RESEARCH WORK

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 11, 12 July 1930, Page 10

RESEARCH WORK

WIDE ACTIVITIES

COAL FOR RAILWAYS

COUNCIL'S MEETING

The progress 'of research work in the Dominion was reviewed hy Mr. G, Shirtcliffe, ohairman of the Cfuncil of? Scientific an'l Industrial Research, at Thursday's i-ceting. On© important feature, he mentioned, was that railway locomotive trials in the direction of using New Zealand coals economically by a new system, and in which, the' Fuel Research Committee had collaborated, were now completed, good results having been obtained.

Wheat research had advanced • too. Milling,'chemical, and baking investigations on wheat and flour from th» past season's crop wore now in progress. The influence of time of cutting the grain upon loaf quality had shown how important a part maturity played in producing good loaf colour and texture. Problems connected with. the conditioning of wheat in the stack, in sacks, and in storage were being given attention. The protein survey of the wheats from al] parts of Canterbury and Otago had not yet been completed, but when done would afford ve,ry useful information regarding the connection between baking quality and protein- content of flour. A very complete survey of the use of header harvesters as :i means of lessening costs or' Imrvesting wheat had been completed, and had shown that: these machines had reduced the actual costs from approximately Is a bushel, when reapers and binders were used to about 3-Jd. This, of course, was done in a favourable year, such as. prevailed in the harvesting season of 1930, V>ut represented the finding of 37 trials under observation, where a range of different makes of implements were being used. FARMING PROBLEMS. "The knowledge of the right methods of top-dressing is now being rapidly amassed as a result of the carefullyconducted experiments at the plant research station and throughout New Zealand," Mr. Shirtcliffe continued. "The importance of lime toward improving the returns from other fertilisers has become very apparent. The good results arising from applications of nitrogenous manures with phosphates and Jime, in the direction of prolonging the grazing season, in providing fresh green feed at those seasons of the year when usually there is the greatest dearth, have been clearly demonstrated. One of the most striking features of the work is that showing the great response secured when these concentrated manures are applied to pastures comprised of certain strains of ryegrass and clover. "Good progress has been made toward the knowledge of control of som» of the most serious fungoid diseases of fodder crops. Dry rot of turnips, club root of turnips, sclerotine of lupins, and peas, collar-rot of peas, are being studied, and with the first-named disease free seed is being raised in districts isolated from possible infection. Liberal dressings of lime at definite specified dates, together with the use of. disease resistant strains of swede and turnips have been found a fairly effective means of minimising loss through club root." "Work ivas proceeding on, a preliminary survey of the insect species occurring in the exotic plantations.of the Dominion, and opportunity was being taken to work out the life histories of a number of the commoner species under New Zealand conditions, this being a necessary step with a view to devising suitable control measures in th» future. Accommodation and equipment was now being arranged at the Plant Research Station, in order that an officer, seconded from the State Forest Service, might be trained in forest mycology. PELTS AND SHEEP. Mr. Shirtcliffe also .reported that interesting and valuable results had been obtained from the examination by British tanners of pelts processed at the New Zealand freezing works by various methods. Referring to pig recording he said that the investigations during the past season, conducted in the .Waikato, had shown a number of good results. To quote only one, the Waikato figure* showed that in the group the weight of 1043 pigs a.t the age of eight weeks showed a total increase of some 14,000 lb, as compared with the previous year, or an increased return to owners of about 4s 6d a-pig—aji increase which could be attributed to the better fee* ing and management which the recor* ing had indicated. '' The- work at Massey College by B*, Dry and Mr. Scrivener was reported t» the last meeting of the Wool Research Committee and indicates good progresl in the fuller understanding of the Am yelopment 6f kempiness and hairinesf in certain sheep," the. chairman coa> tinued. "Valuable data has been ob<tained regarding the conditions necessary in experiments on yield and type of wool, and the relations of wool, fat, and suint to wool growth. The extent of variation in growth, etc., in a carefully-selected even line of uni-formly-bred sheep has been demonstrate ed to be unusually large. The experiments at Leeds on specially-selected fleeces from New Zealand are in active operation, and prominent wool buyers, including Sir Frederic Aykroyd, have been good enough to cooperate. Everything is now in train for an active and practical programme of wool research when funds are available. "