CHEWING'S FESCUE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17627, 2 December 1922, Page 18

CHEWING'S FESCUE.

TO THE EDITOR OT "THE PRESS.* Sir, —In reference to your article in this morning's "Press" regarding Ohewing's fescue, I am. glad to see some ventilation given to this important matter. The export value of the Chewing's fescue crop is in the neighbourhood of £200,000, and as the germination of the seed determines its value, any method that will improve the germination will result in very great benefit to New Zealand farmers. The field is one for very careful research, and it should take place here. It has been frequently proved that the same handful of eeed will show germination values at various periods of its existence. New seed just threshed may germinate only 25 per cent, and increase to 75 per cent, in a few weeks,' only to fall away again to 50 per cent.,in a.few months, and in the course of a year it may lose all life. „ Other samples may keep their germination well for several months and then "Suddenly' lose it. Others again—and these are few—germinate well at the end of a year. Whilst not wishing to doubt the correctness of your * London authority, I am inclined to think the fault will be found to originate in the harvesting and the machining. It is common to find a. fungus on inert ryegrass and clover seeds during germination tests: live seeds usually show no fungus. Is it not possible that the fungus grows because of the want of! life in the seed, and not that the, want of life is caused by the fungus ? It is more than like'y that the modern methods of harvesting axe not suitable, and what is most probable the average farmer cuts his seed far too green, and' does not allow the germ to rally develop. The matter is one very important to growers of this seed, and I ieel sure a searching investigation here would prove of great value to an important industry.—Yours, etc., X.