BIOLOGISTS NEEDED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 13

BIOLOGISTS NEEDED

Two leaflets prepared by the Imperial Agricultural Research Conference deal with opportunities for trained biologists throughout the Empire. Almost everyone of the Dominions and colonies has expanded its staff of trained biologists during the last, ten years to such an extent that the demand now exceeds the supply. The colonies alone—most' of which stand only on the threshold of development— have recruited over 500 biologists in the last eight and a half years, and. the directors of biological institutions, with their assistants, within the Empire- now number 1200. : Lack of facilities in schools and universities is given as being partly to blame for this deficiency. The physical side of science has been predominant and the biological side has been neglected. Co-opera-tion between school and university is necessary, for lack of biological instruction in university degree courses has led to a. dearth of school teachers well versed in this branch of science; and elementary teaching of biology is desirable as part of the normal curriculum in boys' - schools. "Specialisation after graduation" is the advice of the Ministry of Agriculture to the undergraduate who aims at a' biological career; he should first obtain a thorough grounding in the principles of biological science, chemistry, - physics, and practical agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Colonial Office, and the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation are offering, postgraduate scholarships affording opportunities for specialisation, which are described in detail. The Empire' needs biologists to combat insect and fungoid diseases, to breed improved crop varieties, to grade up live stock-, and advise on pedigree breeding, to improve meat and dairy produce, to fight animal diseases, and to prevent loss m the storage and transport of agricultural produce. Prospects before the able young biologist, therefore, promise to be very bright.for some years to come. He ueed not shut himself up in a laboratory, for the rest of his days, and his work takes him out of doors into the 'field and plantation. . ' ■