AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13232, 28 September 1908, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS.

THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS

For some time past tho Agricultural Department hae been preparing to embark upon farm experimental work on .a much more.comprehensive scale than has been possible under managements existing in the pasfc. During his brier stay in town oii Saturday, tho Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. R. McNob) entered into details of-the proposals with a representative of "The Press. The Minister stated that up to the present the work for the whole of Now Zealand had been undertaken by Mr Bayliss, but the increased requirements had grown beyond his individual efforts, and so it was decided that Mr Baylies should take charge of tho field experimental work in the North Island. Mr A. Macpherson, Inspector of Dairies, in Canterbury, hod , offered his services, an<l had been transferred, to the charge of the South Island, experiments—a position, Minister felt sure, ho was most competent to fill. "Latterly," Mr McNab continued, "we have given votes to A. I ami P. Associations for experimental work. The results did not prove satisfactory, and- so wo propose to conduct tbe _experiments ourselves, and get into touch with farmers, unions of farmers, and. any other organieation which will carry on plot experiments, seed testing, etc., throughout their districts. Wo arrange with certain farmers toj provid-e the land «nd the labour, tho Department supplying tho manure and seeds, and tfie experiments being ried out under tho supervision of our officers. The results will be incorporated with the Departmental reports, but in order that the information may bo immediately available, we intend j iesuin.g bulletins from time to time, I detailing the results .of particular tests. It is probable thatnearly all our experimental work will bo dealt with in this manner shortly." Mr Macpherson will be succeeded here as Inspector of Dairies by Mr Sounness, who has had wide experience, and until lately was in charge of a large dairy factory near Hawera. Ac-j cording to the Minister, Mr Sounness has exceptional ability in that direction in which his services are to h& utilised, and wns specially selected by Mr Clifton for the position he is shortly to occupy.