BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 114, 18 May 1918, Page 7

BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

(United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, May 17,

The Board of Agriculture, after going exhaustively into the question of the supply of turnip and swede seeds, decided to issue a warning to farmers that there would probably be a shortage for the 1918 sowing, and make a suggestion that farmers should reserve a portion of their crops for seed purposes. The position with regard to 1919 supplies "is still doubtful, but it seeeis extremely probable that Great Britain will be short, and attempts a.re being made to persuade merchants and farmers to grow at least a thousand, acres of turnips for seed, to be harvested about next December or January. So far as rape is concerned there appears- to be a better supply in store to fulfil 1918 requirements, 'but there is every indication that the 1919 supply will have to be largely made up from locally-pro-duced seed. The Board resolved to write to the Minister of Agriculture, stating that it considered that the prospect of growing sufficient wheat for next season is being seriously endangered' by the uncertainty prevailing through the Government not gazetting the price to be paid for next season's crop. It was also decided to recommend that the Government should follow the procedure established by the British Government of guaranteeing a fair price for a term of vears,. to ensure a sufficient quantity of wheat being grown to meet the requirn- . meats of the Dominion.