HELPING BRITAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 256, 10 January 1941, Page 6

HELPING BRITAIN

SAVING OF COCKSFOOT SEED PI/KA TO NKW ZKALADDERS

A plea lor tin; saving ol' cocksfoot seed was mad.' by Mr K. I>. Tcniicnt, dircelor ol' the Fields Division of the Department el' Agriculture, in a statement issued to-day. He pointed out that Ayhen Denmark came under die Nazi regime. Filmland lost her main supply of cncUsI'oot. seed, and was now relying on New Zealand supplies to a i>realer extent than ever before. '"During the- .next few weeks :t should he possible to save a jircat deal of seed winch otherwise miiiht n 0 [<> waste." said' Mr Tennent. Cocksfoot is vei-y common on roadsides, railway lines and other waste grounds throughout New Zealand, and, can probably be saved in almost all districts, although threshing facilities are not always available in certain of the higher rainfall districts, such as North Auckland, Taranaki, the King Country,, and the "West Const of. the South Island. Cocksfoot seed commences to ripen ill the earlier North Island districts from mid-December onwards; but indications tlihf year are that the "'ripening is mostly about a fortnight later than usual. Seed of the best possible germination will not be secured unless due attention is given to the stage of cutting. If a proportion of the seed is too green there will be a corresponding percentage of immatm*e seeds in the iinal sample, and the : germination percentage will be low. On the other hand, if the seed is dead ripe the seed has a duller apj pearaneo and there may he some loss from shaking. The best stage for I cutting is when the heads have commenced to brown and when mature seed can be rubbed out of the seed heads between the It is important that cutters should select the seed heads carefully and not cut such grasses as prairie grass, tall oat grass, Yorkshire fog, or tall fescue in with the cocksfoot sheaves. "The seed should be cut with a sickle with as much length of straw as possible, out the "Hag" in the butt of the sheaf should be avoided. Cutters should carry a bundle ol' binder twine in cut lengths of about 20 inches, and should tie the straw in sheaves of about half, the size of an ordinary sheaf of wheat or oats. Some cutters prefer to lay the cut straw on the stubble in large handfuls, and to go round from time to time tying it into sheaves.. "The. sheaves should be stooked in a sheltered but sunny position for two or three weeks, and should then be carted to the threshing mill. The seed is frequently threshed with a Hail when only small lots are saved; but for considerable quantities the threshing mill is preferable, as the work is done more quickly and the seed is better dressed. It is i'nv portant in threshing that the seed heads should be held in the drum' until the whole of the seed is beaten out. If threshing facilities are not available within three or four weeks of cutting, fhe sheaves should be stacked and covered with straw or a tarpaulin until a mill is available."