WILD TURNIP SEED WITH LINEN FLAX

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23801, 21 November 1942, Page 6

WILD TURNIP SEED WITH LINEN FLAX

ERROR ADMITTED BY OFFICERS Complaints that wild turnip seed had been included in sacks of linen flax seed for resowing, were discussed at a meeting of the South Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union yesterday. , Mr A. W. J. Robinson, for the Waimate branch, produced samples of impure seed and said he had inspected crops of flax where there were as many as eight wild turnip seedlings in 15 inches of a row. He emphasised the seriousness of spreading the weed when sowing flax. He thought it almost impossible to pull the weeds out. An infected crop should be ploughed in and compensation paid by the Department of Agriculture. Mr W. J. Fletcher said that the farming community looked on the matter with grave concern. Complaints about the impure seed were referred to a meeting of flaxgrowers later in the day. At this meeting an explanation of how these seeds were distributed to farmers was given by Mr J. W. Hadfield, Director of the Linen Flax Section, who said the particular line of seed had been marked unsuitable for resowing and sent to store before being forwarded for oil extraction. "Owing to a clerical error,” said Mr Hadfield, “the seed was passed by the Christchurch office as suitable for resowing. We deal With very large quantities of seed. We have slipped on this occasion and are very much concerned about the mistake,” Mr W. C. Stafford, of the Department of Agriculture, also emphasised the unfortunate nature of the occurrence. The meeting decided to leave the matter in the hands of Mr Hadfield and the Central Flax Advisory Committee.