The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1913. SEED FOR AGRICULTURE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 May 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. MONDAY, MAY 20, 1913. SEED FOR AGRICULTURE.

Fanners are becoming more an more impressed with the de.sirabb ness of securing pure seed for agr culture. "What has wiused the wid> .spread trouble with noxious weeds I'liirtly neglect, no doubt; but pr marily the planting of impure seec When a farmer buys fescue, tin othy or what not he does not reujiii a seasoning of fennel or fat hen, In he gets it occasionally. The quo; tion is how best to guard agaiiu such happenings. The subject w; discussed last week by the provii cial conference- of delegates froi the various branches of the Cantei bury section of the New Zealau Fanners' Union, when It was iinan inoiisly resolved "That it is desii able that a Seed Growers' Associ: lion should be formed in Canterbur on similar lines to the Canadia Seed Growers' Association, which : doing such useful work at prcseii in the dominion of Canada." Mi fore the resolution was come to. discussion on the general subject wn held. Mr D. T"). Macfarlane move the remit, and said that he though it w>as time {hat the matter was tn Icon up. Tt was one of the foil methods of increasing production and in Xew Zealand the farmer wen , not so well protected with r< gard to the guaranteed purity of th seeds sold as was the case in th United Kingdom and Canada. Th Government- experimental farms un< Lincoln College wei'e evolving pur and improved varieties of seeds, an. it was necessary for some reliahli association to got liold of those seed and carry them on the. market in ; thoroughly reliable, trustworthy, anr guaranteed manner. The deman , that rapidly grow up for the itn proved varieties of seeds soon rendered the business of supplying tin demand too big for th'e experiment alists. What was wanted was son , association to take charge of the pu , ■ seed and grow it in "bulk for final sale, or distribute io the ultiniiatr buyers. The rules of the Association would hnve to Tie very strict, and thero would liavo to he no douM that the seed was pure and grown under authorised circumstances. If it was not done, the improved seeds would soon lose their identity and nil the work done by the experimentalists would he nullified. Mr ]{. E. Alexander emphasised the necessity of the formation of some such lassociation. They must keep their types of seeds pure, or there was absolutely no permanent result to lie gained for the work oP the experimental farms. The work of the proposed seed growers' association would alsc have t\ great educative effect on the members who participated in itT)r. Hilgendorf gavo some particulars of the work in Canada. Ho pointed out that the work of the proposed association did not apply only to seeds grown from seeds obtained from the experimental st;> tions. Any farmer or farmer might have a particularly nice line of wheal or oats, and if they were mem hers of the seed asscriation. they could get their seed certified by an officer of the .association, and would then have a guaranteed status. The idea was practically to form a flock or stud book for seeds instead of for stock. Personally he did not see how the matter would be got going, lii replying to some of the criticisms above expressed, Mr Mao farlane remarked that J)r. Hflgendorf had expressed a fear that the scheme could not be set going. Well, he would suggest that Dr. Hilgendorf look the matter up; unless something of the sort was done, the •seed selection work at the College would not he of much permanent benefit. There were several excellent farmers round Lincoln, and he thought that Br. Hilgendorf could inaugurate tho seed-growing association admirably in that district. MONEY MARKET. There is practically no alteration to report in the local money market (says the New Zealand Trade 'Review), arid the supply of funds available for investment remains restricted. As we noted in our last report the excess of deposits over advances in the banks shows «. slight improvement as compared with a

year ago. Our exports are- still maintaining a very high level, but our imports are also very heavy, an'i the balance of trade is not euffioient to bring easier conditions in the money market. There havo been a considerable number of calls for capital recently from various companies and institutions which have found it desira'blo to increase, their capital to cops with growing business. The steady though moderate excess of withdrawals over deposits in the ■savings bank is an evidence of the demand for money, which is apparently attracting those funds awny ? c investments bearing higher rates oi interest.