WORK OF FIELDS DIVISION

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24914, 29 June 1946, Page 6

WORK OF FIELDS DIVISION

GROWTH LEADS TO NEW APPOINTMENT

FURTHER STAFF CHANGES ANNOUNCED

The creation of a new position in the Department of Agriculture at Christchurch—that of assistant fields superintendent—is one of several further developments in the department announced yesterday by the fields superintendent, Mr R. P. Connell. An earlier outline of proposed new work and of a number of staff changes was given by Mr Connell at the end of March.

The new position of assistant-super-intendent has arisen from the sharp increase, particularly of the last five years, in the volume and scope’of the work of the fields division. The officer appointed to the position is Mr C. C. Leitch, instructor in agriculture at Timaru.

On the completion of the diploma course at Canterbury Agricultural College in 1921, Mr Leitch' took a position at Stonyhurst, the well-known sheepfarming property in North Canterbury. In 1928 he joined the fields staff at Christchurch where he carried out general advisory and investigational work. In 1936 he was transferred to the fields staff at Timaru, where, in the last decade, there, has been considerable development Or collaboration between the farmingJrommunity and the division, particularly in the sphere of seed production. As an instructor in South Canterbury, Mr Leitch, apart from his general divisional duties, took a prominent part in seed certification work, Young Farmers’ Clubs, and linen (Tax production. Other Changes

Mr J. R. Shepherd has been transferred from Timaru to Grey mouth to take the position of fields instructor in the West Coast district, a position which has been vacant for about three years through the war-time staff shortages. Mr Shepherd was on the Timaru fields staff for two years, before which he held a position in South Auckland where his work was connected mainly with animal husbandry field trials. Mr T. Sewell has been transferred from Blenheim to Christchurch principally to undertake a study of various aspects of the utilisation of Canterbury’s unploughable tussock grassland, the belt of more than 4,000,000 acres that is an important part of the sheepfarming industry. Mr Sewell gained his degree in agriculture at Canterb“7 Agriodtiira l College. He is also collaborating in certain aspects of crop husbandry with the tutorial staff of ss e^> P arti cularly with Mr J. w. Calder, the Assistant-Director The general objective in Mr Sewell’s work is to build upon and amplify the pioneering and classical studies relative to the tussock grassland undertaken b y Dr Leonard Cocayne. Mr C. P. Whatman, at present in charge of the agricultural course at the Rangiqra High School, has been appointed instructor in agriculture at Timaru, where he will take up duties soon. Mr Whatman gained his degree Mariculture at Canterbury AgriculCdllege, and has considerable experience in Canterbury farming >&*• Dell ?y of the fields stall at Ashburton, will go to Australia in a few weeks to undertake irrigation studies, in which work he will be assisted by a rehabilitation bursary. Recently the Hon. H. E. Graham, Minister of Agriculture in New South Wales, during his visit to Canterbury, indicated to Mr Delley that the study of the various irrigation areas in New South Wales covering grassland and arable cropping, including vegetable and fruit growing, would be facilitated.