Handbook of Agriculture

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6864, 21 May 1932, Page 12

Handbook of Agriculture

There is available a wide range of books on agriculture, but many of them do not deal specifically, with New Zealand farming as does “Agriculture” by Connell and HadJicld. Tho fact that this book is one of tho standard text books officially chosen .for use iu New Zealand schools and colleges to the exclusion of many other text books on agriculture, indicates to somo extont its standing. Though the book was prepared primarily for the use of schools, it has become popular, judging by sales, among practising farmers because it contained in simple, concise form a mass of the information upon whicii modern farm practice is based. As, during recent years, there havo been important advances iu farm practice, it is with pleasure that a fourth edition, which has been substantially enlarged, and in certain sections largely rewritten, is now announced. On account of their official work during recent years both of the authors are much better known than when tho book first appeared somo twelve years ago and now need no introduction to New Zealand farmers. Air. Hadfield has come under notice bocauso of his duties as Agronomist at the Plant Research Station and on tho Wheat Research Institute; Mr. Connoll because of his writings on farm practice, including his regular monthly “Farm” section in the Journal of Agriculture and because of his numerous radio addresses on behalf of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture from Station 2YA. In the preparation of tho Fourth Edition the knowledge of the authors has been admirably supplemented by that of a team of prominent fellow-workers in tho sphere of agricultural science. These fellow-workers, each of whom is a recognised authority in the subject matter of’the chapters which he assisted to revise, co-operated as follows with the authors in their effort to make tho fourth edition of “Agriculture” a reliablo indication of accepted facts relative to modern efficient farming:— Dr. H. H. Allan, Systematic Botanist, relative to plant life generally; Dr. G. 11. Cunningham, Mycologist, relative to plant diseases; Messrs W. K. Dallas, Orchard Instructor, relative to orchard practice and plant propagation; J. W. Deem, Director of the Fields Division, relative to insect pests. The fourth Analytical Chemist, relative to soil chemistry; N. R. Foy, Seed Analyst, relative to seed testing; A. W. Hudson. Crop Experimentalist, relative to commercial fertilisers; E. Bruce Levy, Agrostologist, relative to pasture plants and seed mixtures; \V. J. McCulloch, Fields Superintendent, relative to drainage; J. Muggeridge, Entomologist, relative to insect pests . The fourth edition has been so greatly enlarged and revised as to be virtually a new book in which only the fundamental, botanical and chemical teachings of previous editions remain substantially unaltered.