BIG SEED PURCHASE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 10, 13 January 1941, Page 2

BIG SEED PURCHASE

“MIX” OF 180 TONS

FOR NEW PASTURES '

PALMERSTON N., Jan. 8. Eight lots of pasture seed, ag-: gregating 180 tons, are now being! mixed al Palmerston North, under, the supervision of the Seed Testing Station, for use by the Land Development Department in sowing about 6000 acres o£ land at Te Kunl. Act ; ing as the sole purchasing medium tor the Government, tire Seed Testing Station Buys annually about £120,000 worth of seeds lor use by various ■ departments. The concentration of 91 lines of pasture seeds from various parts of New Zealand and overseas for thepresent "mix" is but a small part of’ the station's activities in this direction; yet even this amount of seed is sufficient to put down in the best pasture available an area half as large again as the whole of the city; of Palmerston North. The main users of the seed purchased by the! station are the Native Department, I the Lands and Survey Department, j and the Public Works Department.! although practically every department makes a call from time to time on the station's services. 1

Certified Seed Only. When a department requires seed, no matter how small or how large Lie quantity, it makes out a requisition on tlie Seed Testing Station, and in this regard the latter acts as the seed-purchasing office of the Government Stores Control Board, the officer in charge of the station, Mr. N. R. Foy, being a member of the board. About 95 per cent, of the seed bought by the station is New Zealand grown. Only certified seed is considered and it must all have been tested for germination before it is purchased. When the station knows what is required different classes of land need different pasture, while in some cases the grass is not used solely for grazing stock, such as on aerodromes—it goes on the market by calling tenders for the supply of seed. Usually about three-quarters of the operators in th,e trade, from Auckland to Invercargill, will operate. It is not an uncommon happening that when the station has a firm offer of certain seeds, rye being in instance, three-quarters of the particular seeds throughout New Zealand are virtually "frozen” because they cannot be sold until the station selects the successful tenders. Three or four days only are required to enable the officers to make their selections and then the flow of trade in that particular class runs again.

System of Evaluation. In one purchase carried through relatively recently no fewer than 253 lines of rye were offered. As the various lines have differing percentages of germination, with differing prices, it would be practically impossible for a person to select the best lots in order to make up a specified total quantity, but a system of evaluation has been evolved at the station which makes this simple. A unit of cost-value is obtained for every line offered and a comparison of these enables a relatively easy selection to be made. When the seed is delivered it is sampled and the samples are tested to ensure that the seed delivered is reasonably close to the. specifications the supplier quoted. In 99 per cent, of the cases there is satisfactory delivery.