SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 October 1925, Page 10

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION.

AS APPLIED TO FARMING

VIEWS OF SIR E. RUTHERFORD.

‘•I am a linn believer in investigating anything scientifically —I don’t euro what it is. Science is only organised knowledge after all.” This remark really conveys the advice of Sir Ernest Rutherford, 0.M., F.R.S., the eminent physicist, to the farmers of Taranaki. It was made when a Taranaki Herald reporter asked Sir Earnest if he would say something concerning the application of science to the problems of farming. ■ Sir Ernest said he knew nothing of the practical problems- of farming, but he was convinced that scientific investigation could have far-reaching effects. New Zealand should spend . money on scientific research in farming problems. but it was essential, that the light men should be selected to carry oi7t the work, and to secure their services adequate salaries nuist. he paid. Rapid progress must not be expected. Lt must take time to give scientific discoveries their practical application and to disseminate the new knowledge to the men on the land. Sir Ernest did not use these actual words, but they' represent in .summary what he had to sav.

Referring to the problems of agriculture in New Zealand, Sir Ernest Rutherford.sai'd that lie understood the Government was trying to deal with them by agricultural research stations, whose province was partially to investigate special problems with regard to soils, etc., but was also largely, educational. The farming communities in all countries as a rule were very’ conservative, and in many cases the educational side was of even more importance than the purely scientific side at the moment. Genera', experience had shown that any increase of knowledge in connection with agriculture ultimately became of practical importance to the community. The great improvement of farming in Europe during the past century was very.closely connected with the investigation of scientific problems re'ated to agriculture and the gradual dissemination to the farming population of the knowledge so gained. “Generally, in my opinion, it is of the highest, importance that the State should devote considerable sums of money to the assistance, of scientific work on the great and fundamental problems of ' agriculture and other branches of farming,” Sir Ernest said. He proceeded to say that in the United States and Canada, particularly, very great attention was being paid to this problem. For instance, in Canada attention was paid for many’ years to. the production of a type of wheat which would give huge yields on Canadian soils, and largely through the- work of Dr. Saunders, of the experimental farm at Ottawa, this was eventually accomplished. In England, particularly at Cambridge, under the direction of Sir Rowland Biffen,, a very intensive study had been made of the improvement cf wheat stocks. These researches had extended over a large number of years, and had proved very successful, and practically’ all the wheat grown in England to-day came from seed separated in Sir Rowland Biffon’s laboratory at Cambridge. The result had been not only an increased yield in bushels I km- acre, but also an improvement in the quality of the grain. ‘‘l have referred,” said Sir Ernest, “to the fact that in America very large sums of money’ are being spent.* Without' being in any sense an expert on New Zealand conditions, I feel that agricultural interests are R o important to New Zealand that it is obviously a wise pleasure to spend money freely in advising the farmer and in scientificinvestigation of farming in general; l>y eonducting good experimental farms and employing men to advise farmers by the. dissemination of literature on improved methods. Inevitably progress is slow. Progress may not be " rapid, but it should be certain.”

Sir Ernest emphasised the need, apart from the experimental farms, for a strong scientific department for investigating the fundamental prob'ems that underlie agricultural processes, including the physics and chemistry of soils, the life historv of pests (information which was necessary before any attempt con'd be made to- eradicate them) and so on. Sir Ernest remarked that he shou'd say- that the need was for one central * institution with a number of scientific men employed—physicists, c-hemists, zoologists, botanists. ft had always been found difficult, since agricultural interests were of a conservative class, to get sufficient monev to make really flourishing institutions. . In any Case, the success of all such institutions was largely dependent on the proper choice of men. On the financial side of the question Fir Ernest expressed a firm conviction that a sum should be provided of a size commensurate with the huge nrfiount involved each year in the farm u'-odp' ts of New Zealand. The money vuou d he set aside by’ the farmers themselves, or with the assistance of tbe Government.' In order that such a scheme should he successful, the- salaries m "St be reasonably- attractive, so that t e .ervi-es of the very- best men avnilab.e wouM he secured. “Tf you pay a ”‘P M bMf!O a year yen don’t get more than £4OO worth of work,” Sir Ernest remn-ked.

The ’ahoratorv being set up at Ha'i- O,i V V V d « ir -V com Dailies, subsidised bv the Government, yvas mentipoed. Sir Ernest had not sufficient information to enable him to comment on it He said it was a good step, though one mail could not do very much bv himself in exploring the gre-at-cr sc-entific problems from the solution ' benefits might ultimately- flow to tbe farmers.