki, and Marlborough districts.

If the farmer gets his due, cocksfoot should be transacted for Spring sowing now near at hand, and for export at from 4£' lto 5d per Ib as per quality. And again we trust that by Autumn tho prime set out in our previous circular will be realised, ac we consider s£d to 6i ie not out of the way considering former prices that have ruled and markets actually being bare inoluding England and Germany, where 60s to 65a is easily obtained for good samples, which would leave over 5d per lb nett to the farmers on the Peninsula.

Wβ ehall now review the different provinces, so far as Mr Moritzeon has eeen them, and what influence such will have upon the grass seed market (both cocksfoot and ryegrass) this season.

Canterbury, as everybody is aware, from almost Palmerston to the north of Canterburj hae been more or less afflicted with a severe drought, no grass seed of any consequence hae been grown excepting on Akaroa Peninsula, and the demand from Canterbury for both cocksfoot and ryegrass has already eet in, and we have orders on hand. Now to the North Island, and at the outset we will just come to the point and state that the late Government have given special facilities to bona fide settlers in taking up new lands under fiirly good conditions, which has certainly not an equal in the South Island. My statement being born out by the fact by the number of applicants from the South , Island for lands in the North. This settling has chiefly taken place in the Wellington, Hawke'e liay, Poverty Bay, and Taranaki districts. Vast areas have been cleared of the bush, and you will hardly credit that over 250,000 acres are ready this season to be put under grass and crops of some kind, and the seed grown in Taranaki, Wellington, and Poverty Bay is far short to supply anything like the demand. Considering now tbot the,balance will have to come from Akaroa, Southland, and Otago, independent of that, the strain our market will have to bear from independent oatside demand you can easily judge for yourself how the market will shape. Here, again, we must mention that the crops of cocksfoot on the Akaroa Peninsula; although fairly good in quality, will be short compared with last year which from statistics compiled on the >pot by ourselves amounted to some 40,000 sacks, which quantity was far below previous yields. However, of the present yield we will be better able to judge when with you during the second week of February if possible, as I am now making, for Nelson and the West Coast, and thence to your lovely and busy district once more. The grain crops, ac also the ryegrass in Otago and Southland, look well indeed, and if safety harvested should bring grist to the

mill, especially ryegrass, which will be in pood demand and very high in Poverty Bay, should certainly 'ring from 5s to 5s 6d for first class machine dressed, and 3s 6d to 4s for clean farmers , seed. Wellington province, which Mr Moritzson traversed some 11 years ago by coach, in company with the present energetic member for Cluthi, has undergone vast changes. Mr Mackenzie, by-the by, gave me the opportunity of listening this week in the House of Representatives to some very nonsensical speeches, after whioh the writer came to the conclusion that the business of the country wouUl be more efficiently carried on if a further reduction of members were to take place, say by halt, or better still, the House to be abolished altogether, and the affairs of the country be again vested with Provinoial Councils or some such local scheme. Vast areas formerly bushland, and now traversed by me, are studded with prosperous farms

and townships, especially near Palmerston, Woodville, Oanevirke, and other places too numerous to mention. I can prophesy

a great future for the town and province of Wellington, with its magnificent harbor, unequalled in the colony, the great back country opening, and the central position it occupies. On Friday, the 30th of January, 25,000 tons of shipping were laying behind the wharfs—no wharfage to pay. The keen eyes of the Southerners have discovered the truth, and are opening branches of their firms, and are determined to hold their own outside of Otago also. They are erecting magnificent warehouses on the reclaimed land. One thing I observed most strikingly, that there is not the energy and push in the business people of the North Island as there is in the Otago . and Southern population. I suppose our cold climate is partly the cause of this. Wellington'province was visited by rather too much rain, and cocksfoot crops will not be very heavy, and what there is will be of dark color. I have seen several samples, but they were cat on the green side for my fancy. There are also now grown some fescues, crested dog'etail, timothy and other useful grasses, also p'enty of rape. The Wellington merchants have been buying a few parcels of this season's cocksfoot at 3£d to 3|d, but farmers are already asking 4d, and are easily getting this price. Well, your Akaroa eeed will be worth fully Id per lb more t Mr Moritzson had long conversations with the seed buyers re prospects of the season. It aeernu they are taking advice from what has been reliably gathered on the spot. They are now eagerly buying to secure stocks, even at enhanced values, pooh-pooed by some of them before our appearance* Wβ hope that we do not create a panio or a rush, but we are glad to ccc the grower is getting some of the plume. Hawke's Bay has, like Canterbury, been suffering for three months back from & severe drought. Grass eeed, etc, is very scarce. But about the Hastings district

verythiner looks better. In this province some 30.000 acre areas to be pat under grass, And no seed is in Ihe di-triot so to speak of. Sheep, notwithstanding the drought, look very well, as the oreeke and rivers in all places have plenty of good water as yet. The breakwater at Napier we believe will be a success and a boon to the trwn and district when completed. Poverty Bay—The ryegrass crop will be of fair average, although some say it will be short, but it is wonderful how the seed comes forward when prices rule high. A great deal of the seed will be wanted witbin the province. Six shillings a bushel ie easily got for good seed, f.o.b. In fact we know of several transactions having' taken place at 6s 6<i f.0.b.. and even that price was got for a 400-sack lot on the farm; but unfortunately the whole was consumed by fire before delivery, with no insurance on it—A heavy loss for the poor farmer. The breakwater at Gisborne is a perfect firce, and so many thousands of pounds thrown in shallow water, and hot into deep, where it should have been. The small steamer taking passengers off and on vessels arriving, and which is drawing three feet of water, can get behind the breakwater at high water and calm weather. Auckland of course produces very little in cereals and seeds, but their maize growing seems to expand, also the kauri gum and flax trade. I saw the Leading Wind, which waa on fire, scuttled and sunk in the harbor. The harbor ie next to Wellington for facilities, but it surpasses Wellington for beauty and scenery, its, yachting and excursions. The surroundings of Wellington harbor are ugly in the extreme. The town of Auckland has beautifnl surroundings. The streets are, however, badly kept, but it seemed to me a bn«y town. There is a good bit of wheat grown in the Weikato district, but the settlers are complaining bitterly of the prices they are getting. Most of their wheats are pold at fowl-wheat price, so I have been informed, as the two local roller mills are only offering same price as is got for good whole Southern fowl wheat, viz.. 3s 3d to 3s 6d. The New Zealand Loan anj Mercantile, who run those mills, reduced the price of flour 10s per ton last week, nnd ac the price of wheats seemed to be firm at the time, one can only come to the conclusion it waa done to keep Southern mills out, backed up by Is a ton increase of harbor cbargee on flour, and with a view to give still less for Waikato wheats during the coming seasoD. An argument that their stocks of wheat are heavy and well bought will hold no water, as the same holds good with the Oamaru and Timaru mills, and the same reduction will take place South, so where is the good of dragging the most legitimate trade of the Colony (the milling) and the staple of the farmers through the mire only to satisfy isolated monopolies, which produces no good results ? Taranaki, like Wellington, had continuous rains, more so than the latter—not three successive dry sunny days for months, and although the cocksfoot crope were expected to be heavy in the early part of the season, there is many a slip, etc., etc. The crops will be light, of bad color, and is not yet saved. Some has laid down with heavy rains, and so fed off. Hey has been rotting on the ground. We do not think that the crop, if it ie all saved (very problematical), will exceed 10,000 sacks. Some 20,000 sacks were expected early in the season. Rust and sprouting has also made its appearance in florae places in the crops owing to the rains and warm weather. I visited the district of Hawea, Patea, Fielding, etc.. and the same tale is told as to wet everywhere. The paetures, however, look simply magnificent, and one farmer who farms some twenty miles inland from Fielding, for whose creditability I can vouch, assured me that for three months in the year twelve sheep to the acre cannot keep down his grass, and for the rest of the season be averages good five sheep to the acre. He had been offered 4d for hie cocksfoot. In Hawea, where, as in other places, I had to perform the function of " Boots " in the hotel, and open the door early in the morning, my time of rising being five o'clock or earlier, I had a splendid sight of Mount Egmont, ite hoary head being covered with snow, with the rising sun shining on it, looked supreme ell round, standing well out against the puie, cloudleps, blue eky, keeping solitary watch over God's grand creation in times past, in times to come, when men perhaps, like the moa, shall tread earth no more. Butter is, and will remain, the chief industry of the greatest portion of Paratiaki as the grazing lands are simply lovely, Take it all round the farmers' butter here is superior to that of Southland and Otago. Farmers here are also wiser than our southern friends, their cburnings are bigger, have one quality, and one color in one cask, and they run very even all through. But above all the farmer here sells at once at market value, no matter bow low the price, to the chipper, who buys round the district through an agent every week, and do not allow their butter to turn into veritable cart grease to be shipped to London, the most sensitive market of all as to quality. Otago can only export butter, if the factory principle is adopted, or cay that the cheese factories now in existence add a butter plant and manufacture butter during October, November, December, and not later than January. Farmers will also have to look to pure water and pure pastures for their cows. Wβ believe butter factories will be more numeroue in Taranaki shortly Farmers receive from 6d to 7d per lb casks in, and factories get 9(1 to 9£d casks in, this price was given during my stay. I bad also the pleasure of seeing tbe famous factory of Chew Chong at Elthem, who beat all comers at the Dunedin Exhibition. One good laugh in this district I bad I must not pass over. Wearing ac usual my belltopper and a white necktie I was repeatedly taken for a doctor or a minister. At one of the out-of-the-way stations a respectable looking man came up to me and addressed me as

Dt Kempthorne and ehook hands. I politely bowed and told him that he had made a slight mistake, my title was oow Rev. Dr. Kempthorne, the train left, co did the Rev. Dr. Marlborough—Had splendid weather, and most farmers are now basy stacking, leading in their grain and delivering into store. Oats, wheat, end barley fields have given forth prolific yields and of good quality. Farmers will be in the position to say their province is the land where the milk and honey flows. Thete is Fome linseed grown here for a Danedin firm, and some ryegrass which is locally wanted. Flax is esported from here, and freezing hulks are to be opened. Bat as it is the intention of three rival firms in this place to start freezing, and as there is only room for one it will either not pay any of them, or two will give up the business after losing money. Yon will kindly excuse we if I have not alone talked ryegrass and cocksfoot, but have rather gone off on several occasions of the subject in question. But lam no better than my neighbours who cannot always live on butter cake and plum pudding, but have to resort now and then to something more substantial for a change. But as an enthusiast travelling through tbie fair country of ours I could not help observing other matters of interest to me and have given them in this letter as they appeared to me. Having travelled a good few countries ere I came to New Zealand some 18 years since, I feel convinced that this ?e the moet fertile and lovely country under the sun A grand future is in the near distance, and notwithstanding public debts, past bad Governments and depressions, it is almost impossible to hold the present sturdy, in* dustrious settler and miner back from developing the vast resources of their own adopted Buenos Nova Zealandia. One thing we should certainly not lose sight of. although the cry comes from the big towns to have no further immigration, is that there is still room here for some 10 millions of people of the right class. That nobody can deny. Vast tracts of fertile lands are waiting for the axe, the p'ough, the seeds, corn, the reaping hoofc. the pick and the Bhovel, and it would be almost criminal on our part to deny this grand country to any #ho are willing to come, considering we oursolves have come to better our worldly possessions, to breathe purer air, far away from the congested parts of older civilisations. New Zoalanders themselves are only too often running down this country to strangers who come to look round. But, although taxation for the first few years might appear rather heavy, we have compensated them by giving a paradise instead of a wilderness to live in, and very shortly any industrious person would reap tenfold. The prosperity of a new country depends a great deal on its number of industrious inhabitants, provided of course the lands are there to be tilled, and why we should send cargo after cargo of grain and other produce to Europe, only to be loaded with freights and other heavy which count partly againsi the producer, instead of having it consumed here, has always been a mystery to me. A. MORITZSON,

Of Morilzson & Hopkin Blenheim, Feb. Ist.