GRASS SEED.

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1911, Page 6

GRASS SEED.

AN ADVANCE IN PRICE EXPECTED

During the present season (says the "Journal of the Department of Agriculture") the prices of grass seeds of nearly all descriptions will he much, in advance of those of the past few years. The failure of the American cocksfoot harvest has been the cause of large shipments of New Zealand grown seed to the United States, and ; fis this season's crop in the Dominior is light, on the average, the price locally will be extremely high for a consid- ! I erable time to come. White clover owing to the small European harvest has advanced quite fifty per cent., anc timothy, generally one of the cheapest of grasses, last season worth £2° per ton, is now quoted at over £40 per ion. The local rye-grass harvest, owing to unfavorable weather conditions' is almost certain to be considerab'. below the average, and prices will in accordance be much higher than us ual. This increase in prices will naturally render the sowing of bush burns an expensive operation, and farmers will be likely to reduce the amount of seed used per acre. This policy is .however, a very bad on-i, as it will result in a thin sward, and allow the generation of any veeri seeds that may happen to fall on the ground.