DEVELOPING NEW SEED STRAINS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21329, 23 November 1934, Page 12

DEVELOPING NEW SEED STRAINS

j World-Wide Interest j Of Farmers j j I LOCAL VARIETIES | PREFERRED A great, increase m the interest of farmers throughout the world in pedigree seeds was noticed by MrJohn Montgomery, managing director of J. Montgomery and Company, seed merchants, of Christchurch. who returned yesterday from a trip to England. America, the Continent, and Denmark. In most countries, he said, the farmers themselves were turning to the propagation of pedigree seeds, and the tendency in almost every country was to develop the strains that were natural to the country, or had been in the country for many years and had proved themselves. In England there were now many associations of farmers formed 10 grow selected seeds. As a rule these associations were confined to districts, and the farmers in the organisation would pick out a field and distribute the seed in the district. Generally the associations went to work without scientific investigation, because there was little money in England for the education of the farmer. The seed grown by these small private associations was as a rule kept within the district. Tn Denmark and Sweden tlv:: farming industry was very highly organised. Farmers' clubs existed, and through them an immense amount of valuable information was exchanged. In Denmark the livestock and grasses and clovers were marvellous. They were all predominantly pedigree stock, because the Danish farmer realised the value of pedigree herbage as well as pedigree animals. The Danish farmer not only knew the value of pedigree pastures, but would have nothing else. A Farmer's Enterprise The cultivation of good herbage J was strongly encouraged by private j firms. One farmer he met grew strain of ryegrass, and eventually' sold it for '£2ooo. The strain was developed from a single plant, and took years to bring to marketable size, but the enterprise of this farmer showed how keen the farmers of Denmark were, not only in growing new grasses, but also in finding a market. I

"The butter industry in Denmark is really only a side-line," said Mr Montgomery. "The pig is the main product. The Danes have to milk th_> cows to feed the pigs, and butter is a by-product. The white breed of Danish pigs are wonderful. They are so long that they really need six legs to carry lhcm. They are ideal bacon pigs." The cheese and butter factories of Denmark were very efficiently organised and were conspicuous for (heir cleanliness, he said. One felt that one could cat one"s meals oft the floor. All the cheeses manu factured were most carefully looked after, every single one being turned at the right time on the shelves while it was maturing, and every one being carefully examined and tended by hand. Danish cheese was a specialty for the epicure, while. New Zealand cheese was a cheese for the multitude. No Fences

There are no fences in Denmark, and so valuable is every inch of land that, the roads are made a? narrow as possible. The cows are tethered in rows, and are milked in the paddock. They are moved along, still tethered, as they eat out the grass. The system is the sanv? as rotational grazing. The pastures are mainly ryegrass, and red and white clover, and the country b very rich.

While in Australia, Mr Montgomery found that as in Knglnnd, there was a great interest, among the farmers in the selection of pasture plants. Here ayain there was n si runs tendency !.u select from local varieties rather than to import. The Australians said that it was better to develop grasses that had become acclimatised and used to their soil. In Victoria a ryegrass had been developed which was most successful, and every bit as good as Hawke's Bay ryegrass. It was admitted that Hawke's Bay seed was very good, but the local strain cam? from pastures 50 years old. The Australians were very busy now in trying to find drought-re-sisting grasses and plants, realising thai ii.' they could find them half the drought trouble of the country would be overcome. The government was doing a great deal of the experimental work, but the dissemination of proved strains was left largely in the hands of the farmers' clubs, who issued their own certificates under government supervision. No government certificates were issued in Australia.

Among the many new plants imported by the agriculture department for observation and possible development was a marvellous clover which had been imported by one man. Unfortunately he forgot whether he obtained it from Egypt or Arabia, and there had been a close search for it ever sinc<i. Even China had been searched for plants that would possibly be useful.

In America Mr Montgomerv found strong opposition from the established grain and seed merchants to the development of better strains by the farmers, and consequently the work was going on slowly there. The larger companies had developed their own strain, which I hey sold under a trade nam--<>r a brand and advertised heavily, and therefore Ihcy wore not, kceii lei see new strains Ih'cmihi? popular. In England the development ..f new seed strains did not. receive the encouragement it deserved, bur in Denmark and Sweden this w n looked on as a national matter and was given for more serious alien tion than it was anywhere else. Mr Montgomery found that ther> were at present, very few traveller; on the Continent. The exchange rati? was so high that travelling there, was now an expensive bus: ness. Petrol for instance, cost os 3d a gallon, and the hotel chargc--were m proportion. Expenses likethese did not offer much induce Jiicnt for travel.