H.—34,

RESEARCH WORK AT CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, LINCOLN. I. Plant Breeding. (a) Cereals. (1) Wheat. —The wheat investigations are carried out in co-operation with the Wheat Research Institute and the Pure Seed Station. This arrangement enables the various portions of the work to be satisfactorily co-ordinated. During the year special attention was devoted to elucidate the effect which soil-moisture exerts upon wheat-yield. It was thought that this investigation was appropriate for a year in which yields of wheat have constituted a record for Canterbury. A preliminary investigation has indicated that the soil-moisture conditions approximated the ideal up to the middle of December, when the crop had reached a stage of development at which, given satisfactory harvesting conditions, a high yield was almost assured. (2) Oats. —Investigations are in progress concerning the causes of low germination in oats, especially those of the Algerian variety. (b) Herbage Plants. Cocksfoot. —Strain C 23 of Cocksfoot has now reached a stage when seed is available for a limited amount of commercial growing. Grazing-trials with this strain are being conducted, and preliminary results would indicate that it possesses a feed-value distinctly in advance of that possessed by ordinary commercial lines. Progeny tests with crossbred strains of cocksfoot made during the pasl three years are still being conducted, and similar work is being done with rye-grass and red clover. 11. Animal-nutrition. Trials to ascertain the value of bran alone and in association with barley as pig-feeds have been inaugurated. At the end of a thirteen-weeks trial those fed on bran and meat-meal, or bran, molasses, and meat-meal, were still too thin to kill, but those on bran, bailey, and meat-meal, either alone or to which molasses was added, were fit for slaughter. Furthermore, a draft which was fed outside, where access to pasture was available, grew more economically than those fed in sties, presumably for the reason the pasture provided adequately for their mineral-requirements. Feeding trials with oaten-pollard indicated that when it is used as a fattening feed, along with barley and skim-milk, it has about half the value of barley. The trials would indicate, too, that while oaten-pollard gives a satisfactory return when used as a maintenance ration, pigs fed on it grew slowly and failed to fatten. The conclusions drawn from the trials so far are that oaten-pollard, while suitable as a feed for horses, cattle, and sheep, is not so satisfactory when used for pigs. Sheep-feeding Trials. A trial was conducted in order to ascertain the value of adding carbohydrate food to the proteinrich diet secured by lambs grazing on young grass. Accordingly, supplementary diets, including oats, peas, barley, wheat, and meat-meal, were added to the feed consumed by the grazing lambs. The weights revealed that none of these additional supplementary carbohydrates exerted any influence on the carcass-weight. A series of feed-experiments has also been conducted with lambs which were plainly poor thrivers and good thrivers. This work, however, is not sufficiently far advanced to warrant any conclusions being reached. 111. Veterinary Research. Investigations into the control and reduction of sheep keds and lice, and various modifications in the dipping programme, have been continued. A series of trials, with curative and preventive vaccines against mammitis of cows, has been inaugurated, and trials to ascertain the effect of milkproducts upon the egg-production of poultry are also in progress. IV. Farm Economic Research. Investigations have dealt with the costs of supplementary winter feed for dairy cows, and a report has been issued on this topic. At the same time a survey was made of local dairy-farm costs, returns, and methods of management, the results of this study also being embodied in a special report. In view of the importance of costs of maintenance arising out of the provision of supplemental}- feed to sheep during the winter months, a close analysis of the costs for the provision of this fodder has been undertaken in association with the Veterinary Department, and from details of the actual rations supplied in seven different combinations of various feeds costs of these rations have been worked out.

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