NIMMO AND BLAIR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5072, 9 July 1895, Page 3

NIMMO AND BLAIR.

(Firom "Picturesque Dunedin,") Tin firm of Nimmo and Blair lias oxisteld in Dunodin, for nearly two decadtis, and now occupies the foremost position among deed merchants »in Now Zealand, jTho original partners wero Messrs ißobert Nimmo and Jolm Blair, who j purchased, on the Ist'July, 1876, from the oxecutors of tlio lato Mr G'. P. Reid, the seed business which h e had carried on in connection with ja forwarding and general agoncy business. The lines which Mr Reid '> had adopted in conducting his business, were to a large extent followed jby bis successors; but as the railway system became extended throughout the Colony, and country| places were brought in closer j touch and 'j more direct eommuniieation with s the centres, the work jin connection with tbeforwardingagijmcy naturally declined, and Messrs. Nimmo and Blair were thus enable d to devote an increased amount of attention to their seed business. !l'he premises first occupied by them wore situated in Stafford Street, but they speedily fouud that these weroiur.suitable for tliem, and thereupon they removed to an estiiblishmentin Princes Street

South, which had boeii occupied by Messrs It. and T. Ha woith, Here Wit was that the Drummoiid seedplant was first- erected, and as there bad not previously been one of the maker's large machines introduced iuto the Colony, it commanded a good deal of notice. The splendid work performed by it evoked the most favourable comment, and tended to rapidly increase the firm's seed connection. Messrs Nimmo and Blair had only been in business for four years when tliey found it necessary to remove into still more commodious premises, which afforded them much greater facilities tliaai they had previously enjoyed for thoconduct of their business, aud enabled them to opon a retail department for the sale of vegetable and flower seeds. The 11 oxpansion of their trade during the following four years was, however, so great that these premises were outgrown by the business, and being compolled to secure a more central aud very much larger establishment, the firm removed in 18S4 to the substantial warehouse in High Street, in which their business is now conAriucted. The eleveu succeeding years iWvve not been without important change in the constitution of the * firm. In 1891 the respected senior partner, Mr Robeit Nimmo, died after a short illness,and his 60n then secured an interest in the firm, the family of the original senior partner being thus still represented, Prior to this, iu 1888, the operations of Messrs Nimmo and Blair had assumed such dimensions thatit was deemed advisable by them to invite Mr James Shiel, formerly of Rangiora, to tako an interest in the concern, and their proposition ' being accepted, Mr Shiol transferred his seed-growing aud other business to the firm. Then, in February last Mr Blair, after nineteen years' constant labour and attention to business, retired from the firm, which now consists of Messrs James Shiel, James H. Nimmo, aud George ff. Gibson, by whom the old title of.

Nimmo and Blair is retained, and

the business is conducted on the v jtpccessful lines hitherto adopted. Jprom 1888 the seed-growing business of the firm has been developed with great enterprise. At that, time the area devoted by them to the growing of | seeds embraced somo live acres, but' now they have over COO acres utilised in the cultivation of the leadiug rarieties of seeds. It will probably afford some idea of the extent of this branch of their business if it is stated 1 that, for the purposes of their trade, thoy annually require, in different varieties, from 10 to 12 tons of mangel soeds, 3 tnns of carrot seeds, 30 cwt, if onion seeds, 20 cwt. of radish poods, 20 cwt. of parsnip seeds, and other small seeds in large quantities. In peas of the leading varieties that are used in England and the Colonies, close upon 14,000 bushels, embracing twenty-four yarities, are annually produced, and constant j watchfulness being required in the selection of stock seeds, and great care being necessary in tho work of during the period of

growth, personal supervision is given! by the firm, to the cultivation flfef these seeds. Tho packet soed department, is an institution which Las jdeveloped in a remarkable maimer. The sales, which in 1879 represented 5,000 to 0,000, amounted for the past season to close on 200,000, and the firm antici-

pato that the approaching season j will seo an output of 250,000 of th 3 leading varieties of seeds, both of v egetables and llowcrs. These packets—the price of which is reduced to three ponce for vegetable and one ponny for flower seeds—find theirr way all ovor New Zealand, and to th e neighbouring colonies as well. Seed s grown by Messrs Nimmo and Blai r are exported also in large quantities to Italy, Germany, France and India, where they have produce d Ejood results. In seeds of the plan t» grown by the firm a largo busi ness is done with the seed trado in A ustralia and Tasmania. Despite the i imall bird nuisance, thofiroi now cont emplato turning their attention to g rowing their own turnip seeds; and the quantity which they Bellsay,, 30 tons annually—at any rate wat ranfß the experiment.