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Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1932, Page 4

In the course of an address given recently in t’io enior-tlenei’hl said it seemed to him

that the Dominions three greatest * assets were its people, its climate, and its pastures. In his opinion it would be a.sad day for the Dominion and prescient of unfortunate developments if the Dominion ever wholly regarded as a source of prosperity for many years to come anything other than its pastoral industry. Grasslands had to be looked on not only as the basis of national prosperity but as ever increasing. the degree of soil productivity, said Lord Bledisloe. No other country was better - suited for grriss growing when suitable land was used, and no country had a better climate. In recent years there had been considerable controversy eventuating from the most valuable research work as to what were the proper constituents of rea’.y fine and productive pasture. It had been discovered that numerous herbage plants from Scandinavia, -a-rd lie was sorry to say Great Britain ah?-, were not of permanent but transient life. New Zealand could boast of producing two most dependable plants in recent years, embodying the important factors of permanence and leafy growth. These were Hawke’s Bay ryegrass and Akaroa cock-foot. . He hoped the experiments would result in the production of seeds of these two plants, and red clover also, becoming one of, the Dominion’s primary industries. His Excellency said it was remarkable that from the time of the creation until 15 years ago it .had not been discovered that grass possesses it-s most-nutritive value whpn three or' four inches high. The discovery of this fact had incidentally increased the demand for especially nitrogenous manures, and the development of intensive grassland management, the best examples of which were- to be found in the Waikato and Southland districts, and, he believed, in Manawat-u also.' Three most im-, portent factors in this development were: (1) Short periods and close gracing; (2) cultivation, with particular use of harrows; (3) use of nitrogenous fertilisers to obtain a succession of short crops, enabling a larger yield per acre. He was confident if is going to be worth the while of farmers, large and small, to Jay down their pastures in the best pdssible grasses, those embodying permanent life and “leafy habits, and to treat them generously with 'proper cultivation and fertilisers. Grass is a cultivable plant. We hav-e been in the habit of applying cultivation only to arable land. Have t-he best grass and put nothing but the best yielding stock on it, and you will thank God in tbs future as in the past for this fine' country which hats every capacity for the growing of the finest grass in the whole world. /