COCKSFOOT SEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14184, 9 April 1908, Page 2

COCKSFOOT SEED

THE ALLEGED INFERIORITY. AN INTERVIEW.

In our issue of Saturday last was a message from Auckland which referred to the manner in which the farmer is defrauded in tho purchase of cocksfoot seed owing to its inferiority. A Times reporter yesterday waited on Mr A. Moritzson, who has had many years' experience both as a seed-cleaner and a seed merchant, with a view of ascertaining whether there is actually any foundation for tho statement that foul cocksfoot seed, with little, germinating power, was beiug sold to the farmers.

"I regret to have to 6ay," said Mr Moritzson, "that there is some truth in the assertion that inferior seed is sold to tho farmers. This matter was brought up in the House of Parliament at a time when the late Sir John M'Kenzie was Minister of Lands. A number of samples of grass and clover seed which were sent to tho Survey Department wero analysed by Mr T. W. Kirk, Government biologist. And tho testing of those seeds so submitted disclosed a very bad state of affairs in regard to their germinating power. As is 110 doubt known, Crown and waste lands are under the control of the Survey Department, and when any seeds are required for the various parts of the Dominion that department calls for tenders for supplies. In the. calling for tenders an exceedingly bad system prevails, one, in fact, that opens the dcor to fraudulent, tactics. The department fixes the maximum price per acre which it is to spend .on grass seed of various kinds, and if, for instance, the maximum price is fixed at 8s 6d or 9s 6d per acre, it stands to reason that if the various seeds are at tho time ruling very, high, those merchants who desire to tender naturally submit samples, which are not of the choice/.t or freshest, nor best germinating power in order to sell at the price which is stipulated by the department, tho outcome ibeing that when the inferior samples are germinated the results provo disastrous. But that is not all. In most instances the seed merchant who has been the successful tenderer 'is generally requested to mix all the seeds in the proportion bought by the department, such as ryegrass, cocksfoot, clover, Timothy, otc., and after being mixed the bulk is sent direct to that part of tho country where tho seed is to be sown, and taken over by the Crown Lands Ranger. This method certainly lends itself to grave abuses by an unscrupulous tenderer, who may havo _ tendered at too low a figure. The seed is not examined after it leaves the seed merchant's house, and it may contain anything. At "the timo the disclosures above referred to were mado in the Hotise I discussed this matter very carefully with tho late Sir John M'Kenzie. I pointed out. the various anomalies which existed in the method of supplying' grass and other seeds, and urged, upon him to introdue a seed adulteration bill, which I consider would be of far greater importance to tho farming community than the Manure Adulteration Act, which has been in existence for many years, and which has proved a very great benefit. In fact, tho Government considers it most important that nothing but clean seotl should be sown in Dominion. It allows the farmer to rail his dirty seed after being threshed at a minimum rate to tho seedcleaners in the towns, and then to have it railed book freo of cost. This is done with the object of .oncouraging nothing but the best of seeds being grown. It the seed is purchased direct from tho various cleaners the farmer can always ho assured of getting tho very best. Samples of cocksfoot seeds that I cleaned years ago with my own machines, and the bulk of which was shipped to London, v/ero submitted to /Professor Staeblcr, of Zurich, Switzerland, who is well-known authority on the germination of agricultural seeds. They gave a germinating test of from 92 to 98 per cent. That result is no doubt obtained by other machines also. The root of tho trouble existing in Auckland' and m other parts of New Zealand is, firstly, that often cheap so«ls aro wanted by tho fanners; secondly, in sonic eases,-the leases of some farmers havo only a short timo to run, and accordingly a farmer in such a position is not very particular about what he sows so long as he does sow according to the terms of his lease. Thirdly, seed buyers in tho Dominion havo at times inquired from other houses for tho offals, such ,-is light seed blowings with no germinating power whatever. The seed, I am sure, is not used for rough gullies or rough country, but; is sometimes used to mix again with clcan seed in order to reduce the cost of tho seed which is to be supplied to farmers or other purchasers. This opens tho way to unfair competition, and it is probable that therein lies the cause of the complaints which havo just emanated from Auckland. I am quite euro that all tho seed which left tho Banks Peninsula this year for tho North Island, Blenheim, and Nelson—in all some 45,000 sacks or morehas been sold and sown by tho North Islanders without being dressed by machinery. Tho Banks Peninsula seed was this year bright, fairly clean, and only contained a little fog, and in somo instances a littlo gooso grass. Tho natural weight of the seed was equal to from 151b to 151b per bushel, and thero was very little 121b seed available. The seed, as a whole, was tho finest that, has been harvested for many years past, and tho complaints raised at Auckland would certainly not refer, to the seed shipped from tho Banks Peninsula. A few thousand sacks were produced in North Otago and in Canterbury, and although the samples that I havo seen from these districts were certainly not eo good as those from the Banks Peninsida, they do not deservo to lie classed with such as is complained of in Auckland, as they were of good average quality. If, then, thero is anything in tho complaint raised in Auckland it is fairly evident that the seeds received must have been adulterated. It certainly brings home to both buying merchants and tho farming community the fact that a seed adulteration bill is urgently needed."