CERTIFICATED RYE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17179, 8 February 1930, Page 11

CERTIFICATED RYE

POVERTY BAY AREAS EIGHT FARMS, 273 ACRES 'According to the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture, eight Poverty Bay growers have areas registered as fit. for the production of perennial ryegress seed of the certificated permanent. posture class. Four of these farms are at Wacrcnga-a-hika, two at Ormond, one at Ilexton and one at Patutahi, the areas ranging from nine to 100 acres, the total certificated area being 273 acres. • in all 2383 acres have been certified to in Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay and Sandon, Hawke’s Bay providing 2094 acres and Sandon, with only one grower, 10 acres. in .publishing a list of the names, the journal states that the following points are of particular importance: — Tlie pastures enumerated are in the meantime registered as fit for the production of “permanent pasture” seed —that is, the ryegrass is of the correct type and the stands are five years old or over, but no sample trial report is available which would render them fit for the production of “mother” seed. As soon as possible after harvest, a sample from each line will be placed under trial at the plant research station, Palmerston North, and reported upon within three of four months — that is, before seed is usually sown in the South Island. If the report indicates that tho seed is equal to the standard of mother seed, the parties concerned will be notified. The seed will be recorded as mother seed, anil the first harvest progeny of that seed will be eligible for certification subject to a field inspection. Should the. seed on trial prove not to be up to the standard of mother seed it will have to be considered still as permanent pasture seed. Every endeavor has been made to avoid such a possibility, and the standard lias been kept very high. However, a small percentage is likely to be ineligible as mother seed, and allowance must )>e made in this connection. The main difference between the grower who sows down mother seed as compared with one who sows down permanent pasture seed is that tho first harvest .progeny of mother seed is eligible for certification (subject to a field inspection), whereas Hie first harvest progeny of permanent pasture seed is not eligible under any Condition whatsoever. Since white clover seed from five-year-old stands is eligible for certification as “New Zealand white clover, certified old pasture,” it follows that any white clover dressed out of the ryegrass seed harvested on these areas will be eligible for certification.