F. W. HILGENDORF

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 6

F. W. HILGENDORF

SCIENCE ON THE LAND

The Memorial Address, 1946

M a r dd L re 7 SXyool, ?, r e U id z2alan d the AgriCUltu ~> II

The subject pf this address requires that I now come nearer home—to New Zealand, to Canterbury, to Lincoln. Agricultural progress in New Zealand, at least in the matter of production, is objectively recorded in annual statistics; and it has been remarkable, particularly in the last quarter of last century and the first quarter of thisIt is not easy, however, to assign any particular reason for increased production, as many and varying circumstances have contributed; for example, the introduction of machinery, and the introduction of refrigeration, the improvement in dairy technique, and the opening up of new lands for settlement by the felling of bush in the North Island.

Early Days at Lincoln In industry, increased production is to be ascribed to improved machinery, which again is the result of research and education in the universities, research institutions and private laboratories. Progress in agriculture may derive in part from like sources. Where then do agricultural education and research find a place in the picture? The Story of agricultural education in the first quarter of the century is a depressing one. The Canterbury Agricultural College was founded in 1873 and opened in 1880, the first in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the Empire. It was at first a School of Agriculture of the Canterbury University College: but in 1896 it was separated, designated the Canterbury Agricultural College, and placed under a separate Board of Governors. It set itself as its main task the training of students in the art of farming. I say “art” advisedly because for many years the Board of Governors claimed, not without self-satisfaction, that it was concerned with the training* of youths in the practice of farming rather than with the training of students in the more scientific and technical relationships at agriculture to fit them for teaching or research. Although the New Zealand University offered a degree in agriculture as early as 1896. it was not until 1913 that the first degree was won: and up till 1921 only two students had graduated- In the next four years 17 completed the course and they succeeded in spite of, rather than because of Lincoln. For encouragement jn their academic studies and in particular m thejr preparation for the professional work tfiat lav ahead of them, they had to rely on themselves. Indeed, they inaugurated a club for the purpose, which met privately without official blessing.

The college equipped for technical training, the labora* tary accommodation was makeshift or oqt-qf-date, and the staff, apart from the director, included only four university graduates who were responsible respectively for natural science, chemistry, veterinary science, and mathematics. There were no organised meetings of the faculty—the term was not used —and no direct association between board and staff. There was qne course qf instruction taken uniformly by all students, whether the aim of the individual was to take a diploma or less, or to take a degree QT more. The poverty of the period was relieved for a time by the work of Lowrie who. with Colebatch the veterinarian, through lectures and demonstrations, greatly enhanced the reputation of the college among the nearby farmers. A little later the riarjy wheat improvement work of Hilgendorf was significant not so much for its direct results as for the interest it stimulated in the work of the college among Canterbury farmers. The college limited its activities to a narrow field and it cannot be said that its Influence on agriculture in New Zealand before 1925 was either wide or deep. Reasons for this state of affairs are not difficult to find, and it may be true that, at least in the early years of the century, the college was doing all that the public demanded. Proper appreciation of the application of science to agriculture and of the value of the contribution that specialists and researchers could make had still to come. Farmers generally were men—or the sons of men-r-who- had vyon their way, as they believed, entirely by their own enterprise and practical skill. True, these qualities were factors of considerable consequence: but other significant element* were the, as unexhausted natural fertility of the soil and a kindly climate. Moreover. New Zealand farming was still enjoying the fruits of an expansion of its area: and prices for the most part were sufficient to give due reward to hard work.

Agriculture was reasonably prosaea, ous; and if the prices of wheat in Can, terbury did iiol rise at the same rai as the prices of wool, mutton, ana uain produce, it was possible for the Can. terbury farmer to participate also k the production of wool and iat lamte from which practice, in fact, some in. direct benefits were obtained. hl equipment for arable farming enabled him to grow fodder crops such as tu r . nips and rape for fattening and so s mi extra fertility was induced in the lanj especially with the help of superphoj phate, the use of which was bamia about this time; and in consequeiici wheat took its place as a crop in rota, tjon, with benefit both to the soil and to the wheat crop. Everything going well enough and there was nS Stimulus to greater effort in the col* lege. The Government itself was onto slowly coming to an appreciation 3 the possibilities that lay in education and research. It had inaugurated Um Department of Agriculture about as was indeed necessary for the carry* ipg qyt of the routine duties of to, spectiqn and control. But its teaching activities were very restricted even the dairy industry and its research at* tivities almost non-existent. It opened experiment farms at Ruakura in 19GJ and others rather earlier, but mwt were later given up. In 1912 Ruakum took in students for farm training, the course being even more severely practical than at Lincoln. In the earn years it lost the services of the great veterinarian Gilruth, apparently without much effort to retain him, and ft appeared that in those days the countw in innocence and ignorance rested almost blipd faith on the healthfufae* of qur climate and the supposedly permanent fertility of our soils. The outstanding figure in the department Alfred Cockayne. At one time he wai in his own person almost the whole research staff, out through his alertness and vision it grew in course at tjme into the Bureau of Plant Research with its various divisions. His promotion to be Director of the Fields Division in 1923 began a new period of progress. In relation to agricultural educatiqa and research complacency and contentment were keynotes though there were vague and indefinite stirrings; and, especially in the North Island & ferment was working that eventually produced a revolution. At this point it is necessary to consider some of the personalities of'th time, Lincoln College had been qpenw in 1880 with Mr W- E- Ivqy as fim director. Ivey laid down a policy tail was good for his time, and perhaps indeed too good, in that, once established it was continued without fundaiwent? change for nearly 40 years, despite t|J ever-changing conditions of agrichjture and of society and the advances flf science. “The Great Lowrie” His policy was certainly not unmindful of the value of science, which in fact apparently occupied ample time in the course. But he had the difficult task of trying to secure an interest in applied science on the part of students who were but poorly grounded in the elements of pure science, which indeed in those days was only slowly coming into its rightful place in the curriculum of schools and colleges. Moreover, the chief interest of the average student was in the art rather than the science of farming or stock raising—a condition that in fact held good for many a day thereafter. Ivey was the firs', to use superphosphate in New Zealand, importing bis own supplies in 1881; and he encouraged experimentsand investigations. His assistant Gray the chemist, advocated the use of fertilisers. drawing attention to the less of manurial constituents in exported produce. Mr Ivey died in harness in 189 J and was succeeded by Mr J. Bayne, who held office till 1901. It was a sad period for the college: its reputation fell to its lowest ebb, and nowhere was it lower than among adjacent farmers. Then came Mr W. Lowrie —some here will like me to say “the great Learie.” Immediately was made manifest the influence of a robust individual with * strong personality. He was in every respect thorough. He stood no nonsense. A good Scottish farmer, he brought the farm into good condition, and his training in science secured a proper appreciation of the theoretiw part of the course, to the extent that was consistent with the general polier of the board. He introduced novel practices such as the use of superphoa* phate with all craps, and the sowing o< Italian rye grass. He had a but good staff: Mr Gray, the chemist, to’ this time past his prime: the youthful and energetic biologist, Hilgendorf, whp rejoined the staff in 1904, and the veterinarian Colebatch. already me* tinned. (To be continued.)