COLLECTION OF SEEDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2662, 6 January 1916, Page 7

COLLECTION OF SEEDS

BY SCHOOL CHILDREN

On this important- subject tho Wellington Education Board' lias issued the following circular to school committees and 'head teachers:— Early in the present season the board in a circular addressed to school committees and head teachers pointed to a probable shortage of seed for next seasoil's country requirements, and to the importance of devoting special attention in tie schools undertaking the course in agriculture to the growing and collection of seeds. The main purpose of the present circular is to urge that in districts where seed, in particular cocksfoot, has in tho past, to the valuo of tens of thousands of pounds beeii allowed to fall to waste, it should bo carefully gathered and marketed. Tho result of combined effort would probably surprise the most sanguine; and if tho proceeds wore devoted to one or other of the deserving patriotic funds, as arranged by the committee, then ,a. very great benefit would thus bo conferred by the boys and girls of our schools, without other considerable cost than the trouble of collection. It is to be added that there will be not only a great world shortage, but also a real local shortage, so that tho efforts of our children would not only assist our soldiers, but \vould, by the increase in pasture resulting from their efforts, materially assist in increasing the volume of the country's products at a time of such urgent need as the present. Recognising the importance of encouraging seed collection, the various county councils and the General Manager of the Railways have granted permission to collect seeds from the road and railway areas under their respective _ control, subject to the following conditions of entry on railway lands for the purpose:— 1. That moneys realised he devoted to some patriotic purpose. 2. That 6ome responsible adult be charge of each party of children. ,3. That permission to enter be _ first made to tho nearest district railway engineer. Similar permission would, no doubt, bo readily granted by borough councils and other bodies controlling- public In this connection it may bo mentioned that -it is estimated there are several thousand worth of cocksfoot on the hills round Wellington. The lioii. W. H. D. Macdonald, Minister of Agriculture, in order to assist the movement to the. utmost, has kindly agreed that the services of the Field Inspectors of t-he Agricultural Department shall be.available to a-ssisfc in every way possible, the school committees, teachers,, parents, and children in collecting, harvesting, and marketing tho grass seed. It is suggested that the committee should, in order to meet expenses of collection, allow the children a- fair payment of, say, 3d. per lb. for good aver-, ago cocksfoot. It is best that the committee should determine the rato to ho allowed for the seed, as they will liavo the benefit of the advice of the field instructors as to value. Seed merchants will be communicated with by the officers of the Agricultural Department in relation to cleaning and disposal of seed, and a further circular will be issued in February making suggestions as to the hest method of marketing tho seed. Tlie board desires to thank Mr. A. H. Cockayne, Biologist of tho Agricultural Department, for tho following notes, which -it feels sure will he appreciated by tlioso who will shortly engage in the collection of cocksfoot. Cocksfoot Gathering by Children. Time to Cut.—The cocksfoot crop, is generally ready to harvest between the second week in January and the second week in February. The heads should be cut when the stalk has turned yellow for about six inches below the lowest seed heads. Cutting.—Cut with a sickle or a largtj pocket knife about twelve inches below the seed heads. Shorter cutting can bo done, but heads with about a foot of straw seem to flail ' out better than shorter cut. material. _ The cuttings should be spread out in a fairly thin la-yor on the top of the grass, and allowed to remain uiitil tho heads are quite dry and tho seed comes out easily. In general this condition _ is reached about, ten days after cutting. Where small areas of very ripe seed are being gathered the cuttings are ready to flail out within a day or two. When dried the cuttings should bo placed on a canvas or calico sheet (a tent fly is excellent), and beaten with a- flail. Caro has to be taken not to. have too many heads on the sheet at any one time. The seed is very easily beaten out, and should be left in a heap for an hour or two before being bagged. Where flailing and the ordinary methods of harvesting cannot be carried out, a good deal of seed can be gathered by children gathering the actually ripe cocksfipot seed by hand, by rubbing out the ripe heads iuto a small bag. When full, .these bags can be put directly into sacks, 'lhe same area can bo traversed Beveral times on different days as the seed ripens. Ordinary four-bushel or sixbushel sacks are hest to use to put the seed in. They will contain the smaller ones about 521b. of seed; the larger ones about 781b. of seed. The sacks should be sent as Boon as possible to a seedcleaning establishment, and be doubledressed. This season it may be advisable to sell the seed in the rough, i.e., just flailed and- bagged, to a seed merchant, who will, olfer so much per lb. as it stands, immediate payment on delivery, can thus be obtained. Care in Selecting Areas.—Certain areas will be almost pure cocksfoot, while othors will be largely mixed with other plants. In the latter case the children will have to exercise carO i in cutting only the cocksfoot heads..phildren following. the cutters and removing the foreign heads is a good plan, as in selling in the rough the price varies very, much, according to tho cleanliness of tho sample. Again, seed from one area may vary in colour and size of seed from another area, and each lino of seed should be as uniform as possible, and varying qualities should not be bagged together. It is important to remember that the presence bf inferior bags of seed will depreciate tho value of a' whole line from the selliug point of view. Each school should be a distinct ceil, tro for tlio gathering of seed iu that district, and the various groups or children should gather all the seed in the immediate neighbourhood of their homes. When the seed is bugged the bags should be marked with a number representative of the special group of children who have done this work. In certain instances where tho school is handy to a railway all the sacks might be brought to tho school and looked (fter,'and similar seed put into a single line. In other cases the harvested product had best be carted to tho local seed merchant or storekeeper who will act as lhe agent for the larger merchant. In nearly every district tliero will be many farmers who are quito conversant with tlie gathering of seed and their advice should bo sought by either tho school teacher or the children. Of course, in order that tho collection may be a real success, a proper organisation of each district should bo made, but even without this it would bo surprising how much seed could ho gathered by a few energetic boys'and girls alongside tho roads and waste places in their districts. So far as roadsides arc concerned, I understand permission from the controlling authority of the highway is necessary. Tho Railway Department lias, I believe, given leave, under certain conditions. There will, of course, bo much seed ill vacant sect-ions, and on private laud generally, Thati will n,oi be collected unless .under-...

taken by the children. In these cases special arrangements would have to be made. A common one is tho allowing of one bag in three to the owner of the land, hut in the majority of cases I think farmers''will readily give permission to the children to harvest the seed. In the Horowlienua and Manawatu districts special caro will have to be taken not to gather any tall fescue seed in the harvesting of the cocksfoot. Where areas are badly mixed with tall fescue,such areas sliould not be dealt with.