H.—34.

experimented with produced the condition known as " sticky dough." The insects responsible for the condition were Stenotics binotatus, Hudsona anceps, and Nysius huttoni. An account of this work has been prepared for publication and is now in the press. A beginning was made with the survey of the Hessian fly problem in Canterbury. Farm Advisory Service. This work has been carried out on the lines described in previous reports. The quantity of work accomplished shows a distinct increase, especially in connection with inspecting, reporting, and valuing farm properties on a productive basis for the assistance of parties going before the Adjustment Commission. The preparation of College pedigree cocksfoot (C 23 strain) on a basis calculated to benefit the College financially has been initiated. To ensure a sound and rapid development, this improved pastureplant is being grown for seed-production mainly on farms already under complete or co-operative supervision. Farm Economics. During the past year, with the co-operation of Messrs. J. R. J. Fleming, A. F. Greenall, C. Ē. Ballinger, V. B. Wallace, and D. R. Wilkie, a large-scale investigation of methods of land-utilization, management costs, and returns involved in farming in Ashburton County was undertaken. The report,' which is now being prepared for publication, covers, on the lines of the Springs County survey, a general land-utilization survey of the main types of farm land for the plains area of the county, together with a detailed description of the main points of management for each grade. Producing-values of the land for an average farm on each major grade of land were also determined, and, in addition, the contract costs of performing most farm operations and growing most crops. Surveys of' the main farm-management methods and practices adopted in cocksfoot- and wheat-growing were also carried out. A similar survey for the mountain area of the county was also carried out. The data arising from these surveys should prove useful to valuers, supervisors of farm credit advances, farm advisers, and for mortgage-adjustment purposes, as well as providing a basis from which variations in management consequent on the introduction of irrigation can be measured. The whole county comprises an area of one and a quarter million acres carrying one million sheep, and it has the largest wheatgrowing and the second largest cocksfoot-growing area of any county in New Zealand. Animal Husbandry. In the commercial fat-lamb-raising flock six crosses were made. At three separate killings a record was kept of the number of lambs of each cross killed, and the pelts from each cross were made available to the Leather Research Chemist (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) for experimental purposes. Demonstration Controlled Grazing Area. —The grazing on this area was carried out chiefly with old broken-mouthed ewes to determine the possibility of maintaining such ewes for a further season on a dry-feed diet during the winter. While the ewes produced reasonably well, there are definite limitations to the adoption of the practice under general farming-conditions. The results obtained from the system of controlled grazing adopted for this area—i.e., a fixed number of stock rotated round a number of fields and surplus growth saved as hay or ensilage for winter feeding—have shown the advisability and desirability of controlled grazing. The chief features may be summarized as follows :— (1) Controlled grazing judiciously carried out will improve a pasture without the aid of top-dressing, but a still greater improvement results from the combination of the two treatments. (2) The maximum results are obtained from top-dressing only when controlled grazing is practised. (3) That it is possible to maintain sheep in a perfectly healthy state on dry fodders in the winter, provided they are carefully rationed. (4) That under careful management heavily stocked areas do not necessarily become " sheep sick." Reproduction and Foetal Development.—During the year work was begun on certain aspects of reproduction, and foetal development, including some preliminary investigations on artificial insemination of sheep ; the length of the gestation period in ewes ; and the weight of the foetus, foetal membranes, and fluid at various stages of development. Foetuses were collected at approximately fortnightly intervals. Recording Work with Sheep.—The work of weighing and recording the fleeces of all stud sheep has been continued. All lambs were weighed and tagged at birth, and a record kept of their parentage. They were also weighed at weaning. This work, which necessarily entails the keeping of complete pedigree records for each sheep, is proving useful in a number of ways. In the course of another generation or two the records should yield valuable information on the question of the production of twins. Animal Nutrition. Losses in Haymaking.—Further experiments have been carried out to study, under Canterbury conditions, the losses which take place in haymaking and also the effect of cutting hay at different stages of maturity. This work consisted of weighing the material in the field, at cutting, at baling, and, later, after storage prior to feeding to the stock. Chemical analyses of the hay have also been made,' and digestibility experiments with sheep have been continued to investigate changes in quality of the material collected.

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