July i, 1S85.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



15 



Baikct 



Muls 



SpiuuiuK wliecls 



Textile Fabrics 

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C of Merit Teiiiielioon E M 

 Urouzu Mill J;ivotilkko MiKll 



C of Merit HulnKalla It M 



Bronze Mdl Eambukwello K M 



do J Alwis Mndl. 



Extra I'lize Model of Bridge Silver Mdl C E Spoouer 

 Extra Stuffed animals do S Bligh 



For design of building Silver Mdl E Spooner 



SCIENTIFIC AGr.ICULTURE IN NEW ZEA. 

 LAND. 

 By R. W, Emebson MacIvor, f. i. c, f. c. s., &o. 

 The Agricultural School at Lincoln, New Zealaud, 

 is the only well-orgauized institution of the kind in 

 this hemisphere, and the manner iu which it has been 

 conducted from the outset says much for the practic- 

 al ability and perseverance of Professor W. E. Ivey. 

 In addition to class teaching and the general routine 

 work of the farm, experiments and investigations of 

 one description and another have beeu carried out with 

 eminently valuable results. 



The course of study extends over three years, and 

 includes agriculture, dairy work, chemistry, natural 

 science, mathematics, survey and plan drawing, book- 

 keeping, veterinary science, meteorology, blacksmith- 

 ing, carpentry, and field work. Last year the students 

 numbered 36, and Globtained their final certificate of com- 

 petency. Speaking of his students, Professor Ivey 

 says : — ' ' There are always a few students to whom 

 work of all kind is irksome, and who are discon- 

 tented at its being enforced. These do their best to 

 mako others dissatisfied. 1 am strongly of opinion 

 that it is essential that farm students should go 

 through the drudgery of the farm, and I therefore 

 object to doing the unpleasant part of the work by 

 hired labour. The few students have an objection to 

 such work aa carting dung and similarly confessedly 

 unpleasant parts cf ihe farm routine; and, unfortun- 

 ately, some parents think their sons should not be 

 required to do such uuintellectual work. I think the 

 school is far better without such students ; and that 

 for its future credit no hesitation should be displayed 

 in weeding out and requiring the removal of those who 

 do not enter with the bona fide intention of becoming 

 farmers, or, at least, of thoroughly learning the farmer's 

 business. I think the labor test of considerable value 

 to this end." It will thus be seen that Professor Ivey 

 has made up his mind to drill those put under his 

 charge in such a way as to make them sound practical 

 farmers. Agricultural edncation on any other basis 

 must ecd in worse than failure. 



The extent of the farm iu cimnectiou with the school 

 is about 661 acres. Of this area 12G acres are sown 

 with 10 different varities of wheat, G9 acres are planted 

 with five kinds of oats, 21 acres uoder barley, 2.") acres 

 under beans, and 2-1 acres under peas of diflfer- 

 ent sorts. Sumo 157 acres are iu rotation of grasses, 

 115 in permanent pasture, 24 acres under muntard, 

 rye. and vetches for spring keep, to be followed by 

 roots, and 50 acres are in fallow for roots. The total 

 productive area is about 616 acres. The live stock 

 on the farm are 1.262 sheep, 60 cattle, 60 pigs and 15 

 horses. The yield of grains for last year was T.^WO 

 bushels, or an average of .35 1-3 bushels per acre. 



In the dairying department of the farm large re- 

 turns were obtained last season. No less than 16,649 

 gallons of milk were purchased, and 16,294 lb. or over 

 7 tons of cheese manufactured. Ivey has made some 

 interesting and important observations on the loss in 

 weight experienced by cheeses which are kept for six 

 months. He finds that those weighing about 75 1b. 

 each lose 8 per cent, whilst those of about lYi lb. each 

 lose nearly 9 per cent. Small cheeses, 12 lb. to 18 1b., 

 lose as much as 10 per cent. The cheese made in 18S3 

 sold at 7 1-lOd. per lb. and had been kept until it 

 waa well matured, when it had shrunk so much in 



weight thot 1 !b. of the choose represented 13 lb. of 

 milk. The yield of new cheese averages practically 

 lib. toone gallon of milk and the shrink.age isabout 

 the some each year, the loss in weight being about 

 9 per cent, in the six months. 



Much valuable analytical work has been done in 

 the laboratory during the past three years. This 

 part of the institution is under the care of Mr. Gray, 

 the lecturer ou chemistry, who has devoted much of 

 his time to the analysis of farm produce, soils, and 

 manures. With regard to the latter Professor Ivey 

 has endeavoured to check the s.ale of adulterated 

 niauures by announcing that farmers may havesamiiles 

 analyzed free of cost. This has already led to the 

 exposure of fraud. A sample of bonedust recently ex- 

 amined by Mr. Gray contained no less than 17'72 

 per cent, of sand, or over 3J cwt. per ton. Another 

 specimen contained 12'7 percent, or over 2i cwt. per ton. 

 Besides thus aiding the agriculturist, Mr. Gray also 

 examines soils and waters without making any charge. 

 The composition of the wheats of the various colonies 

 has been under investigation for some years and the 

 results obtained are most interesting. The well-known 

 " weakness " of New Zealand and some Australian flours 

 has been shown to be due to their containing less gluten 

 and more starch than either Russian, Hungarian, or 

 American Hours. 



Iu the natural science section Mr, Kirk, F. L. -s., 

 has conducted important researches in regard to insect 

 and other farm pests, the. germination of seeds, the 

 onltivation of indigeuous and exotic grasses, and the 

 destruction of weeds. This gentleman has recently 

 made a useful contribution to our knowledge of smut 

 in wheat. It having been found that dressing with 

 a strong solution of bluestone had a very prejudicial 

 effect upon some varieties of wheat— particularly Tuscan 

 — expeiiments were undertaken to discover what 

 strength of solution would effectually destroy the smut 

 spores adhering to the si ed without ramaging the 

 grain. It was ascertained that where Tuscan wheat 

 was treated to a solution of two ounces to one quart 

 of water, which is equal to one pound of bluestone to the 

 bag of wheat more than one half the seed was killed, 

 germination of the other half being delayed some 11 

 day?. With a eolution half this strength one-fourth 

 of the dressed seed was killed. P'or this reason, and 

 because carbolic acid was being advertized as a certain 

 preventive of smut, an extensive investigation was 

 made, and the following conclusions arrived at : — 1. 

 That sulphate of copper (bluestone) is the only sub- 

 stance efiective in killing smut spores. 2. That with 

 adulterated bluestone the effects are relative according 

 to the copper sulphate present. 3. That carbolic acid 

 is useless. 4. That bluestone retards germinaliou, 

 weakens the young wheat plant, aud in strong sol- 

 utions even kills a large proportion of some kinds of 

 wheat. 5. That solutions containing one ounco of 

 bluestone to two quarts of water or two ounces pur 

 bushel of seed, are strong enough to kill the smut spores. 

 6. That it is probable that by damping the wheat a 

 few hours before dressing it so that the smut spores 

 arc swelled up and made more susceptible, a much 

 weaker solution of bluestone may be used. This in- 

 vestigation is not yet finished, and we may look for- 

 ward to even more useful results. 



It will he seen from what has been said that the 

 school at Lincoln is doing much good, and the sooner 

 New South Wales provides itself with a similer instit- 

 ution thebettcrit will be for our farmers. — Sydney Mail. 



Tun " T. A." — Mr. Morris of Jamaica writes :— 

 " I trust the Tropical AijricuUarist is extending its 

 operations .and becoming still more widely known in 

 all tiopical countries. We require its powerful aid 

 ovcrywhcro hero, and I wish it every suocess," 



