NEW ZEALAND SEED

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 304, 8 December 1931, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND SEED

DEVELOPMENTAL WORK. Mr W. Davies, a grass seed expert from Aberystwyth, Wales, whose services were granted to the New Zealand Government for two years, and who, during that period, conceived a great admiration for the qualities of Hawke’s Bay perennial ryegrass and New Zealand white clover, has now reIJirned Home. In a letter to Mr E. Bruce Levy, written on his return to Great Britain, Mr Davies gives some 4 idea of New Zealand’s opportunities with regard to the development of an export trade with grass and clover seeds. In his letter, Mr Davies writes:— ‘•Relative to the white clover trial at Aberystwyth, from what I have seen herei should say that they pretty well endpree the trials we conducted at the Plant Research Station in I’almertson. New Zealand wild white Nq. 1 and No. 2 arc outstandingly better than ordinary New Zealand, but virtually the whole of these samples that we have had here are appreciably better than any North. European types. “There is every indication to suggest that New Zealand wild white having regard to the proper types, can* with material benefit to use at this end, replace the whole of the North European type which wo now use. There is therefore a market for New Zealand white clover in this country amounting to several hundred tons annually. During the past few days we have had the pleasure at this station of entertaining members of the seed trade of Great Britain. “We had a fairly representative gathering from all parts of the country’, and I would judge that members of tlie trade are entirely convinced that your New Zealand strains are superior to North European both in regard to white clover and cocksfoot. They had never, of course, had adequate trials of Hawke’s Bay ryegrass for auy New Zealand ryegrass that conies into this country is normally of the South Island type.”