COCKSFOOT SEED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 21 April 1908, Page 4

COCKSFOOT SEED.

THE ALLEGED INFERIORITY

A representative of the "Otago Daily Times” waited recently on (Mr. A. Aloritzson, who lias had lniiny years’ experience both as a seodcleanor and a seed merchant, with a view of ascertaining whether there is actually any .foundation for the statement that foul cocksfoot seed, with littlo germinating power, was being sold to the farmers. ‘‘l regret to have to say,” said 'Mr. Moritzson, "that there is some truth in the assertion that inferior seed is sold to the farmers. This matter was brought up in the House of Parliament at, a time when the late Sir John McKenzie was (Minister ol Lands. A number of samples of grass and clover seed which were sent to the Stirvev Department were Analysed by Mr. T. \V. Kirk, Government Biologist. And the testing of those seeds so submitted disclosed a very bad state of affairs in regard to their germinating power. As is no doubt known. Crown and wasto lands are under tho control of the Survey .Department, and when any seeds are required for the various parts, of tho Dominion that department calls for tenders for supplies. In the calling for . tenders an exceedingly bad system -prevails, one, in fact-, that opens the door to -fraudulent tactics. The department fixes the minimum price per acre which it is to spend on grass seed of various kinds, and if, for instance. the maximum price is fixed at 8s Cd dr 9s (kl per acre, it stands to reason that if the various seeds are at tho time ruling very high, those merchants who- desire to tender naturally submit samples, which are not of the choicest or freshest, nor best germinating pc-wer in order to sell at the price which is stipulated by the department, the outcome being that when tho inferior samples are germinated the results prove disastrous. But that is not all. In most instances the seed merchant who has been tho successful tenderer is generally requested to mix all the seeds in the proportion bought by the department, such as ryegrass, cocksfoot, clover, Timothy, etc., and after being mixed the bulk is sent direct to that part of the country where the seed is to be sown, and taken, over by the Crown Lands Hanger. This method certainly lends itself to grave abuses by an unscrupulous tenderer, who may have tendered at too low a figure. The seed is not examined after’ it leaves the seed, merchant’s house, and it may contain anything. At the time the disclosures above referred to were made in the House, I discussed this matter very carefully with the late Sir John McKenzie. I pointed out the various anomalies which existed in tho method of supplying grass and other seeds, and urged upon him to introduce a seed adulteration bill, -which I consider would -be of far greater importance to tho farming community than the Manure Adulteration Act, which lias been in existence for many years, and which has proved a very great'benefit. In fact, the Government considers it most important sown in the Dominion. It allows the farmer to rail his dirty seed after being threshed at a minimum rate to the seed-cleaners in the towns, and then to have it railed back free of cost. This is done with the object- of encouraging nothing -but the best of seeds being grown. If the seed is purchased direct from the various cleaners the farmer can always be assured of getting the very best. Samples of cocksfoot seeds that I cleaned years ago with my own machines, and the bulk of which was shipped to London, -were submitted to Professor Staebler, of Zurich, Switzerland, who is a well-known authority on the germination of agricultural seeds. They gave a germinating test of from 92 to 98 per cent. That result is no doubtobtained by other machines also'. The root of the trouble existing in Auckland and in other parts of New -Zealand is, firstly, that often cheap seeds are wanted by the farmers; secondly, in some eases, the leases of some farmers have only a short tinic to run, and accordingly a farmer in such a position is not very particular about what lie sows so long as he does sow according to the terms of his lease. Thirdly, seed buyers in the Dominion have at times inquired from other houses for the offals, such as light seed blowings with no germinating power -whatever. The seed, lam sure, is not used for rough gullies or rough country, but is sometimes -used to mix again with clean seed in order to reduce the cost of the seed which is to be supplied to farmers or other purchasers. This opens the way to unfair competition, and it is probable that therein lies the cause of the complaints which have just emanated from Auckland. I am quite sure that all the seed -which left the -Banks Peninsula this year for the North Island, Blenheim, and Nelson—in all some 45,000 sacks or more—has been sold and sown by the North Islanders without being dressed by machinery. The Banks’Peninsula seed was this year bright, -fairly clean, and only contained a little fog, and in some instances a little goose grass. The natural weight of the seed was equal to from 181 b to 151 b per bushel, and there was very little 121 b seed available. The seed, as a whole, was the finest that lias been harvested for many years past, and the complaints raised at Auckland would certainly not refer to the seed shipped from the Banks Peninsula, A few thousand sacks were produced in North Otago and in Canterbury, and although the samples that I have seen from these districts were certainly not so good as those from the -Banks Peninsula, they do not deserve to be classed with such as is complained of in Auckland, as they were of good average quality. If, then, there is anything in the _ complaint raised in Auckland, it is fairly- evident that the seeds received must have been adulterated.. It certainly brings home to both buying merchants and the farming community the fact that a seed adulteration, bill is urgently needed.” *