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Summary of Experiments laid down, discontinued, and carried on, 1st April, 1940, to 31st March, 1941.

Seed Certification. The scope of the activities of this section has been considerably extended in the past year in order to supervise the contract growing of the linen-flax acreage being produced in this country, and also to safeguard as far as possible supplies of those seeds which normally have been imported from other countries, particularly England. tn order to relieve as far as possible the fields staff of the Division in its task of organizing the growing of linen flax, certain curtailments to the normal seed-certification scheme were introduced. At the same time every precaution has been taken to preserve the high standard of seeds certified by the Department of Agriculture. Linen Flax.—From a project involving an area of 325 acres in the 1938-39 season, the growing of linen flax developed almost overnight into an enterprise occupying over 13,000 acres. The Fields Division of the Department accepted the responsibility of arranging contracts for the sowing of this area, took in hand the task of seeing that the crops were produced under the best possible conditions, and organized the harvesting of the crops by special machinery. The areas sown were conccntrated in a number of centres in the South Island from Blenheim in the north to Otautau in the south. The following figures set out the acreages in each centre which were suitable for processing into fibre and also the acreages suitable only for seed-production : —

The relatively high percentage of crops in the Rangiora-Oxford and Leeston centres suitable only for seed-produetion may be attributed almost entirely to the dry seasonal conditions which existed in these districts. Further, in considering the above figures it should be kept in mind that no thought

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Numbers of Experiments. Type of Experiment. Asat, Diioontin 3 Lectern " . 1st April, during Year, during Year. 31st March, 1940. s 1J4-1. 1. Pastures— (a) Mowing trials . . . • • • • • 18 7 " *' lb) Observational top-dressing .. . . 392 122 157 427 (c) Strain trials . . • • • ■ ■ • 97 23 10 84 (d) Grazing trials . . .. .. • • 4 3 6 7 (e) Pasture-establishment trials .... 21 8 2 l.fi ( f) Subterranean clover .. .. . ■ 139 28 19 130 (g) Miscellaneous pasture species .... 10 1 .. 9 2. Crops— (a) Wheat-manuring .. . • • • 1 1 9 9 (b) Wheat variety .. .. •• H H 1" (c) Wheat under irrigation .. . . .. • ■ • ■ 7 (d) Oats .. .. .. ■ • • • 2 2 1 1 (e) Barley .. .. . . • • • • 3 3 (/) Brassicas ... . • • ■ • • 20 20 77 77 (g) Sugar-beet .. • • • • ■ • 2 2 (h) Maize .. .. .. • • • • 2 2 (i) Linen flax .. . . .. • ■ 40 40 12 12 (j) Onions .. .. .. .. •• ® , 5 •• 1 (k) Potatoes . • .. • • • • 2 2 12 12 (l) Other crops .. .. .. •• 5 4 6 7 3. Miscellaneous — (a) Pampas grass .. .. .. • • 46 3 1 (b) Ragwort control .. . . .. ■ ■ 26 14 .. 12 (c) Control of other weeds .. .. . • 4 (d) Miscellaneous trials ...... 17 12 9 14 Totals .. .. .. •• 868 313 346 901

Acreage suitable Acreage suitable Total Centre. for only for Acreage Fibre-production. Seed-production. grown. Blenheim .. .. .. 666 178 844 Rangiora-Oxford .. .. 992 1,428 2,420 Leeston .. .. .. 306 446 752 Methven 972 394- 1,366 Timaru .. .. .. 2,591 229 2,820 Balclutha .. .. .. 652 326 978 Tapanui .. .. .. 1,101 362 1,463 Winton .. .. .. 1,006 397 1,403 Otautau 608 391 999 Totals .. .. .. 8,894 4,151 13,045