PLANTS AND SEEDS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 282, 27 August 1942, Page 6

PLANTS AND SEEDS

Heavy Demand For Gardens HIGHER PRICES PREVAIL

Gurdoniii’g 1 , once the weekend pustime of enthusiasts, is now engaged in with dogged determination 'by Wellington (householders who a few years ago could not distinguish between the seeds of carrots and pumpkins. The increased demand for seeds and plants is admitted by city seed merchants, but none is willing to admit, that it is in any way connected with the higher prices now asked; without exception when interviewed yesterduy they told the same story of dwindling supplies from overseas, bad harvests in America, and -high production costs in New Zealand. Gardeners, however, consider it is significant that price tickets on both seed packets and plant boxes are rarer than they used to be, and it is their opinion -also that seed packets are not as well filled as in the good old days. Whether this is so or not, many prices have -trebled or even quadrupled. Flower seeds are more likely to be in short supply than vegetable, according to opinion in the trade. Except iu a few lines of vegetables, stocks are believed to be adequate for the coming season at least. It is only the less popular vegetables in which seed shortages can be expected, with tiie exception of carrot and swede turnip, and of these culinary favourites most of the larger merchants still have ample seed. One line of onions may be scarce because the chief source was Italy and the south of France, which also produced a great quantity and variety of Hower seeds. , With Hie curtailment of European supplies, au impetus was given to American growers, said, one merchant, but the bad season there had considerably reduced the normal production of carrot seed.

Export restrictions from many countries had also increased trading difficulties. ' .

High Production Cost.

Though many vegetable seeds were grown in the Dominion and for many years peas had been exported, the cost of cultivation and harvesting was such that in normal times the market price was double that of the imported lines landed here, said' several merchants. Plant nurseries are fairly well distributed, but most of the seed gardens are' iu Marlborough; these together with nurseries covered an area of 937 acres in 1940, Labour shortage and the uncertainty of the market after the war are stated to be factors discouraging an increase in this production.

Home Guard duties' have done nothing to discourage home gardening in Wellington in the opinion of those connected with the sale of seeds and garden implements. "There are certainly more women gardening, and the. fact that weekend motoring is out of the question ■ probably means that more men are taking an interest in this work,” one seed merchant suggested. He added that tiie expansion of the city at Ngaio and Khandallah and in the Hutt Valley, together with the erection of Stare houses had provided many more people with land suitable for gardening. This had been reflected in increased sales of fruit trees as well as vegetable plants. SEED POTATOES WANTED Gardeners Get In Early Several potato-seeking Wellington gardeners had obtained the necessary signature of a police officer on their application for seed potatoes and were at their seed merchants soon after shops opened for business yesterday. There were few seed merchants in Wellington who did not receive several applications under the new scheme, though it was announced only yesterday morning. One tradesman gave pride of place in his window display to a large and inviting seed potato accompanied by its botanical name and the official advertisement iu “The Dominion.”

It is believed that approximately 500 tons will be made available for this purpose, whieli on the basis of 28 lb. for each household would mean 40.000 contented gardeners. There are many gardens where less than that amount has been planted in previous years.

Tiie maximum retail price of 4d. a lb. for potatoes under the scheme was stated yesterday by city tradesmen to be above what they had lieen charging, but they had no knowledge of the price at which the seed would reach t hem.