PASTURE SEEDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20000, 7 January 1935, Page 3

PASTURE SEEDS

DOMINION’S PRE-EMINENCE. New Zealand’s pre-eminence as a producer of pasture seeds was demonstrated to Mr W. M. Shand, manager of Wright, Stephenson, and Company, Christchurch, during a tour of seed experimental stations in Australia. Mr Shand, who returned to Christchurch last week, after being in Australia for two months, was one of the New Zealand representatives at the conference of New Zealand and Australian seed merchants recently held in Melbourne. With the others attending the conference Mr Shand visited the various State experimental seed stations. On these farms large quantities of New Zealand-grown seeds, such as ryegrass, Akarca cocksfoot, wild white clover, cowgrass. browntop, and Chewing’s fescue were grown side by side with seeds collected from all over the world. “In every cr~c the New Zealandgrown seeds showed out superior to anything else,” Mr Shand said. “It is a wonderful advertisement for this country.” One of the most valuable qualities of New Zealand-grown seed was its high germination, resulting from the long periods of sunshine enjoyed by the country. Seed imported into Australia from other countries where the climate was moist did not possess the same power of germination, and it also did not hold it for any length of time. The present spell of fine weather was just the thing for seeds. It might cut down the quantity produced, but it put the quality into them. No cocksfoot in the world would touch the Akaroa cocksfoot, Mr Shand added. That fact was recognised all over the world. During a visit to Colac, 100 miles from Melbourne, he inspected the ryegrass crops, in which this district specialised, and he was impressed by the quality, though they did rot possess the evenness of character for which New Zealand-grown ryegrass was noted. The New Zealand seed trade was capable of great improvement, as the Dominion had the right goods to offer. The convention marked an important stage in the history of the Australian and New Zealand seed trade. It had done much towards consolidating the good feeling existing between the seed interests of the two countries.