NEW ZEALAND SEEDS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 250, 13 June 1932, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND SEEDS

POSSIBLE GOOD TRADE WITH AUSTRALIAN STATES EXPERIMENTS IN PASTURES. There is a bright future in sight for the sale of New Zealand seed in Australia. iRecent experiments conducted in various states have proved the outstanding suitability of certain Dominion varieties, with the result that trade is lilcsly to increase from i now on. | These statements were made by Mr A. Y. Montgomery, an agricultural expert in the employ of Imperial Chej mical Industries, who arrivsd at Weli lington as a passenger -on the Zealandia from Sydney. He is on a busi- | ness visit and will remain for about j six months. 1 Mr. Montgomery is a New Zealander. He was formerly a member of the Department of Agriculture, and until two years ago was a member of the staff of the Plant Research Station, , Palmerston North. His present work in Australia is associated with intensive farming in the coastal areas and i the encouragement there of the use of fertilisers. j Intensive Pasture Methods. i "Intensive pasture methods which j are proving so successful in New ZeaI land are being taken up with enthu- ■ siasm by various States in Australia," said Mr. Montgomery. "The work is being sponsored largely by the Australian Dairy Council and the State 'Departments of Agriculture. Having acted for the past two years as an agricultural advisory officer in New South Wales and Queensland, I have had an opportunity of studying the development of farming methods there, and I can say that although they are behind New Zealand they are following up fast. "One thing that should be of particular interest to New Zealanders is that New Zealand, Government-certi-fied, bld- pasture perennial rye grass has proved of espeeial worth in all the beiter rainfall districts of Australia to as far north as Gympie, in Queensland. "This means there is no doubt that there will be an increasingly keen demand in Australia for New Zealand Government-certified seed. The trade is growin'g every day and should prove to be a most valuable one. Among the seeds which were being sought after to an increasing extent as being very suitable for Australia, said Mr. Montgomery, were New Zealand white clover, New Zealand browntop, and others of the agrostis species which are used for lawn work, also Chewings' fescue. Top-dressing on Increase Referring to top-dressing, Mr. Montgomery said that in Australia the use of fertilisers, with "super" and lime as the basis of the treatments, and including the use of nitrogen in the form of spring and autumn dressings of sulphate of ammonia, had greatly increased. Pastures were being improved by the intensive cultivation system which was the basis of the prosperity of the New Zealand dairy industry. Iln the outback areas where large tracts were available comparatively little was being done, but the coastal districts, with their heavy rainfall, provided an exc"llent ground for development. There the stage was set for the control and improvement of lush pastures.