CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10146, 20 September 1898, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

• # * Letters to the Editor must be written distinctly in ink on one side of the paper, otherwise they cannot be entertained. They must also be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, as a guarantee of good faith. We musli ask our correspondents to remember that during the session of Parliament the demands upon our space are so great, that-we cannot guarantee to print long letters. TESTING OF SEEDS. ;■ TO THE EDITOR OF THE FRKSS. Sir,—Pare and fertile seeds—ln your issue of Saturday we read with interest a letter from Messrs G. Q. Stead and Company, referring to the remarks made by the Hon. John McKenzie, in speaking on the Noxious Weeds Bill. * We also notice Mr M'Kenzie's remarks on the samples of seed, that he said the Agricultural Department bad bought/ from the various firms in the colony, and had some thought of making a protest against being included in these sweeping statements; but after duly considering the matter, we came to the conclusion.that the Canterbury farmers' knowledge of the germination of the seed supplied by the seed merchants in Chrietchuich, was sufficient to make thia assertion of the Minister's so different from their experience as to make them doubt the veracity of it, so that it was quite unnecessary for us to say anything. Now, however, that the question has been raised by Messrs Stead; and Company, we think it as well to bring the evidence we have in oar possession to bear on the subject, as we also believe in' the farmer using seeds Of the beet and purest description. Previous tb 1 the bringing put of the patent cleaning machinery invented by our manager, it is a well-known fact that none of the samples-of New Zealand grown cocksfood could be freed, with any certainty, from the so F prevalent of Yorkshire fog. So as to get independent evidence on this ikw machinery, we invited the secutavy of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association to visit onr stores, and see some cocksfoot then being dressed. Mr Murphy accepted our invitation, and after expressing his satisfaction on the introduction of machinery that would efficiently take the fog out of the cocksfoot, he said he would like to take samples of the seed before and after being cleaned. The following is a copy of the letter we subsequently received from him : —" Canterbury A. and P. Association, May 9th, 1890. Mr C. A. Lees, Manager Canterbury Seed Company, Christehurch. Dear Sir,—l beg to band yon the following report on two samples of;•;cocksfoot, obtained by mc at your stores in Lyttelton. No. 1 cocksfoot before being* passed through the cleaning machine. . This contained 12 per cent, of Yorkshire fog (holeus lanatna), with a few seeds of soft brome grass or goose grass (holcus mollis), meadow fescue, ryegrass and hair graa» (festuca brpmoides), with a trace of ergot, germinating power 65 per. cent. No. 2 cocksfoot after passing through the machine. This contained occasional seeds of fog, say 2 per cent., an occasional seed of ryegrass and meadow fescue, germinating power 90 per cent. The above samples Nos. 1 and 2 were taken by myseli from the bulk while the seed was being cleaned, by your patent machinery.—Signed, M. Murphy, Secretary." You will note that the germination of the cockefoot after dressing was 90 per vent. The following letter from a large user of Canterbury grown seed in, the Hotth Island speaks for itself:—" No. 14 Brandon street, Wellington, 22nd November, 188 S. The manager, Canterbury Seed

Company—Dear sit*,—You may remember that in "the early part of this year I filled you a large order for prass seed, for sowing 800 acres of bush land I had felled. I now write to tell you that the grass has come on splendidly. We had rather had weatherhot and dry—after sowing, but within four months of sowing we were able to stock, and since then have kept an increasing stock, from two sheep and a quarter of a cattle beast per acre, until now, when we have close on five sheep and a quarter of a cattle beast per acre. You may think: it exaggeration, but the only complaint we have to make is that tbe grass cannot be kept down, and is now in most places quite a foot in height. * One great advantage about your seed is that it was almost literally free from weeds, and I* am sure on the whole 800 acres it would be difficult to pick out any weeds. This is the more gratifying, as a ten-aore paddock which we sowed down with crested dogstail from seed obtained from another firm, is a perfect mass of weeds. We are sowing about 200 acres this year, and shall certainly get all our seed from you this time. Yours, faithfully, (Signed) P. E. Baldwin." Evidence ad lib. could be bought to show the high quality of seeds supplied by this Company, but we think the foregoing will be sufficient to show that the Minister for Agriculture could not have been referring to Canterbury grown seeds. We content oursel es by stating that \v*have not supplied tho Department of Agriculture with samples of any seeds during the present year. As to your correspondent's suggestion that all seeds should be officially tested before being suoplied to the farmers, this would be a splendid thing for the farmers in New Zealand, and for all merchants who endeavour to supply pure and fertile seeds. This matter has been considered by more than one in the trade ; but we have yet to learn how a feasible scheme to this end can be worked out. Perhaps your correspondents may have some ideas on the subject which wonld be of benefit to the trade and the forming community.—Yours, &0., FOR THE CANTERBURY •« N.Z." SEED COMPANY, LTD., Chas. Lees, Manager.