Mr. E. J. Fawcett, Director-General of Agriculture, to Retire

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 95, Issue 6, 16 December 1957, Page 537

Mr. E. J. Fawcett, Director-General of Agriculture, to Retire

Pioneer in Farming Economics

MR. E. J. FAWCETT, Director-General of Agriculture since 1943, is to retire at the end of December. He has been an officer of the Department of Agriculture for 35 years.

FOR 20 years Mr. Fawcett has been widely known for the important part he has played in shaping the primary production policy of the Dominion. What is not so widely known and appreciated is the background of training and work through which he prepared himself for the onerous duties of Director-General.

Mr. Fawcett joined the Department in 1922 at a time when the work of the Department was being reorganised after the 1914-18 war and the general advisory, service of the Fields Division was being strengthened by the appointment of professional officers. His first position was that of Assistant Instructor in Agriculture, Christchurch, and there he soon made his first major contribution to the fund of written farming knowledge by reporting on an investigation into the cost of maintaining a 6-horse team on Canterbury arable mixed farms. This investigation opened the study of agricultural economics in New Zealand and is not only a work of merit but a report of historical importance. Early Investigations Investigations into the economics of various aspects of farming are now commonplace, but things were very different in the early 19205. Farmers then were not used to meeting the wishes of curious young men by supplying information on their businesses, for farmers then paid no income tax and few kept account books. This was a new sort of inquiry, the purpose of which they did not understand; they had had no experience of the value of research work in agricultural economics. However, Mr. Fawcett by his determination and painstaking work showed farmers and administrators that knowledge of the economics of farming was important and that valuable data could be collected from properly conducted surveys.

Soon administrators and farmers were quite glad to have him investigate quite a number of problems: Problems of farming deteriorated land and those affecting the poultry and dairy industries. His major work in the 1930 s was an investigation of the dairy industry and his surveys provided the foundation data for the deliberations and report of the Dairy Industry Commission set up in 1934 to examine the state of the industry. At a time when the economics of

farming and marketing were becoming more and more acute Mr. Fawcett became recognised as a man whose opinions were sound, for they were based on data he had carefully collected and analysed. He was the logical choice for the post of Assistant Director-General in 1938. In this position he soon showed his administrative ability while engaged in planning to provide for carrying on the country’s primary industries during a war which was known to be imminent. His work then and during the war was of immense importance to the country and it was largely due to his foresight and energy that farm production was so well maintained during the war. Growth of Department Mr. Fawcett’s marked administrative ability has been evident in the manner in which during a period of rapid advancement in agricultural science and practice the Department has been developed under his guidance to maintain close liaison with the farming community and to meet the ever-expanding demand for information and service. The great advances made in all aspects of research and extension have been due in large measure to his activities and to the way in which he has inculcated in his officers the concept that their work is one of real public service. Headed FAO Delegations During the latter part of the war and since, Mr. Fawcett has been a leading figure in New Zealand’s representation at meetings of various overseas agencies dealing with agricultural trade and production problems and assistance to underdeveloped areas. He attended the United Nations conference on food and agriculture at Hot Springs, Virginia, in 1943 and' was a member of the first executive committee. From 1945 to 1949 he headed the New Zealand delegations to FAO conferences and in 1947 represented New Zealand at executive committee meetings and at the International Trade Organisation and GATT talks. In 1952, 1953, and 1954 he took a leading. part in negotiations in London, Melbourne, and Washington regarding wool marketing; and in negotiations in London to determine the prices of meat under the bulk-purchase agreement with the United Kingdom and in the subsequent discussions leading to the termination of the agreement.

In 1955 he attended with the then Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Holyoake, the eighth session of conference of FAO at Rome and in that year and 1956 toured research and experimental stations in Italy, the United Kingdom, U.S.S.R., and U.S.A. Mr. Fawcett was a member of this year’s trade delegation to the United Kingdom headed by Mr. Holyoake. His last overseas duties were inquiry into the reasons for rejection of New Zealand boneless meat shipments to the U.S.A, and investigation of market requirements there. Degree from Cambridge Mr. Fawcett, who was bom at Tadmor, Nelson, in 1892 and received his early education there, left New Zealand in 1915 with the Seventh Reinforcements as a 2nd lieutenant. He was wounded four times, the last time in 1917 at Passchendaele, where he won the Military Cross. He was discharged from the army with the rank of captain in 1918.

Shortly afterward he was awarded a Kitchener Memorial Scholarship tenable for one year, and obtained permission to enter Cambridge University. On the completion of that year Mr. Fawcett was granted a New Zealand Expeditionary Force Scholarship, and after 3 years’ residence at

Cambridge took his 8.A., specialising in agricultural science and economics. While he was a student at Cambridge Mr. Fawcett spent his vacations in Germany with the American Army of Occupation at Coblentz, where he organised and supervised the production of T.8.-free milk from a farm taken over by the occupying authorities for the supply of their milk requirements. In 1921 Mr. Fawcett married Miss Mildred Spencer, of London, who for some years had been secretary to the Quartermaster-General of the American Army of Occupation, the wedding taking place at Coblentz under the aegis of the Army of Occupation. Mr. Fawcett returned to New Zealand in 1922 and completed his M.A. in 1925. Mr. Fawcett was instructor in charge of the Gisborne-East Cape area from 1923 to 1925, when he was transferred to the head office of the Department as agricultural economist. In 1936 he was promoted to the position of technical liaison officer of the Department and represented it on various bodies. Mr. Fawcett became Assistant Director-General of Agriculture in 1938 and followed Mr. A. H. Cockayne as Director-General in 1943.

Mr. Fawcett has been Government nominee on many farming organisations and committees of inquiry. He was awarded the C.B.E. in 1951 for services to agriculture.

Main Wool Sales

The dates and venues of main wool sales are:— 10 January: Wanganui. 15 and 17 January: Auckland. 22 and 24 January: Napier. 29 and 31 January: Wellington. 12 and 14 February: Christchurch. 19 and 21 February: Invercargill. 26 and 28 February: Dunedin. 5 March: Timaru. 14 March: Wanganui. 19 and 21 March: Auckland. 26 and 28 March: Napier. 2 April: Wellington. 21 April: Christchurch. 26 April: Invercargill. 30 April: Dunedin. 15 May: Wanganui. 19 May: Auckland. 24 May: Napier. 28 May: Wellington.

Ram Fairs

The following are dates and venues of ram fairs:— 9 December — Hawke’s Bay at Waipukurau. 12 and 13 December — Bay at Hastings. 8 —Masterton stud at Masterton. 9 and 10 January— flock at Masterton. 21 and 22 January Pending flock at Feilding. 6 February Canterbury stud at Addington. 13 and 14 —Canterbury flock at Addington. 14 February—Dannevirke at Dannevirke. 14 February—Ohura at Niho Niho. 5 March—South Otago at Balclutha.

Harvesting Short-rotation Ryegrass Seed

By

W. V. HADFIELD,

Agronomist, Department of Agriculture, Timaru

QEED crops of short-rotation ryegrass present more harvesting problems than do those ** of perennial ryegrass. The plant itself is prone to shed its seed more readily than is perennial ryegrass and severe losses can occur if the crop is subjected to strong winds just before harvesting.

SHORT-ROTATION ryegrass is very uneven in its ripening and this makes the best time for cutting very difficult to assess. Furthermore if the crop is to be threshed from the swath or windrow, it must be left on the ground to mature for about 10 days. During this period losses from strong winds or heavy rain can be very considerable. Losses can also occur when the crop is being threshed. Certain standard pick-up attachments on headers can cause excessive shaking of seed, particularly with headers operating at excessive speeds. This has induced some farmers to make use of pea finger attachments to enable the crop to be lifted with minimum loss. Most Efficient Method Undoubtedly the most efficient method of harvesting is to cut with the binder and thresh from the stook. Less seed is likely to be lost by this method and well-conditioned seed can usually be obtained. Today this method is infrequently used and the standard methods now adopted are to cut with the mower or binder (with knotter removed) and thresh from the swath or windrow. Though these methods involve less labour, they bring with them some of the problems already outlined. Cutting the crop with the binder or windrower has the effect of concentrating the crop in a windrow. In this condition it may be able to withstand heavy rain with less seed loss than from a crop left in the swath after mowing. Cutting and Threshing Both the time of cutting and the length of time the crop is left to mature before threshing are important factors to be considered. Crops are generally not ready until the first maturing seeds have just started to be shed. The loss of this small quantity of seed is not of any real consequence in comparison with the better quality of the line as a whole.

Each year a. number of crops appear to be cut prematurely and frequently they are not left in the swath or windrow long enough before being threshed. Where crops are cut early they require more than 10 days to mature; otherwise there is a danger of seed “sweating”. This can readily

cause excessive heating and discoloration, with consequent loss of quality and a reduction in the germinating capacity of the seed. After the crop has been cut it is in its most vulnerable state; yet the earlier a crop is cut, the longer it must be left to mature. Crops cut at the most favourable time need be left in the swath for only the minimum period of about 10 days. During the 1955-56 season there was a general tendency to cut seed crops too early. This was understandable, as in most cases seed had started to shed, and changes in straw colour gave every indication of crop maturity. The season, however, was abnormally hot and dry and seed tended to dry off and be shed before being properly mature. External appearances in fact gave a false impression of the condition of the seed. In addition many crops were threshed too soon. There were therefore reports of badly conditioned seed and several crops were entirely ruined through excessive heating, in the bag. Position in 1956-57 Season In direct contrast the 1956-57 season was one of excessive rainfall up to late December. Crops were heavily lodged and at cutting time gave every appearance of immaturity, stems having remained green and sappy, though seed was in fact at a stage of maturity fit for cutting. As a result a number of crops could reasonably have been cut sooner, and some seed was lost through late cutting. These examples show the difficulties in determining the best time for cutting. »

During the 1956 and 1957 harvests an effort was made to correlate field estimation of time of cutting with laboratory examination of seed to assess its stage of maturity. Samples were taken from crops considered ready for cutting and the seed was examined under a microscope to determine its stage of maturity. This line of investigation will be continued in the hope that the maturity of short-rotation ryegrass seed crops may be judged with more precision. In the meantime seed growers should be on their guard against misjudging when these crops are ready to , harvest.