COCKSFOOT GRASS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23850, 28 December 1940, Page 3

COCKSFOOT GRASS

SAVING OF SEED URGED A plea lor the saving of cocksfoot seed was made by the director ol the Kields Division of the Department ol Agriculture. Mr. I!. 1!. Tennent, in a statement, lie said that when Denmark came under the Nazi regime Kngland lost her main supply of cocksfoot seed, and was now relying on New Zealand supplies to a greater extent than ever before. "During the next few weeks it should be possible to save a great deal of seed which otherwise might go to waste," said Mr. Tennent. "Cocksfoot is very coiniifon on roadsides, railway lines ;ind other waste ground throughout New Zealand, and can probably be saved in almost; all districts, although threshing facilities are not always available in certain of the higher rainfall districts, such as North Auckland, Taranaki, the King Country, and the west eojist ol the South Island. "Seed of the best possible germination will not be secured unless due attention is given to the stage ol cutting. if a proportion of the seed is too green there wdl be a corresponding percentage of immature seeds in thedinal sample, and the germination percentage will be low. On the other hand, il the seed is dead ripe the seed has a duller appearance and there may be some loss from shaking. The best stage for cutting is when the heads have started to brown and when mature seed can be rubbed out of the seed heads between the hands. It. is important that cutters should select the seed heads carefully and not . cut such grasses as prairie grass, tall oat grass, Yorkshire fog or tall fescue in with the cocksfoot sheaves.