IMPROVEMENT OF COCKSFOOT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17011, 19 April 1926, Page 8

IMPROVEMENT OF COCKSFOOT.

GOOD WORK AT LINCOLN COLLEGE. CABINET MAKE'S JUSCOO GRANT. (Special to the Herald.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The work on the improvement of cocksfoot that lias so strikingly been developed at Lincoln College for the pastfew years is being considerably extended during the current season. The best strains of cocksfoot growing on various classes of land in North Canterbury were selected about two years ago, so that the college plots now .include prolific strains suitable for medium wheat land, for high country, for limestone faces, and for Jight shingly plains. These are now in process of being selected and multiplied, and the appearance oT the work Is so promising that Cabinet has agreed to recommend that a sum of £SCOO a year be voted for its prosecution. TO EMBRACE ALL SOUTH ISLAND, 4 At a meeting of the College Board of .Governors it was decided that the work should be made to embrace the whole of the South Island, and that agricultural and pastoral associations of the various districts should be asked to indicate the, different classes of country in which the improvement of cocksfoot would he of special value. One of the plant breeders from the college will then visit the locality to make selections from the strains t-haf. are found to thrive best under the special conditions, and will proceed to grow, re-select and multiply the strains that seem most desirable. ■ Some of the work will have lo be done under the conditions of climate and soil in which ilie plants are ultimately to grow, but most of it will be done at Lincoln College, where the difficult and laborious task of producing pure seed of the selected strains will be under the constant-care of the plant breeders.