CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6231, 14 September 1898, Page 4

CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural College was held at Lincoln yesterday ; present — Messrs H. Overton (chairman), W. Bong, D. M'Millan, J. Eennie and H. F. G.ay. An apology for absence was received from the Hon E. C. J. Stevens. The question of purchasing a threshing plant was deferred for further consideration. The Director reported that the college work was progressing favourably. The weekly examination on agriculture for second year students had been held on August 25, for first year students on August 26, and for intermediate students on August 31. The results of these examinations, in' his opinion, were very satisfactory. The Intermediate Class, now reduced to three in number, had acquitted itself well. All the weekly examinations would be completed by the second week in November. In connection with the biological department, the botanical garden had been thoroughly prepared, and the various seeds had been sown. A suitable site for the meteorological station had been selected, and the station would shortly be erected. Farm work was well advanced. All the land for potatoes, mangels and carrots had been prepared and was in excellent order for the reception of the seed. The cereal crops looked well, and grass was coming on rapidly. Lambing had begun, and the 3tock were all in a thriving condition. During the month the chitf work done war as follows:— (1) Sowing cifferent quanti ties of seed per acre. Field No. 15, twenty five acres was sown on August y and 10 (after a root crop) with Sparrowbill oats at the rate . of two bushels per acre, part at tiis rat j . of ond and . a quarter bu3hels per acre. Theoretically, one and a quarter was" better than two bushels, but Jesuits did not always go to prove this. Ou the same, field, strips across the field were sown with three kinds' of phosphatic manures. On all previous occasions the results from manuring of cereal crops hari been unsatisfactory. (2) Experiment with different kinds of oats.— Fieid No. 17 wu.sowu with oats from August 11 to August 22. Part of the field was sown with Sparrowbill oats, part with Hamilton, and pnrt with Canadian A quantity of Sparrowbills was dressed with Clarke's carboJised wheal protector ; a.like quantity with bluestone, and the remainder were sown undressed. The following were the sales throughout the month : — Thirty-two bushels wheat at 4s 6d per bushel ; 2 Berkshire sows a' sgs each ; 1 baconer at £3 Os Sd ; 1 cow and 1 steer for .£l6 10s ; 1 Jersey bull calf at Sgs ; pure-bred poultry, .£5 4s 6d ; eggs from pure-bred fowls, £2 12 s 6d; potatoes, «£14,,115 ; 21 sheepskins, averaging 4s each; The chief improvements during the month had been the uprooting, cutting down and planting of trees around all the cottages.

The Director's report was adopted. The account sales of the second shipment of Jambs sent to the London market showed that twenty-three Border Leicester lambs, average weight 37*10, one hundred and twenty-eight English Leicester cross lambs, average weight 36$lb, fourteen Southdown cross lambs, average weight 36^1b and twenty-four Shropshire cross lambs, average weight 32$lb, all made 4-J per lb. Accounts to the amount of .£514 Os 7d were passed for payment. The remainder of the business, which was of a departmental nature, was taken in committee.