GRASS-CUTTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 8 January 1931, Page 6

GRASS-CUTTING

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

UNCERTAINTY OF MARKET

A suggestion lias been made by a correspondent of the Christchurch “Press” that the Railway. Department allows thousands of pounds’ worth of cocksfoot growing along its tracks in North Canterbury to go to waste every year and that the Department should allow un employed men, if not near-by farmers, to cut it. It appears from enquiries made by a representative of the “Press” that the present season may not offer workless men much prospect of reward, owing to the uncertainty of the market. When the matter was brought under the notice of a Railway official he stated that it was the practice of the Department every year to call for offers to cut the cocksfoot growing along certain lengths of track. If no offers were received, Railway employees were allowed to cut the grass themselves in their own time. It was a mistake to suggest that such seed was allowed to go to waste. CUTTING THE GRASS According to a business man connected with a firm which has a big trade in seeds there is a considerable quantity of cocksfoot sent in every year from railway men or others who have obtained permission from the Railway Department to cut grass growing on railway property. At one time it was worth while for a man out of work to go grassseeding. All he had to do was to equip himself with a sickle and a sack or two into which he stored the grass when cut. This he took to his home and dried in the sun. After this operation, the seed would be threshed wtili a flail and subsequently riddled. In addition to the cocksfoot cut on railway property many local bodies let tenders for the grass which grew along the roads controlled by them, so that he did not think that there were many openings for unemployed men in the direction indicated. It appears that while the best cocksfoot :n the world is obtained on Banks Peninsula, the bulk of what is handled by merchants nowadays comes from the Canterbury Plains, and has shown a great improvement in quality within recent years, possessing less ryegrass and weeds than used to be the case. One of the factors which has brought about the increase in the supply of Plains seed is the fact that it costs less to treat than Peninsula seed, as it can be reaped and hound, whereas Peninsula seed has mostly to he carried to threshing floors. HEYDEY OF COCKSFOOT TRADE At one time cocksfoot was in much greater demand than it is at present. In those. days there was a great deal more bush burned off land in the North Island. The practice of top-dressing has also assisted to diminish the demand. The cocksfoot trade was in its heydey in the years 1917-18-19, when as much as 15d per lb. was paid to growers. The bulk of ■ last year’s crop was paid for On the basis of 8d per lb. For some years a considerable quantity of Danish seed was imported into the Dominion, and in order to prevent its being sold to farmers as New Zealand cocksfoot, legislation was passed making it compulsory to stain it. The stain is red, and it shows up conspicuously in the seed. It has no adverse effect on the germinating qualify of the cocksfoot. What the price of cocksfoot will he this season it is hard to prophesy, but the general impression is that it will not ho very high. It will, of course, depend on consumption, particularly in the North Island. The shortage of money among the farming community will mean a reduced market, in consequence of which it is considered that growers will find it difficult to dispose of their ci'ops. So far as can he deter-

mined, the season should be a good one in regard to quality. When it was required, there was ample rain, and the weather at present is so warm that there should be splendid growth. All tilings considered, however, it would appear to be inadvisable for unemployed men to look for relief by cutting cocksfoot growing along railway lines or public roads.