Decrease in Area Of Small Seeds

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26637, 6 December 1947, Page 2

Decrease in Area Of Small Seeds

The area of small seeds in Otago, entered with the Department of Agriculture for certification this year, represents a decrease by one-third of the previous year’s figures. The reasons for the decline are, no doubt, the corresponding fall in prices and the uncertainty of market conditions. The greatest decline is shown in the cocksfoot areas entered, and there has also been a big falling off in perennial ryegrass and Italian ryegrass. An increased entry is shown by the short-rotation ryegrass, the most noticeable increase being in the Oamaru district, where excellent feeding results have been obtained by a number of farmers, this fact no doubt account: ing for the increased popularity of the line. There has also been an increase in the area of white clover entered, and the probable reason for this is that lines sown with pedigree seed this year are eligible for field inspection, which has not been the case in the past. Apart from the Oamaru district, there has been a noticeable decline in the areas of Montgomery red clover entered. A small increased acreage has been entered of cowgrass and Timothy. When entries for certification closed with the department in Hawke's Bay the total acreage was little more than half that of last year.