SCIENCE APPLIED TO THE LAND.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18871, 10 December 1926, Page 12

SCIENCE APPLIED TO THE LAND.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PRESS. Sir.—Under the above heading, in your issue of this date, it is very interesting to read, especially in the light of the recent discussion and agitation carried on in your columns and elsewhere for some time past about the Lincoln Agricultural College, the very able report and survey "on past, present, and future activities in agricultural research" going on there. I had just been reading a very informative and enlightening article from "The Times" (London), in the weekly edition of that paper of September Dth last, bearing on that subject. The article is headed "Dairying in the Empire," and is a review of the latest report (the fourth) of the Imperial Economic Committee now sitting at Home to investigate questions of inter-Imperial trade, Empire marketing, etc. As that article is of the greatest possible interest to farmers and all connected with agricultural and pastoral pursuits, may T respectfully suggest to you to print it in. your columns in full. The few extracts 1 purpose, with your permission, to make from it here, will by no means exhaust its interest.

AVhile not wishing for a moment to criticise what is being done at Lincoln. I could not help feeling on readin- the survey of that work gives in the report of Dr. Hilgendorf. in connexion with the leading article from "The Times" that the energies of himself and his assistants might be more profitably employed, as far, at ler.'t, as New Zealand is concerned, if they had been directed more to improving our pasture lands, grasses, etc., than in producing a new wheat which seems to have taken some ten years and a very considerable expenditure. I do- not at all wish to minimise that excellent work, except in a comparative sense, for, whereas, as the Imperial Economic Committee points out (according to "The Times"), "in 1924 cereals imported into the United Kingdom from the Empire overseas were valued at £53,000,000, imports of products of grass, crops, consisting mainly of meat, wool, hides, and dairy produce, were valued at £157,000',000." As the United Kingdom is practically our only market for our primary products, which are, moreover, comparatively sneaking, our only exportable products worth mentioning, the significance of the above figures must at once be apparent and conclusive, as regards the importance "f developing the grass lands of the Dominion, as compared with the more distinctly agricultural.

I know I may be treading on a tender spot as regards Canterbury, where wheat-growing is such a large part of its fanning industry, and as regards the pride we all have in Lincoln College, but it is advisable to consider the interests! of the whole Dominion if that' college is to retain its present position as the chief centre of scientific agricultural and pastoral research. I noted, of course, that Dr. Hilgendorf's report speaks of "grasses" in referring to "selection of cocksfoot and ryegrass, first made in 1923," hopefully as regards the improvement possible, and further on refers to a demand for investigation "that must immediately be extended to certain inferior grasses of wide prevalence." Tt would be interesting to know if these inferior grasses include the native qnes, which I presume constitute a considerable part of the feed of the tussock country It would occupy too much of your valuable space to refer at greater length to the work at Lincoln —I may already have gone too far —but m.v m in object has been to draw attention to the very important report lithe Imperial Economic Committee and its v!*" 1 bearing on this country in its advocacy of improved methods, especially in dairying, to cope with the certain severe increased foreign competition.—Yours, etc.. EDWARD LEYINGE. December Bth. 1926.