SCIENCE IN N.Z. FARMING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 28, 17 February 1937, Page 15

SCIENCE IN N.Z. FARMING

Tbe Necd For Rese&rch Emphasised INVESTIGATOR'SVIEWS The receht science Congress at Auckland has done a great service to agriculture in the Dominion by attracting many agricultural scientists from Austrhlia, who have taken the opportunity offered them of visitlixg tixe various agricUltural research ceiitfes of the country. SPveral of these delegates haVe visited Hhwke's Bay, ahd have all been iiripres'sed with tixe pastoral methods adopted in this provinoe. A point which has been emphasised by 'Some of . these Austfalian agricultural, scientists has been the need for closer co-operation between the reseaftih workers jn the .sister eountries. They also emphasised tke necessity for more jprovision being m.ade by the GoV- - ernment for agricultural rfesearch inNew Zealand. ' Tke opinion tkat tke field was opeh for -more collaboration and co-operation among agricultural scientists of New Zealand and Australia was expressed by Dr A-. K. V. Bichardson, director of the Waite Agricultural Ipstitute, Adelatde. .Djr. .Ri/cflardSPn. stated that Australia ixad already taken advantage of the training facjlities at Palmerston North to send aja. .officer tp the Dairy Research .Institute for a • peripd of . 18 mobithg to two yearS. That provided an example of a .scheme for intef changing oMcefs wkich, lxe thought, would prove to be eminently desirable. In factj the co-'operation of scientists in the tw.o CoUntfies might have an effect in obtairiing mbre co-operation in other fields. "This visit tp New Zealand confirms the impressxon I had gafned from proviious visits that the ljtvestack industties form the economic base on wh|ch stands the prosperity of the Dominion," said Professor J. Douglas Stewart. deab of the faculty-of. veterxnary science in the tJniversity of Sydney, "The Government is to be oongratu.lated on jts determination to take full advantage of scxentific endeavour in encouraging the deveiopment of these great primary industries," said Professor Stewart. "This is being carried but not only by cpntrolling disease, the annual toli of which fs still very great, but ky advancing production, not so intich in quantity as jn quality. by improved methods of breeding iind feeding. Professor Stewart also said he would likb to See a closer associafion between agricultural reseatch workers in Australia apd New Zealand, The two eountries had cohxnioh. problems. It was only by active co-operation, both in the laboratory and xn .the field, that the Hest results could be obtained. On his way to Wellington froin Auckland he visited Massey College and was very much impressed by the work ke saw going on tixere, particularly in resea'rck in wool. He said it would be greatly in the interests of sheepfarmers Btroxigly td sUpport the research condUcted there in. their behalf. Professor Stewart said he had an interesting time at the Wallaceville Veterinary Research Station. Knowing the importance of the station for safeguprding the health of the Dominion's flocks and herds he could not but feel that it was not receiving tKe support it deserved, botn in the numerxcal strength of thie staff and in laboratory accofixmodation. This jnstitution had earned a world reputation and every encoiiragement should be given to its deveiopment, Which was a niaiter df national concern.