CLOVERS AND GRASSES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1929, Page 3

CLOVERS AND GRASSES

REVOLUTIONARY EXPERIMENTS

PALMERSTON NORTH, April 11. Experiments that will revolutionise the grass seed industry in New Zealand and play a tremendously important part in the building up of production in the Dominion were disclosed to farmers (luring a field day at the plant research station to-day by Mr E. Bruce* Levy/ ' Summarised, his announcements, which created a great impression, were:— . (1) New Zealand would very probably have to scrap its present red clover and introduce a different variety which will give infinitely better ■ returns. (2) That Hawke’s Bay was the only district in New Zealand which could be relied upon for rye grass that was\truo perennial, the so-called perennial ryes from Southland and Canterbury being not much better than Ttnlinn ryes. (3) That imported white clovers were not lasting in pastures more than a year or two, whereas New Zealandgrown white clover was permanent. These, pronouncements are of tremendous importance to the farming industry. ilt will mend, Tor instance, that thousands of pounds that are sent out of the country each year Ton white clover seed will now he spent in the Dominion, and that by getting true perennial rye seed instead of so-called prennials that really only are Italian, permanency of pastures can he more readily maintained with an attendant increase in production. The matter of replacing red clover will he a stupendous task, but according to Mr Levy will he. worth while. Out o'f 104 plots of alleged perennial rye seed obtained from all over New Zealand 28 only had time perennial characteristics, the rest being Italian or hybrids. Twenty-two Hawke’s Bay lots yielded 15 perennials, 12 Sandon ryes yielded two true perennials, 30 lots from North and Mid-Canterbury yielded three only true to type, while not one sample from South Canterbury was true to type. Of 40 lots from Southland not one had come true, and of three from Marlbourough only one came true. The farmers present inspected the plots. Hawke’s Bay rye was showing considerable autumn growth and thick swards, • whereas the other ryes were short and sparse. Lucerne experiments have shown that the sowing of superphosphate mixed with inoculated seed has been responsible for destroying the nodule forming bacteria so necessary to luccrf ne growth, and this is the cause of lucerne stands petering out a year or two after sowing.