THE COCKSFOOT HARVEST.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 458, 17 March 1909, Page 5

THE COCKSFOOT HARVEST.

, SMALL INQUIRY.. s BIG SURPLUS FOB EXPORT. J Tho cooksfoot' harvest of Banks Peninsula ' is roughly estimated, 1 by Mr. A. Moritzson, }' of, Duaediii; at: between 45,000 and 48,000 ' sacks. : In;viow of the larger area devoted J] to the' drop, he '.''considers tho yield should c have been'' 60,000 sacks. The low yield is 5 attributed to.wiiids,.which threshed out the 1 early seed, to bad fertilisation, and to un- J due liasto in cutting immature crops. The s. yield ,of last soason-was about. 53,430 sacks., J, Tho quality ranges from good to bad. The colour is not as bright or as clear as it was £ last year. The natural weight is good, g ' ranging from 13 to 16 pounds per bushel; a i small portion .gives 11 to 12 pounds per t, bushel.' '■'• '.•■•■■•• _ C Tho market for the seed is rather un- p settled, and business :is .difficult. Any ap- X proach to last season's high prices, of A course, cannot be expected. There is not j 1 the same volume or urgency in the demand ] as that which arose out of the fires of last * year. This season it is expected that tho j. North Island will purchase, about 5000 sacks, t which is much below tho average Last g year the North Island and Nelson and Bleu- t. heim over.'4o,ooo sacks. Growers' C expectations were rather unsettled by the s unnatural prices of' last season, and this v tendency was emphasised by tho good prices a paid for the earliest parcels ready this season—as .high 'as 5Vd. to 6d.'• The North Is- \ : land demand is now nearly satisfied, partly from "tho Banks Peninsula, partly from other' districts in-' the : South and North Is- J lands, and partly, perhaps, from seed gatherod by farmers and others from sources J not usually harvested for seed. A ~ More. cocksfoot ■ seed' will be' available for * export this soason than was expected. Outside buyers have lately not been consider- f ing ,■ New _ Zealand, bec'ause of tho high 3 prices which sellers at first anticipated. The i latest'.London : quotations; for'dispatch in £ February, wore 565. c.i.f. for 17-pound seed. C Speculative offers may now bo expected, t ranging from 38s. to 48s. c.i.f. London for 16-pound and _ 17-pound Tho quotations will-bo' influenced to s'omo extent by S tho amount of seed, if any, received from s America and Europe. ' , ■ 1