AGRICULTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1930, Page 7

AGRICULTURE

RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND GRADUATE’S

EXPERIENCE

CHRISTCHURCH, February 7

“Australia is pinning her faith on research in agriculture. Farmers themselves, once apathetic, are beginning to see that they are really going to profit it, and the old silly conservatism against anything new in agricult-' 5 ural methods is dying out.”

'i- This statement was made by Mr AV Biydeu, who has returned to Clmstchurcli for a few months after being an agricultural instructor in Tasmania and a research worker in agriculture at Canberra.

M Btyden is a science graduate of Canterbury College. While working in Tasmania he won a scholarship in Genetics provided by the Science and Industry Endowment Fund, and then went to work under the Scientific and Industrial Research Council in Canberra.

There, in the up-to-date laboratories of the Federal capital, many of the problems of the farmer were being investigated, he said. Improvement of strains of wheat, oats, and other cereals formed a great part of the work, while a great feat had been performed by the entymologieal section. The curse of Queensland was the prickly pear which covered thounsands of acres. An insect had been introduced which was eating and' killing this pest, with the result that there were great hopes for cultivation in this area formerly covered with the pear. Canberra was the hearquartera of this research and they were thinking of establishing a university college there. The Bruce Government had provided many facilities for this work and the Labour Government was adequately maintaining them. A VAST COUNTRY. “To me, a young New Zealander, the vastness of Australia was overwhelming,” commented Mr Bryden. “In Queensland and New South Wales, the two States that 1 know about they don’t measure their lands in acres, but in square miles. In New Zealand we talk of the ‘horse paddock’ and mean by it the acre or two next to the stable in AustraliaVthey have the same name, but you can’£\see the boundary fences. There is a tremendous area of undeveloped country and irrigation is proving the salvation of it in many places. There is certainly depression in Australia, but with the resources that the country has it would appear that this cannot be anything but temporary. OUT-BACK AUSTRALIA. “The Australians are a hospitable people and generally enjoy life in an easy-going manner. Some of them lead a lonely life on the way-back stations and nothing pleases them better than to have company. You will see them assemble in the station stock-yards on a Sunday and entertain themselves with ‘buck-jumping.’ Then here is ranching on a big scale. They turn huge herd® of cattle out and bring thorn in only occasionally. Where we in New Zea--land would sell a beast at two or thro..voars of age they keep him for eight or nine before putting him into the market,” CANBERRA, Mr Bryden spent fifteen months in Canberra and considered that it was quite justifying its existence. It was splendidly laid out midst surroundings typically Australian and it was destined to become the virtual as well as the nominal capital of the Commonwealth. It was laid out in blocks and the different residential areas each seemed to be grouped around one centre. The town had at present, a population of about 10,000.

“Of course it is deemed Federal territory and one of us got a vote during the Federal elections,” explained Mr Brvden. “You see we have no member. The controlling authorities are throe Commissioners, the head Commissioner holding a positin similar to a Mayor. Tlie scheme works very well, especially in a town whore so much developmental work must be done, and for which unitv of control is so neeessarv.”

NEW ZEALAND’S REPUTATION. Everywhere in Australia and Tasmania. Mr Bryden found New Zealand and New Zealanders highly esteemed. “You would think that this country was a little gold mine to hear them talk in Australia,” said he. “They think a great deal of our education system, of our agricultural methods, and of our mode of life; and this reputation is eiichancod by every New Zealander who steps on to Australian territorybecauses they all extol the virtues of their country.” TOO MUCH LEGISLATION.

In Tasmania Mr Bryden found rat’haphazard methods in agriculture, but happily the farmers were beginning to realise their position and that they had much to hope from the adoption ol scientific methods. Personally, h thought that tile state was over-legi-slated for the size of the country. In fact this might be said of the whole of Australia. The movement towards tic abolition of State Parliaments, with one Federal Parliament to serve the vliole of the Commonwealth, certainly had much in its favour.