ALLEGED IMPURE SEED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1126, 13 May 1911, Page 8

ALLEGED IMPURE SEED.

REMIT TO AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Chrisfchurch, May 12. A somewhat flagrant caso of impure eced being sold was mentioned by Mr. 1). D. MacFarlano in moving, at tho meeting of tho General Committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, a remit to tho Agricultural Conference declaring that seed merchants should Jbo compelled to guarantee all seeds sold for purity and germination, and that the Government should impound at port of entry all imported seed containing any seed of noxious weeds. He said that, there had como to his knowledge that a firm of seed merchants with whom farmers in another part of the Dominion deal largely, had written to a local firm asking for 300 sacks of seed similar to a sample that was forwarded. He (Mr. MacFarlane) had roughly analysed this sample, and found that it contained ryegrass (20 per cent, only of which would grow), Italian ryegrass, goose-grass, hair-grass, Poa Pratensis,' Yorkshire fog, sorrel,- docks, suckling clover, white clover, cowgrass, ribgrass, sow thistle, snlnranthns, cats' ear, Parr, Poa Anmia, and buttercup. He intended having the sample thoroughly analysed by the Government analyst. It was a nice collection to sell as farmers' seed. Ho added that tho order had been filled, hut not by the firm first communicated with. Referring to imported seeds, Mr. MacFnrlnne said thnt scarcely a specimen of Canadian alsike came into New Zealand that did not contain Canadian thistlo. Only two or three per cent, of the Canadian thistle seed germinated. If all that had como in had germinated there would be very little else than Canadian thistlo growing at present. It was decided to forward tho remit to tho conference.

Tasmania, is .sending a trial shipment of apples to Now York this month.

PROSPECTS OF TRADE EX-

TENSION,

THE PANAMA CANAL,

When Mr. H. D. Baker, tho American Vice-Consul-General, who is temporarily in Wellington, was asked by a Dominion* representative what tho prospects of trade developments between tho States and New Zealand were, ho said: "There should bo a chaucu in"your summer and our winter, and vice, versa of more intcr-chango of products, but tho great difficulty is the preferential tariff. That does not apply so much to agricultural products. The business in apples and onions should increase. Tho Vancouver servico should increase the business with the north coast. It is a very fine country there. "I think when the Panama Canal is opened there will bo a much better chance of trading than there is now. Tho canal will make it much easier to trade with tho Atlantic cities and New Zealand will bo nearer to New York than it is to London.

"A lino there is a very good trade in now is New Zealand lamb-skin pelts. Nearly all tho New Zealand pelts .which go to London are sent on to New York. They aro in great demand in Boston. "Tho kauri gum business is on a decline. Prices for. the best qualities aro pretty hipji, and American manufacturers arc''.using'substitutes—China wood oil, etc. Last year America took less than half tho kauri'gum; it used to take three-fourths of the output."