BULBS FOR N.Z.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 May 1926, Page 7

BULBS FOR N.Z.

TRANSPORT EXPERIMENTS. At the .request of the British Ministry of Agriculture some tests have been made to ascertain the best methods of transporting bulbs to New Zealand, it is the custom for firms sending bulbs to the Dominion to obtain a certificate from the Ministry stating that such bulbs are in a healthy condition. On many occasions the consignments have arrived at their destination in an unsatisfactory condition, and complaints have been received bv the Ministry. The High Commissioner’s Department has therefore despatched by three vessels —the Atlienic, the Maloja, and the Rotorua —a quantity of narcissi, g 1 adioli, and lilies. In each case a certain proportion of the bulbs has been placed in the captain’s room, where the temperature in the tropics will be kept at about GO degrees by means of fans: a proportion in the specif room, where the temperature will bo unregulated: and a proportion in the shin’s vegetable chamber, where the temnerature will be comparatively cool. The lots in each of these places have be n divided into two. and one lot has been deliberately infected with bulb mite.

The Department of Agriculture, \Ve'lington. has been a.sked to examine these bulbs and to plant them out immediatelv after the test. Tt is thus honed to obtain some valuable data on which to arrive at the best method of transporting the bulbs across the world. The shipping companies concerned have very kind’v given ovej'v assistance in carrying out the exneirments.