Primary Production

Northland Age, Volume 28, Issue 14, 3 February 1928, Page 6

Primary Production

Value of Science Butter And Wool In his presidential address to the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science at Hobart, Mr R R Cambage referred to the great need for the further application of science to primary production. This, he said, embraced such fundamental utilities as the production of gram, fruit, butter, wool and meat, and he stated that it was a matter for satisfaction that the Commonwealth and State Governments as well as private bodies, were showing increased appreciation of the value of science to these problems. He mentioned that a few years ago, a thorough knowledge of dairy bacteriology and its application to the production of butter, has resuited in increasing the output of first-grade butter in New" South \V~les from 48 to 96 per cent. What Wheatgrower Owes. When referring to wheat he said: “It is difficult to find anything among the primary products of Australia which owes more to science than wheat production. This is a matter of national concern, and it is most comforting to know that the great pioneering work carried out by Wi Uiam James Farrer is not only being continued at departmental experimental farms and universities, but with most progressive results. New and belter drought and rust-resisting varieties of wheat and other grain are being produced, and experiments are being made for the purpose of breeding rust and flag-smut-re-sisiing plants which will also have other good characters.” Wool Research. Mr Cambage referred, to the action of the pastrolists in arranging for the Australian Pastoral Research Trust to receive a contribution at the rate of two shillings a bale of the 1927 woolclip, with the hope of raising £200,000 for scientific research in connection with the industry. This action he regards as a most definite advance in Australia in the recognition of the benefits of science.

He commended the recent action of the Federal Government in inviting five leading pastorallststoactas a committee to inquire into the conditions of the pastoral industry in Australia, and advise on the best methods of conserving the national wealth represented by the industry. It provides, he stated, further evidence that the authorities concerned are quite alive to the desirability of abandoning the old happy-go-lucky methods of trusting to chance in regard to seasons but rather look tor the introduction of some reasonable scheme of insurance that may have for its object the avoidance of excessive losses rather than the making of large profits in good years only. He concluded the first portion of his address by saying that it was the desire of the of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science, which included New Zealand, to inspire and stimulate a science sense in the public mind, and this, he thought, could best lie done by demonstrating how the principles of pure science may be applied successfully to familiar economic problems.