AGRICULTURAL WORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17157, 6 October 1926, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL WORK

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY i I IMPROVED RESEARCH BETTER METHODS ADOPTED « (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) | (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. WASHINGTON. October 4. I Mr. Richardson, Director of the Waite 1 Institute, lias arrived here after making ;t tour in South Africa, England and the Continent of Europe. He will study the American Colleges of Agriculture and attend the Pan Pacific , Science Congress in Tokio in November. J Air. Richardson says the South African Government has devoted much attention to the development ol‘ agriculture education and research. It Juts improved merino wool production by the importation of high-grade merinos from Australia, and providing skilled instructors and investigators. The veterinary research station in Pretoria is the finest ' organisation in the world, and its disI coveries have enabled the pastoral industry to be placed on a sound and proj fitable basis. I A great development has occurred in ' agricultural research and education in the United Kingdom since the war as the result of material encouragement from the Imperial Government. I In the United States, he says, one outcome of the war lias been the speeding up of agricultural production and the application of improved labor-sav-ing machinery, leading to a great surplus production, the consumption of 1 which has not yet been adjusted. The prices of wheSt, maize, cotton find meat have fallen materially, and farmers are not yet enjoying the same prosperous conditions as (hose engaged in the in dust rv. New emphasis, therefore, has been placed cm the study of economic and marketing problems. One development in wheat culture of interest to Australians is the growing popularity of the combined harvester and tractor, the use of which hitherto has been confined to tlie Pacific Coast, ! but they are now being employed in j Kansas, Oklahama and Texas, where great developments are occurring as the result. Another interesting feature is the extension of Australian varieties of i wheat on the Pacific Coast. Federation | and Tinny ip varieties are very popular. ' Insect and fungus pests are causing imi mense losses to American agriculture, nullifying the work of 1.CC0.000 men and destroying 10 to 20 per cent, of ibe crops.