AGRICULTURAL SEEDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1602, 5 August 1882, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL SEEDS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sik, — We have been favoured with a sight of the Witness for April 22nd, and whilst thoroughly endorsing all that our esteemed friends, Messrs Nimino and Blair, advance, we would ask permission to add, that in our opinion the ' refuse of other markets ' would never find its way to any colony, if tho consumer was content to pay a fair price, and to deal with established houses who value their reputation.

The seed trade, probably more than any other branch of commerce, must be to a great extent conducted upon a basis of mutual confidence between buyer and seller, and any seed house having a due regard for its own commercial credit, will not abuse this confidence ; but as we have said before, the feeling must be mutual, and the dealer must feel that his customers, so long as they are served with a reliable article, at times price, will not desert him.

it is, however, unfortunately the case in many instances, that a cry is made for ' cheap seeds,' and to moot demands, speculators may have consigned to the colonies curtain quantities and qualities of seed, to be offered at tempting prices, but that are sold without regard to future trade ; and these importations are set against the legitimate trader, who is supposed to have purchased seeds of superior quality, not only as to (jcrminaiiny properties, but also as to general cleanliness, and freedom from impurities. We have probably had a longer and more varied experience in the shipment of clover and.

grass seeds to tho colonies than any other English house, and we base our opinions upon that experience. . As evidence of the appreciation of reliable seeds, and also to dispel the delusion that lowpriced goods are necessarily cheap, we append the following extract from a letter lately received :— ' Carter's clover seeds were tested, together with the same number each from two Colonial sources. Your seeds produced nearly 75 per cent., whilst those ottered elsewhere only produced 32 per cent, and 40 percent, respectively.' The most elaborate and costly machinery has of late years been devised, to bring samples of clover and grass seeds to tho highest pitch of excellence, and so long as tho consumer oxpresses a desire iocs, sound and^ bondjide article, we are satisfied he can secure it by placing his requirements in the hands of responsible merchants. In conclusion we would say that we have always set our faces against filling orders with low priced seeds that were calculated not to grow fully upon reaching destination, and there are doubtless other houses of repute who conduct their business upon the _ same principles; at the same time we cannot disguise the fact that orders do occasionally pass us, when the lowest pricod articles are purchased, without consideration as to relatho qualities ; and wo would prefer that it should bo so, rather than that wo should bo expected to ship goods of inferior quality.— We aro, &c. Jamks Cauteu & Co.

London, June 15th.