BARLEYS IN MARLBOROUGH.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2, 20 February 1928, Page 95

BARLEYS IN MARLBOROUGH.

The malting barleys of Marlborough afford a very fine' practical demonstration of the value of seed-selection as a means of controlling crop disease. Practically the whole of the malting barley grown in the province is under contract to New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., whose Marlborough representative, Mr. H. S. Hewlett, very carefully selects the crops to be used the next season for distribution as seed to the contract growers. The effect of this policy on the incidence of coveredsmut of barley—one of the most destructive diseases of barley if left unchecked be judged from the following facts. Out of fortythree crops of malting barley examined in the 1926-27 season, twentythree were smut - infected. This season, out of twenty-one crops sufficiently advanced for its detection, not one showed even a trace of smut. Cape barley, which is not controlled, showed an average of 10 per cent, of covered-smut.

There is another disease of barley, however, for the checking of which, in the present state of our knowledge, little can be done. This is stripe disease. Stripe is difficult to detect unless the attack is severe, and, as severe infection appears only to occur when the crop has been subjected to some unfavourable set of soil or weather conditions, its effects are usually ascribed to this latter cause. Stripe was observed in thirty-four out of forty-five crops examined last season and in seventeen out of twenty-one crops this season. Although until we know more about this disease it is impossible to estimate the loss due to it there can be little doubt that, as it is caused by a seed-borne parasitic fungus, it must be the cause of a certain reduction in quality and yield. Experiments are now in progress to determine the best practical method for its control. —J. C. Neill, Field Mycologist.

Export Butter Weights. — Referring in a recent address to certain complaints from overseas, the Director of the. Dairy Division, Mr. W. M. Singleton, stated : “ We have been going into this matter of late, and find that when the parchment is stripped from the block of butter it may weigh up to 5 oz. or 6 oz. instead of the original weight of the paper at, say, 4 oz. It would appear reasonable that a retailer should expect a block of butter to weigh at least 56 lb. when stripped. We must have a minimum of 56 lb. 6 oz. to ensure this ; and 56 lb. 8 oz., including paper, would probably be the safer weight to aim at placing in the boxes.” Fruit Export Levy. This season’s levy under the Fruit Control Act has been fixed at i|d. per case.