SOIL ANALYSIS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10278, 13 May 1919, Page 5

SOIL ANALYSIS

HELP FOR THE PRODUCER

“A friend of mine,” said Mr F. Holmes, at yesterday’s meeting of the Central Chamber ot Commerce, “took up some gum laud north of Auckland, tie worked out the gum, and then applied to the Agncultral Department for a free analysis of the soil and for advice as to the best manures to use and the best rotation of crops to adopt. To his surprise, the department replied that it was not doing that kind of work now. He came to Wellington and saw the Minister for Agriculture, and found that even the Minister could not get the desired information for him.”

Mr Holmes commented strongly on this state of affairs. They were told, ho said, that Hew Zealand would have to produce, three times what the country was producing to-day, but this ivaa the way that men who wanted to increase "the productivity of the land were .treated.* They were settling returned soldiers and others on the land, and the best of advice should be available for the men. (Applause.) He moved: “That the Government be requested to, resume the practice of giving free analyses of soil and free advice as to the best manures to use and * the.best .crops to grow;'and the Dominion'Farmers’ Union be asked to support the resolution.” Mr Leigh Hunt (chairman), in seconding the resolution, said that the American Agricultural Bureau made a great speciality of soil analysis, and had maps showing the soil analysis oi all parts of the country. He thought that the time had arrived when Hew Zealand should undertake similar work. Mr ' Hardio Shaw urged that there ought to "be a Minister for Trade and Commerce to deal with this and with similar questions relating to the production of iron, oil, etc. The resolution was carried unamnously.