DOMINION SEEDS IN ENGLAND

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20937, 18 August 1933, Page 7

DOMINION SEEDS IN ENGLAND

SENDING OF EXPERT DEMONSTRATOR GRASSLAND CONFERENCE'S RECOMMENDATION For the purpose of demonstrating the value of New Zealand seeds in Great Britain the annual meeting of the New Zealand Grassland Association yesterday adopted a resolution recommending the Government to send Mr E. Bruce Levy, of the Plant Research Station at Palmcrston North, to England for a year. Mr J. T. Martin moved the following motion:— "That it be a recommendation from this conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association to the Government that Mr E. Bruce Levy be sent to England to demonstrate the qualities of New Zealand strains of pasture seeds in relation to the possibility of their use in England." "My reason for moving this motion is that I am confident that we shall not have any success in introducing new strains of seed into England or the United States until the loading scientific men in these countries understand that we have a sound and valuable product," said Mr Martin. "I believe the Government would be doing the country a good turn if it sent Mr Bruce Levy to England, for a year for this purpose." Mr G. H. Hoiford seconded the motion. Mr C. H. Hewlett said he believed that no man in New Zealand had yet sufficient information about New Zealand grasses to be able to put them on the English market. He believed that the collection of further evidence to convince overseas buyers was necessary. Lack of Information. "It is no good sending a mnn not properly equipped to England," he said. "He must be able to produce ligures of the actual productivity in pounds of meat to convince the buyers. There is a great deal more work to be done before such information will be in our possession. I do not believe that there is a man in New Zealand to-day sufficiently well equipped for that purpose." Mr Hewlett added that nothing should be done without the co-opera-tion of the seed trade. Mr A. W. Hudson thought Mr Hewlett was unduly pessimistic. If only the people of England could be persuaded to try New Zealand seeds those seeds would sell themselves. Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf strongly supported the suggestion to send Mr Levy to England, but he considered that he should not go as a commercial agent. He should go as a scientist to test the value of the Dominion's seeds in England. At this stage the meeting went into committee on the motion of the chairman (Dr. E. Marsden), and after further discussion it resumed to carry the resolution without opposition.