FARM RESEARCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1937, Page 11

FARM RESEARCH.

more co-operation. INTERCHANGE OF OFFICERS. AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. (By Telegraph.—l>ress Association.) BLENHEIM, Friday. The opinion that the field was open for more collaboration and co-operation anions agricultural scientists of New Zealand and Australia was expressed bv Dr. A. E. A. Richardson, director of the Waite Agricultural Institute, Adelaide, who, in company with Dr. B. T. Dickson, the head of the plant research division, Canberra, is visiting j New Zealand and has spent some days at the C'awthron Institute, Nelson. Dr. Richardson stated that Australia had already takeu advantage of the training facilities at Palmerston North to send an officer to the Dairy Research Institute for a period of 18 months to two years. That provided an example of a schome for interchanging officers which, he thought, woxilcr prove to be eminently desirable. In fact, the co-operation of scientists in the two countries might have an effect in obtaining more eo-operaticn in" other fields. Both Dr. Dickson and Dr. Richardson had been much impressed with the work of the C'awthron Institute and wore glad that after the Science Congress at Auckland they had been able to visit the institute. It had made wonderful progress in a short time, said Dr. Richardson, and its work exercised a wide influence. Its value had been strikingly demonstrated thro"ligli j the use of fertilisers in orchards in I the Motueka hills. j The visitors had been highly impressed with the way in which second class pasture land was being brought j almost to a state of first class land through the liberal application of I superphosphate and the use of appropriate seed mixtures. From their observations in various parts of New Zealand it seemed that there were good opportunities for the development and improvement of pastures.

Speaking of tobacco crops Dr. Dickson said that the industry wan particularly interesting because of its newness, but there was no doubt that many problems would have to be overcome before reasonable yields and high grade quality could be ensured. Investigation work among tobacco crops was also being carried out extensively in Australia and the question was one which lent itself to collaboration between the two countries.