CAWTHRON LECTURE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 244, 15 October 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

CAWTHRON LECTURE

SCIENCE AND THE LAND LORD BLEDISLOE’S ADDRESS THE DOMINION’S PASTURES. “A Conspectus of Recent Agricul tural Research with Some Reflection--Thereon,” was the title of the Caw throw Lecture delivered recently al Nelson by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Blcdisloe. In a very comprehensive review he outlined the recent developments made in agricultural research, covering a wide field. Science, said His Excellency, was sometimes held accountable for many. I if not most, of the world’s present ills, j But its evil effects were due to its ap- I palling lack of balance, its lopsided ncss, its gaping lacunae, its misinter | pretation, its misapplication, its inadequate prehension. The baneful consequences of its ragged and rapid advance could only be countered, and its amazing discoveries harnessed for the definite and progressive enrichment and happiness of mankind, by its extension, its amplification, its complementary augmentation. “The forward march of science cannot be impeded. It is inevitable and indeed desirable. But it must be supplemented and co-ordinated, its yawning gaps rapidly filled, and its dissemination throughout the whole body politic progressively, intelligibly, and frankly effected, or revolution will result and the world relapse into barbarism and universal decay, material, physical, mental, moral, and spiritual. The salvation of the creaky structure of civilistion lies in the amplification of science and a corresponding spread of human understanding to comprehend its truths.

“In no field of scientific effort is there to-day a greater, an economically more fruitful, or indeed a more wellbalanced advance than in that which we designate collectively as agricultural. In none, however, is progress so feebly recognised or its enormous coin mercial value so unjustly and shortsightedly appraised. Adjustments of the world’s fiscal abnormalities may produce, at least temporarily, definite ameliorative results. But scientific discovery, prudently applied, will prove more permanently effective, both in augmenting the volume and quality of the products of the soil and in reducing, without, human injustice, the cost of their production, transport, and distribution. This fact was recognised at the recent Imperial Economic Conference in the unanimous and prudent decision to perpetuate the existence of the Empire Marketing Board (of which I was myself one of the foundation members as representing British farmers) and to provide for the continuity of its grant toward scientific research.” Five years had now elapsed, said His Excellency, since he had had the honour of presiding in Westminster Hall over the first Imperial Agricultural Research Conference, the main outcome of which was the establishment of bureaux or clearing houses for dissemination and exchange throughout the Empire of the clearly ascertained results of scientific investigation and experiment affecting different branches and phases of commercial husbandry. “During the interval which has since elapsed 1 have endeavoured, so far as my official duties have permitted, to keep ‘an courant’ with such discovery or amplified knowledge as has from time to time emanated from the chief centres of special ised research in other parts of the Empire as well as from those situate in this Dominion. I shall endeavour this evening to collate, without any attempt nt an exhaustive or comprehensive survey, some of those which appear most interesting and most valuable in their potential economic effects.” The subjects discussed by His Excel lency, who gave a summarised survey of what science had achieved in these directions, included soils, pastures, fertilisers, microbiology, mineral deficiency, dairy research, wool, types ami fertility of farm animals, growth ami meat production, storage problems, fruit research, noxious weeds control, ami other related subjects. Our Fertile Pastures.

A considerable proportion of the lee ture was devoted to a consideration of pastures and the problems connected therewith. His Excellency said that in relation to grassland, its creation, its management, and its fertilisation, efficient and highly systematised research had done much during the past two years to add to human knowledge an I to the profits of the pastoralist. There was no field of research and ex peri ruent more closely affecting New Zea land husbandry ami none in whi< h New Zealand scientists ami farmers had more skilfully pointed the wav to the rest of the Empire. There was the fact, too, thai’no pastures in the world had shown by feed trials and analysis a higher yield of concentrated food than some of those in New Zea land. The discovery at Hohenheim, in Ger many, during the Great War (and aris ing out of war conditions) that the dry matter of young grass of three to four inches in height not only con tained as much protein as purchased cattle cakes of high concentration, but that such qualitative value could be renewed repeatedly in a single season by the alteration of nitrogenous dress ings with rotational grazing, was stead ily revolutionising and immensely intensifying grass husbandry throughout the world, and nowhere more so than in parts of New Zealand, where the climate—Hie Dominion’s most valuable asset—rendered possible the continuous growth of herbage plants throughout the year. “This discovery.” His Excellency continued, “is comparable in its peon omic importance to that of the fertil ity value of micro-organisms in the surface soil of cultivated land, the application of Afendelian laws to the breeding of domestic. animals and economic plants, ami to the increased availability and cheapness of nitro gonous fertilisers consequent upon their synthetic production from th» air with the aid of elect ricity, Blising

out of the war-time need of nitro coni pounds for the manufacture of explo “The war with all its wanton destruction of life and property may. indeed, be said to have added mated ally to the store of scientific know ledge, as applied to husbandry, cspeci ally on its pastoral side, and to have furnished generously the means within the ambit, of such knowledge of in creasing output and reducing costs.' Recent research work, His Excellency pointed out, had made it clear that if the pastoralist were to obtain from his pastures the maximum of nutritious herbage and consequentially of milk or meat, each of the essential herbage plants must have due regard paid to its periodic, growth and its behaviour under manorial treatment. What the farmer needed was active leal' growth, and His Excellency went on to discuss how that could be best attained by the use of fertilisers. Concluding this part of his addles . His Excellency said that it was grade ally becoming realised in Great Britain that the conversion of surplus grass into hay was a process of doubtful economic justification, at least under such adverse weather conditions as had obtained this year. The average yiehl of hay from temporary leys was 29cwt. per aero and from permanent meadows 21 cwt. Its feeding value was rein tively low. A cow ted solely upon il in sufficient quantities during the winter might maintain her body weight, but her daily yield of milk did not exceed a gallon and a half. Higher yields necessitated the use of concentrated feeding stuffs. Ensilage, which had about the same feeding value as hay, if skilfully made, had the advantage that wet weather did not inter nipt its harvest, and the late summer grass or aftermath could be more easily converted into it.