SCIENCE CONGRESS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19702, 1 February 1926, Page 8

SCIENCE CONGRESS.

SATURDAY'S PROGRAMME. VARIOUS VALUABLE PAPERS. The fourth Scienee Congress of the New Zealand Institute at present meeting in Dunedin concluded the heavier part of its programme on Saturday, ana a comparatively small part of the business remains to be transacted to-day. The morning’s programme for the biology section included papers on ‘ Susceptibility of Prunus to Sclerotina (Dr Iv. M. Curtis), “Fungi on New Zealand Rubus” (Miss B. J. Murray), “Flora of Dunedin” (Mr Martin), "Fungus Gnats of New Zealand” (Mr A. L. Tonnoir), “Acalvptratae” (Mr A. L. Tonnoir), “Habits of a New Zealand Wasp— Ophrynopus” (Mr E. S. Gourlay). The agricultural section heard papers from Professor Watt on “Some Australian Contributions to Agricultural 1 regress” and by Mr Calder and Dr Hilgendorf on “An Easy Method of Estimating Yields of Wheat Plots.” To the economics section a paper was delivered by Mr W. J. Boraman on “Rural Co-operative Credit in New Zealand.” The geology section heard a paper by Dr Benson on “The Geology of the Leith and Kaikorai Valleys” and later took part in a joint discussion on “The Basis of a Soil Survey of New Zealand.” A number of delegates accepted the invitation of the directors of the Exhibition to visit the Exhibition in the afternoon, and they spent a most enjoyable time there. The geologists of the congress, under the leadership of Dr Benson, took part in an excursion up the Leith Valley to Nichoils Creek, and the anthropologists spent the day at Murdering Beach. For those specially interested in agriculture a trip to the Taieri plain was organised. This morning a number of the visiting scientists will devote the day to a trip to Waipori. Others will visit the Marine I ish Hatcheries at Portobello, leaving the wharf in the tug Dunedin at halfpast 9 and returning about 12.30. SOIL SURVEY. ITS GREAT PRACTICAL VALUE. Opening the joint discussion on “The Basis of a Soil Survey of New Zealand,” Mr T. Rigg, of the Cawthron Institute, stated that a systematic soil survey of the Dominion would greatly assist in the solution of many agricultural and other problems. If a soil survey had been completed before the opening up of the land of this country we would, for example, have been saved the very considerable expense incurred in opening up and clearing for* agricultural and pastoral purposes certain large areas that would have been far better left as forest lands. Our farmers also would have been saved a great deal of worry and much loss of time, money, and energy. If characteristics of the different soil types had been known a great deal of useless expense through sowing land with grass mixtures which had not proved very suitable would have been avoided. In connection, too. with the orchard industries established within the last fifteen years, orchardists would have been saved from taking up, in the days of the apple boom in the Nelson province, land which was, from the point of view of texture, absolutely unsuitable for apple culture. To anybody who had known the character of the soil it would have been a foregone conclusion that apple’-growing would be a failure on such soil. If a soil survey had been in existence the losses thus incurred would not have suffered. It should be remembered, moreover, that when the texture of the soil was right it might happen that the chemical characteristics were not favourable. Information on that point would be given by a systematic soil survey ; and had such a survey been in existence orchardists would not have gone in so light-heartedly for apple growing in the Moutere Hills. Again, fruit taken from certain types of soil kept better than fruit taken from other soil types. A soil survey wouls throw valuable light on that point; and also, no doubt, on Ihe question why there had been a# great deal of a certain apple blight in the Moutere Hill district this season, but not on other soils. Manuring problems, lucerne growing, the kinds of crops to sow, and the quality of the crops were among the other matters in regard to which valuable aid would be given by a systematic soil survey. In any such survey the amount of rainfall in the different districts would be a very important considerat ion; and other things that should be ascertained were the types of soil based on their geological origin, and the chemical constitutents, the mechanical character, the texture of the soil, etc. The value of different soils for various crons, the best methods of treating different soils, and so forth, should also be determined by means of plot experiments. Mr Rigg illustrated his lecture by means of soil survey maps of Nelson province and lantern slides. An interesting paper by Mr T. Farrer, of the Agricultural Department, was also read, and an animated discussion followed. Some of the speakers expressed doubts as to the value of soil surveys and soil analyses, and contended that experimental work was the best way of deciding what the soil was best fitted for and how best to treat it. Professor Easterfield (director of Cawthron Institute) maintained, however, the great value of soil survey and soil analysis work. The assistance Mr Rigg had been able to give to farmers and others as the result of that work fully justified it. he stated, it had the effect of checking land speculation. GEOLOGY IN NEW ZEALAND. “The study of geology in this country is under several disadvantages,” said Mr J. A. Bart-rum in the,, course of 1>; presidential address on “Geological Eduction inj New Zealand in Relation to the Community,’’ at a meeting of the geology- section of the Science Congress on Saturday. Mr Bartrum went on to say that on the economic side the utility of the subject was insufficiently recognised and geological advice was rarely sought in matters of civil engineering, water supply, or mining development, where its guidance might prevent needless financial loss. Thus the avenues of employment of _ geologists remained few. On the cultural side th e fact that the bulk of university students were engaged in earning a livelihood meant that courses had to be adjusted to their needs, and there was time for little more •than book “cramming,” and not the essential field study that brought a life-long pleasure in the understanding appreciation of beauty of our scenery or the records in the rooks of the history of our land. This educational disadvantage was aggravated by the fact that as the subject was not one recognised in matriculation examination, the students commenced without any basis of knowledge, and the pass degree course attempted to cover so many aspects of the. subject in a single year that mental indigestion resulted. An improvement might be made in a reduction of scope or alteration of emphasis of the subject. The speaker discussed the further difficulty that arose from the financial position of the colleges and said that it was impossible for a single lecturer to keep abreast of the various aspects of the subject end control teaching and research therein. SEASIDE ARCHITECTURE. “Wave out platforms near Titahi Bay and Porirua South Head,t Wellington, and their Significance,” was the subject of a paper delivered by Mr E. G. Morgan to the geology section of the Science Congress on Saturday. The speaker said that near Titahi Bay and Porirua South Head marine platforms of some extent might be seen at 50ft, SCft, 210 ft to 230 ft, 260 ft to 270 ft, 550 ft to 520 ft, and 400 ft or more above sea level. Some of these platforms, notably those between 200 ft and 400 ft had been deeply dissected. At the south end of Titahi Bay was a series of 50 or more little platforms between a height of 50ft and 150 ft. They were cut in a slope of later age than the 210 ft terrace. Similarly ncr.r Pov 0 a South Head there was a series of small platforms, ranging in height from 150 ft to 260 ft, and plainly later in age than the 210 ft to 250 ft and 260 ft to 270tt platforms. Tnus during the Pleistocene there were at least two notable and distinct periods of land and sea oscillation, not, one as was generally assumed. This conclusion might be extended to other parts of New Zealand. Without detailed study, the relative ages of wave-cut platforms below 270 ft might not bo determinable, _ and evidently the Pleistocene history of this country was very complex.