H—29

Farm Management and Economics During the year the Farm Management and Economics Section has prepared a number of departmental reports on the Dominion's primary industries. Field surveys have been carried out on the effect of place in rotation on wheat yields, winter beefproduction, development of pumice land in the Rotorua-Taupo area, and the production of dairy heifers on fat-lamb farms. The following articles in the " Farming in New Zealand " series were published in the Department's Journal of Agriculture : " Land Development " ; " Store and Breeding Stock " ; " Land Legislation " ; " The Farm Home " ; " Imports " ; and " Wartime Farming." Farm Engineering Shortage of trained staff has retarded the development of the Farm Engineering Section. Data have been collected on tractor usage in the Dominion, and surveys are being undertaken on the implements and machinery commonly used on farms and workingcosts for each item of equipment. Statistical Section The volume of work handled by the Statistical Section has increased greatly during the year. In addition to the routine work of compiling statistics and tabulating data collected by the field staff, the Section has furnished information covering a wide range of subjects in response to requests from other Divisions of the Department, other Government Departments, and the general public. The routine statistics compiled by the Statistical Section consist of monthly butter and cheese production and butterfat supply to dairy factories, live-stock slaughterings, wool pull and sales of pelts, fertilizer-manufacture (until December, 1945, when the wbrk was taken over by the Fields Division), and the quarterly statistical statement. This quarterly statement was originally prepared to provide information on wartime foodproduction and is being continued as a basis for information required by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Rural Sociology The work in rural sociology has covered the preparation of articles on home management and economics for the Department's Journal of Agriculture and surveys on farm housing and rural population patterns. The farm housing survey is being conducted in co-operation with the Women's Institute and the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union. A survey of small country towns and villages of the South Island has been partially completed, and work will be commenced in the North Island during the coming year. THE LIBRARY CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY tOUJ-Sf CHRiSTCHURCH, tf.Z. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (760 copies), £l5O.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington—l 946. Price Is. 6d.~]

78