RYEGRASS GERMINATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 December 1939, Page 7

RYEGRASS GERMINATION

EFFECT OF RECENT WEATHER. FREE SERVICE FOR FARMERS. The present wet spell of weather has necessarily increased the risk of trouble being experienced with ryegrass seed germination. Farmers are advised, therefore, to make use of the Department of Agriculture’s free service for the purpose of obtaining some indication of the value of the seed, states Mr N. Lamont. Instructor in Agriculture, Masterton. The following points should be borne in mind: — (1) Samples may be sent direct to the Seed Analyst, Department of Agriculture, Palmerston North, or sent through the Masterton office. (2) As the disease responsible for germination reduction may continue to spread right up to harvesting time —particularly in damp weather —samples are best taken only a few days before harvest. (3) Samples must be thoroughly representative of the area. A sheaf, ol a size that fills the hand, should be made up by plucking one or two heads from several hundred different parts of a paddock. (4) The sheaf should then be wrapped tightly in several layers of paper to prevent drying out and forwarded without any delay. (5) The report on the condition of the seed will be sent by collect telegram to growers if a written request for this is included with the sample