DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 15

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

RESEARCH WORK AT MASSEY COLLEGE. WELLINGTON, May 3. The inaugural meeting of the Seed and Plant. Research Committee of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research will be held next week, when a detailed programme of work for the new station at Palmerston North will be considered. A great deal -of attention has been devoted to this particular research for some time past, and good progress is reported to have been made with the preliminary steps towards the establishment of the station. Certain work has already been commenced at Palmerston North by officers of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture. The members of the committee are :- Mr G. Fowlds, Professor G. Peren (representing the Massey Agricultural College), Dr C J. Reakes, Mr W. Perry (representing the Department of Agriculture), Mr T Rigg, and Dr H. H. Allan (representing the Council of Scientific and In dustrial Research). The acting chairman of the council (Mr Q. Donald) is an ex officio members of the committee. MINERAL CONTENTS OF PASTURES COMMITTEE. WELLINGTON, May 3. The decision was 'ome to at the last meeting of the Mineral Contents of Pas tures Committee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to commence operations immediately upon the mineral deficiency problems of the King Country, Waikato, and Rotorua districts in the North Island and the Nelson district in the South Island. The work will be under the direction of Mr B. C. Aston chief chemist to the Department of Agriculture. Mr R- E. Grimmett, of the same department, will deal with the work in the North Island areas, while Mr T. Rigg, assistant director of the Cawthron Institute, will have charge of the work in the Nelson territory. The undertaking involves detailed analyses of soils and pastures, together with carefully controlled stock feeding experiments. Investigations of a preliminary nature are necessary, as the problem is exceedingly complex. These are being carried out with the assistance of the Empire Marketing Board’s annual grant of £2500 for two years, which is subsidised by the New Zealand Government.