THE LAND AND RESEARCH

Nelson Evening Mail, 31 July 1916, Page 7

THE LAND AND RESEARCH

THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. A plea for greater research and investigation in agricultural matters was tmiade by Sir James Wilson in his ■presidential address before the Farmers' , Union Conference. He asked : "If we are receptive enough -will it not enable us to produce more from' the land and, therefore, restore to our Dominion our lost wealth? We may be on the. fringe of discovery of the great mystery of the soil that has 'been previously a closed book to .us, which we could not read. Lok at those mysterious bacteria which are working in myriads for us, which until a year ago we knew not of. Already some of the mystery lias been solved. We know now how we can treat the soil so as to kill by heat those which live on the beneficial bacteria, those careless workers for our 'benefit. Although not commercially profitable in general farming already this truth is being used with best results to sterilise the soil in glasshouse culture. Who can- say whether in a few years the same .process may not be working on ordinary farms? "In the Agricultural Department," said Sir James, "they had now a number of trained men who have the capacity at any rate for the investigation of many problems by which we shoulu be benefited, if solved. What did they do with them? They shut therm up In offices in Wellington to answer correspondence and attend to details which might be well left to clerks. They should be on a farm, where they would be closely allied to nature instead of 'poring over miserable books.' Mr Brown, the other day, in a paper he read l before the Agricultural Council, hinted at such a change. The Director, his agriculturalist, horticulturist, and plant ■breeder, the biologist, the chemist, and a .bacteriologist (to work out the problems in connection with dairying) should all be stationed on a central fa 1-11:1. They would be training assistants who eventually would act as demonstrators. These demonstrations could be given in hundreds of places all over the Dominion at very small expense, and -with much greater benefit than expensive experimental farms in one or two localities."