PASTURE GRASSES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18355, 28 August 1929, Page 3

PASTURE GRASSES.

PERENNIAL RYEGRASS IN SOUTH CANTERBURY. MERCHANTS’ OPINIONS. Yesterday, a “Herald" representative obtained the opinions of a number of leading Timaru seed merchants on statements made by officers of the Department of Agriculture concerning ryegrass, during the farmers’ lecture day at Temuka last Thursday. In an address on “Pasture Management,” Mr E. B. Levy said that the seed trade should be in a position to give the farmer what he wanted. Giving details of a number of tests, the speaker said that the Hawke’s Bay sample of perennial ryegrass proved best, 118 lines being pure perennial, and only two, out of the 173 lines tested, Italian I ryegrass. South Canterbury ryegrass, he averred, was the worst on the mar- | ket, although he regretted very much 1 having to say it. Out of 83 lines tested, j only three were perennial ryegrass, 1 and 43 lines —over fifty per cent—turnicd out dominant Italian. Later in the i day. Mr J. Hadfield dealt with the certification of perennial ryegrass, which, i he sr. d. would ensure the seed being true to label. "We Know It Is Poor.” “We know ourselves that the seed is in many cases poor,” said the first merchant approached, “but it is caused by practically all South Canterbury farmers sowing a mixture of Italian and perennial ryegrass.” The merchant said that in most instances the seed saved was from a catch crop, and was saved only in a year when there was an abundance of feed. Often the farmer sowed his own seed, making the strain of the more prolific Italian even stronger in the line. There were odd exceptions when a farmer offered really true perennial off the old pasture, but it was very seldom that such a line exceeded ten to twenty sacks, and naturally this never reached the wholesale market. South Canterbury farmers often wondered why a line described as perennial by them, and probably grown from seed purchased by them as perennial, was only worth the value of Italian when they offered it to the merchant. This was simply caused by the fact that from the time the seed was harvested, threshed and dressed, a lot of the tails, which distinguished the Italian seed, were in- / advertently knocked off during the processes, and the seed so sown, showed still more Italian when harvested, as Italian was a prolific seeder. In consequence of the above facts, South Canterbury merchants were gradually being forced to secure more and more seed from senders where the perennial was truer to type. “Just the same as they will with wheat and potatoes,” concluded the speaker, “the Department of Agriculture are prepared to go on with the certification of grass seed, and it is hoped that some of the South Canterbury farmers, requiring permanent pastures, will import certified perennial ryegrass to introduce purer strains into the district.” “Not a Fair Test.” “It is not a fair thing at all,” said another merchant, who contended that the Department should not have made public the tests comparing the districts. It had not been a fair test. When the merchants had been asked for samples they had not been told that their seed was to be tested out against other districts. If this had been known, the merchants could have supplied selected seed, instead of any odd line they happened to have in hand. Most farmers in this district, according to our informant, sowed a mixture and as Italian rye was the most prolific, it was only natural that it should i become dominant. The land in most oarts of South Canterbury was dear land, and was laid down for three to four years at the outside, and the perennial seed for permanent pasture was seldom wanted. The South Canterbury seed was supplied at a reduced price in comparison with the Hawke’s Bay seed which retailed at up to 17/6 a bushel against South Canterbury seed at 6/a bushel. The South Canterbury farmer seldom required a permanent pasture. For export inquiry, however, the i farmer would need to produce the true j perennial seed. South Canterbury I could produce the true perennial for | export if necessary. The certification of seed would not j benefit the South Canterbury farmer to I any extent. Their pastures were left down for two or three years at the outside, and what they wanted was a ' quick grass, so they included Italian [ and western wolths in their mixture, j When this seed was harvested, western i wolths would show in the sample. ! Naturally, the seed could then be sold ! only as a mixture of perennial and j Italian. “Pure Seed Imported.” Another merchant who was ap-■-"cached said it could hardly be exI rected that the South Canterbury seed would be anything else but a mixture ! of Italian and perennial. It was only on rare occasions that a line of pure ! perennial was sown. The farmer usually sowed his pasture with a mixture of, say, 201 bof perennial to 101 bof i Italian, and it was a quick pasture he wanted. He did not sow the area ; especially for seed, but if a season I when there was an abundance of feed | came round, he would often harvest it , for such. Where a farmer had sown j a mixture, he could hardly expect to i get perennial ryegrass seed. The merchant said he seldom had any inquiry for pure perennial seed, but now that top-dressing was coming more into force, and farmers were inclined to sow a smaller area of wheat, the perennial reed might become more popular. This j year, he was importing some pure per- ; ennial seed from the Old Country. Certification might keep the seed pure for I a time, but it would be practically im- [ possible to solve the problem altogether, as the farmers would go on mixing and swapping their seed.