AN EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13063, 13 March 1908, Page 6

AN EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

The nujtrt important metier diM-u.-scd a.: the anr.-i-ii iuo>-ting <■[' th,-. A gran,tural and l\a.-.ior;il As.-.--atioa ia.-t i nii'jit wmb the ■■> .-"'ut mn regarding an experLnu-iitn i .-lati-m at C'lli void.-!!, wiiie.h was prep,..-»id by Air Al. .Murphy, i the inee:n ; ug j. r «.--•.- rj t >.| tin' A>:-c-iii- ■ ton. 11. was <■;««.oeil lO aok tile (lv- ; verilllleli*/ to _••■: ,-.p..i-*, laud nil toe I Culverden e..'.,te. wha-ji has la-en P- l--hunied lor (i.e.! s.vi.:.!eii-,i'u: , lor th«> purp.-so of an . \;.<:-niien!o i and irrijg.ian st.-it-ion. U'.. shad be glad to I s-.-o Air A!< Nab make gced his promise ito establish a t.'i.i:i<i:i m Canterbury. i * * | which, in tins r.-sp.-.-t, lias been neg- ! 'e<-ie<l in tin* pa-.; in lovour of the North L-dnnd. J'.ut there is more than on., opinion us regards the suitability ol rb.-c* prop<r-ed site b>r tlio jiiw*]iose. j \\ hat < anterbiiry larmers need is a farm ! w bioli represents a fajr average, as rei gards <-!imate, sx>iJ, rainfall, and so iorah, so thnt the earri'xl out on it may mi it as large on area. as. pr-sis-iblo. The Cuiver<l**u estate is niat'e ti[> of <ko\ ns land, thingle plains, and alluvial <b'.po-sit- of ge<:-d <*n the bank of tbe "W'aiau. This nlliivial land would grow g.xsl crops ot roots and grain in favourable seasons, and is suitable for an experimental irrigation farm. Hut how many fanners would it benefit., apart from tho settk-rs on the estate and in the siirronoiding district? It- is too fa.r away to l«> of much use to the average farmer on the plains, ..who would have to spend at least two days and two or throe pounds in visiting it. Thero is not the variety in tho alluvial area, on which the experimental farm would probably he placed, such as would enable ox*>criments to ho made that would suit tho light and heavy land, this being particularly the case with experiments in manuring. It is knowledge and guidance, in tho proper use of manures on different soils that farmers now want, esix-cially as regards grain-growing. The. ideal experimental tarni would Im> easily accessible to a majority of those for whose benefit it- was established, and th.o conditions of its situation would be similar to those obtaining on the larger proportion of f;vrms in tho district oonciTncd. These two requisites are. aliment in the case of the Culverden estate, and for that reason we hope that Air McNab will look about him for a more suitable site.