HIGH GERMINATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19885, 11 March 1939, Page 15

HIGH GERMINATION

BEST IN DOMINION POVERTY BAY RYEGRASS BIG DEMAND FOR SEED Germination certificates for Poveriy Bay ryegrass seed this season are the highest in the Dominion. In all other districts the germination this season has been unusually low, but in the Gisborne area, where the dry weather up to the lime of harvesting greatlyassisted the germination qualities, the results have been particularly good, very few of the lines having certificates for less than 90 per cent germination. Because of the high percentages shown in the certificates, there has been a keen dmancl for the Poverty Bay seed, and most of the certified lines will be cleared out, it is expected, by the end of the month.

The Australian demand has come to the Gisborne district this year, and for the first time for two or three years Gisborne seed has been purchased direct from Gisborne for Australian shipment, the first of which will be sent by the Awatea from Auckland on Tuesday.

In the past me Australian buyers have drawn their supplies mainly from the South Island, where quotations are usually cheaper, but in view of the failure of the South Island crops so far as germination results are concerned, the demand has como to Gisborne. Most of the Gisborne seed this season has been sold to outside buyers, and there is little doubt that a proportion of this will find its way to Australia, as no doubt it has done in the past. The demand continues firm, according to latest reports, but as Australian loadings may be restricted after the end of March the same demand may not operate after that, but by that time the bulk of the Poverty Bay supplies are expected to be marketed. If any retrogression does occur in the market subsequently Hawke's Bay values are likely to suffer, because not a great quantity of supplies from that district have been marketed yet.