SOIL RESEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 12, 16 January 1928, Page 11

SOIL RESEARCH

EMPIRE PROBLEMS

VALUABLE INFORMATION A WORLD CONFERENCE Among the passengers who returned by tho Makura from San Francisco this morning was Mr. T. Rigg, agricultural chemist of the Cawihron Institute and member of the New Zealand Eeseareh Council, who went abroad as one of the New Zealand delegates to the International Soil Congress held at Washington, U.S.A., and to the Imperial Agricultural Conference which was held in London. While in the United States and Great Britain, Mr. Eigg enjoyed special facilies for seeing the work of the more important gricultural experimental stations in both countries. Speaking to a "Post" reporter today, Mr. Eigg said that the Soil Congress at Washington was the first of its kind to bo held in connection with tho Internationa;. Society, and was attended by delegates from all parts of tho world, including nineteen representatives of the British Empire. Tho work of the congress covered all phases of soil problems and crop production. Ono of the most interesting features of tho gathering was a special discussion on tho methods of soil classification and soil mapping. At the conclusion of the conference tho foreign dolegates were the guests of the American Organising Committee in a tour of the United States and Canada. Special studies were made by Mr. Eigg of the fruit and tobacco industries of tho United States at tho request of the New Zealand Eeseareh Council. A special visit was paid to the animal nutrition station at Wisconsin University, where similar work has been in progress for a number of years to that now being undertaken in connection with tho mineral contents of pastures investigation in New Zealand. The' Imperial Agricultural Conferonce, which was held in London in October, was attended by representatives from all parts of the Empire. The object of the conference was the development of the agricultural resources of the Empire. As a means of securing this special dismissions took place on the training -a:;d recruitment of agricultural research workers, the exchange and dissemination of information in connection with the agricultural problems of all parts of the Empire, tho formation in Great Britain of Imperial bureaux which would serve as Empire centres for the dissemination of information, and^ the fostering of agricultural research throughout tho Empire. Discussions also took placo on the subject of the development of tropical dependencies which in the past have not received the attention they deserve. A scheme for the establishment of a chain of research stations was considered and approved by the conference. It was decided to hold the conference every five years, tho next to bo in Australia. At the conclusion of the conference special facilities were given to all visiting delegates to see the more important agricultural research stations of Great Britain and to meet tho scientific staffs. At the request of the New Zealand Eeseareh Council, Mr. Bigg made an examination of the woollen, leather, and cereal products research associati|is of Great Britain. Mr. Eigg will return to Nelson on Friday.