INTENSIVE CULTIVATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 13

INTENSIVE CULTIVATION.

PROFESSOR WATT’S IMPRESSIONS. (F-rom Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, February 23. Interesting comment on New Zealand’s agricultural needs was made to-day by Professor D. Watt, of the Sydney University School of Agriculture Professor Watt came to New Zealand to attend the New Zealand Institute Science Congress at Dunedin, and since arriving in this country haH taken a keen interest in the efforts that are being made to secure the advancement of agricultural science by the establishment of universitv chairs and Agricultural Colleges in the North and South Islands. “I think the progress made in primary education in New Zealand is simply marvellous considering her brief history/' said Professor Watt, “but the establishment, of chairs of agriculture has come none too soon. Muny trained minds will be required in the near future to tackle the problems of increased production if New Zealand is to maintain the high place she has already won, Australia had to face the same problems and is still carrying on research work of great importance to her primary industries." It is now 16 years since Profeasoi Watt left Scotland to take the newly instituted chair of agriculture at Sydney University,and in those years some notable achieve monts have beer, recorded. The idea of the university, the professor explained, was not to train men to become successful farmers, but to encourage resoarch work and to train experts in various branches of agricultural ■cienco such ns practical entomology, plant breeding, soil chemistry, and dairy bacteriology. When he reached Australia Pro-

fesaor Watt found many problems awaiting investigation, but no trainod men to investigate them. A four-year course of training was instituted, all students being fully matriculated. The course included one year's practical field work which every student was required to take. “The results have been exceedingly gratifying, although the number of students taking the course is not large—the average number is about 30, but we have trained men for such positions as that of the principals of Hawkesbury Agricultural College and Gatton College in Queensland, and have supplied many experts to the Agricultural Department with whom we work in close cooperation. One of our first graduates took up the subject of maize breeding and introduced a 'much improved strain. A farmer who gave evidence before an Agricultural Commission, stated that his yield of maize had increased by 20 bushels to the acre as a result of the method of seed selection introduced by this expert. It is impoesibie to say how much he ha 9 increased the maize yield for New South Wales as a whole, but even at one bushel per acre the financial returns would have paid not only this expert’s salary but 12 times the annual running cost, of the School of Agriculture.*' “What is needed in New Zealand is more intensive cultivation,” remarked the professor in outlining the impressions received as he journeyed through the country. “Most of the land i 3 occupied, but it will have to be worked moro intensively if you are going to keep up youi position as a primary producing country. The carrying capacity of many of the farina could be greatly increased by growing crops of hay and ensilage instead of simply depending on the pastures. Topdressing has worked wonders in this direction, but still more could be done to increase the production per acre on individual farms." The professor spoke most highly of the research work that is being done at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. The woolly aphis had boon practically eradicated in Nelson as a result of the work of Professor Tillyard, while most valuable results had been achieved in connection with soil survey, the investigation of brown heart in apples, and other problems. “A point in which New Zealanders will perhaps be specially interested now that they are to have a College of Agriculture,” said Professor Watt, “is the institution at the Sydney Agricultural School of post-graduate scholarships. These enable our men to go to England and America where they engage in special research work. Ten men have gone already, and have done amazingly well in competition with post-graduate students from other parts of the world. From the success achieved by our students I could not imagine a better way to complete the course of agricultural training that will shortly be instituted in New Zealand.