RYEGRASS EXPERIMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1930, Page 15

RYEGRASS EXPERIMENTS

TESTS AT MASSEY COLLEGE. GENUINE PERENNIAL OBTAINED. Extensive experiments in the growing of various types of ryegrass have been successfully carried out at Massey Agricultural College, stated the Hon. A. J. Murdoch, Minister for Agriculture, at Christchurch on Monday. “I am very pleased with the results of this section of the work,” said the Minister, "and we expect that the results obtained will be utilised in the improvement of our pastures. Many varieties have been placed under a lengthy test and to-day we are able to state that a genuine perennial has been obtained upon which development will be concentrated, “Canterbury seed was included in those under trial, but it was unsuccessful, it being found that it did not last. In some cases, two years was/the-limit of its. l.ife, : . The. Hawke ? s Bay-varieties were much more successful; > “It is intended to extend this investigation now with the seed from which the best results have been obtained, and it is the department’s intention to collect the seed and’ distribute it among certain selected farmers, whose duty it will be to establish it in their respective districts until a perennial pasture is obtained that will repay top-dressing. The department hopes to be able also to maintain the cost of this proved seed at a reasonable figure. At an early date a bulletin regarding the whole of the experiments conducted will be issued.”