PURE SEEDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3099, 6 August 1913, Page 18

PURE SEEDS.

At the Agricultural Conference at Wellington last week Mr E. Clifton. Director of State Fields Experiments, in a short address commended a suggestion which Professor Alexander had made, to the effect that efforts should be made to improve seeds in the district where they were grown, rather than spending the time on! novelties got from outside the district. Tbs Svate Biologist (Mr A. PI. Cockayne) Raid that in a very few years a groat deal of the New Zealand seed would he of the pure-strain type, and this emphasised the need for the association proposed. At present, except at th<' Swi.t la mi* there was not a seed-grower in New Zealand worthy of the name; there was no one growing pure strains. The association would have a great deal of preliminary work in the teaching of farmers th l ® need for pure seeds. Mr J. D. dall (Canterbury) remarked that there was near Christchurch a firm which was troin.g in for the growing of pure seeds, and he believed that firm was proceeding on right limes. Mr Cockayne: Yes; but that firm is just starting.