GRASS CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 December 1939, Page 3

GRASS CONTROL

CERTIFIED SEED. IMPORTANCE EMPHASISED. Although the farming community as a whole is conscious of the value of using certified grass and clover seeds, one still frequently meets farmers who are going to a good deal of expense in breaking in country and preparing a seed bed, only to nullify much of their efforts by sowing seed of an inferior quality. Much has been written concerning the various strains of certified pasture seeds available, and it is not intended to elaborate on this aspect any further. The average stockman usually buys the best stock he can afford, and insists upon knowing an animal’s .pedigree and production history before he will purchase it. Were many farmers to pay as much attention to the quality of their grass and clover seed as they pay to the quality of their stock, there would be a great improvement shown on many of our pastures. One only too often hears of farmers sowing seed that is "just as good as certified,” with frequently disappointing results. With certified seed one is buying seed of a known quality, whereas with uncertified seed —no matter how glowing the accounts of its worth may be—one is buying in the dark. An argument frequently advanced by those using uncertified seed is that the cost of certified seed is too great. But if a farmer is willing to pay a good deal more for a pedigree herd sire than he would for an unregistered animal he should also be willing to pay the extra for the certified seed.

It is also said that certified seed will not grow in certain areas. This may be due to faulty preparation of the seed bed. On the light pumice soils of much of the Bay of Plenty, for example, thorough consolidation is essential and many failures of pastures to establish can be traced to this source. It is far wiser to handle a small area of ground, work it thoroughly, and sow in the best seed available than to try to handle too large an area, with indifferent working, and sow in poorer quality seed. The value of sowing certified seed on a well-prepared seed bed has been definitely proved and one feels that it is far wiser to put down a small area each year with this seed than to attempt to sow down such a large area that only poor seed can be purchased. A farmer's pastures are his most valuable asset, and, he cannot hope to obtain the maximum production from his stock unless his pastures are the best possible.