GRASS BEEDS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 822, 8 March 1909, Page 4

GRASS BEEDS.

THE DISTRICT" S SUPPLY. In the course of a conversation with a Standard reporter a gentleman who is closely connected with the grass seed industry, gave some interesting information with regard to tho supply of seed from the surrounding district*. The supply of cocksfoot, ho stated, was growing less cadi year ami during the liist uiii'.' or U-'ii years it had dwindled flrom nWoiifc 10.000 sacks each wn>Mu lo 1000. which would W about the amount coming; forward tins season. This ho accounted for by tinfact of the greater portion of the bush being fulled and tho country stocked with sheep and dairy cattle. Formerly cocksfoot was often sown on the new burns and in a couple, of seasons some good crops were obtained. Now it grew to seel only along the railway lines and steep places where the stock could not got at it. Farmers will not crop it as they dfd rye grass because it took about three years before they got any reasonable returns. Cocksfoot in the North Island for seed purposes was practically a thing of the past, the only reliable source of supply in New Zealand being tho Akaroa Peninsula. The prices this year for farmers' dressed ranged from 5Jd to about 6Jd per lb and for heavy machine dressed from about- 7id to bd per lb. Last year tho prices wore high, farmers' dressed ranging from about 7d to BJd per lb, and heavy machine dressed from BJd to 9£d per lb. Last year, however, there was an abnormal demand on account oi the severe- fires that had burnt much of tho grass in various districts and itwas considered that with a similar demand this year prices would have gone up to about Is 6d per lb. The yield of rye this year, our informant, stated, bad been a good one. and with the exception that it was a triflo 'dark in colour tho quality was excellent. Farmers had gone in for it very extensively. Unfortunately, however, the prices were rather poor, ranging from -Is to 0.-> per bushel, as against 6s 6d and fls 6d per bushel last year. The low prices v r ere accounted for partly by the largo (juuntities that had been grown i>i the South Island and the low prices ruling there. Heavy dressud southern rye was quoted at- 3s per bushel f.o.b. at the Bluff. The North Island seed, ho held, was considerably better in quality than that from the South, where the standard this year ranged from 28 to 29] bs per bushel as against 31 to 32 lbs to the bushel in the North Inland. He considered tliat as soon 'is the best <>f the South Island seed was disposed of prices were likely to harden. There was about the usual quantity of meadow foxtail coming into the market, prices ranging from Is 3d to Is od per lb. The demand for the local supply of this seed was not particularly keen as fairly large quantities were sent here from England and wns usually sold at a lower rate than tlin locally grown seed. j