296 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



the pronounced success of this class of work which for the moment 

 has served as an argument against the necessity for the establishment 

 of a permanent Station ; but the officers engaged in this class of 

 work recognise its limitations, and are alive to the advantages which 

 this class of work even would derive from preliminary investigation 

 of a similar character carried out at a permanent Station. In seeking 

 to determine the soil requirements • of different parts of the country, 

 it is, of course, essential that investigations should be carried out in 

 each locality ; but such investigations form a part only of the great 

 province of inquiry in the field. A greater supjjort even of this class 

 of investigations, admitting of their being carried out more on lines 

 of pure research than as an immediate aid to fann practice, would 

 result in facts of more general applicability. 



The most impoi-tant work in the scientific study of soils is their 

 classification into types, and the determination of the charncteristics 

 of each type by the growing crop and by chemical and mechanical 

 analysis. Under present conditions we are bound to take what the 

 farmer offers us for experimental purposes. There may be half-a- 

 dozen dift'erent types of soil in the district, and an op|)ortunity 

 offered for testing one only, due to the disinclination of farmers 

 generally to co-operate with the Department. 



We are assuming, now, that the principal application in Victoria 

 of field investigations will f(jr the present lie in the information to be 

 obtained as to the use of manures ; or, in other words, as to soil 

 deficiencies. Now, by the co-ordination of the results of field 

 experiments carried out on each tyjDe of soil with those of a soil 

 survey of the districts, including naturally the chemical and mechanical 

 analysis of each type, a splendid lot of information would be obtain- 

 able, rendering possible advice as to each type of soil — advice which 

 might be a])plicable to large areas of similar character elsewhere. 



It is on such lines as these that the Chemist of the Dej^artment 

 is anxious to conduct his soil investigations ; but to do this effectively 

 there are additions to the staff required — especially in the field. 

 One of the most pressing appointments necessary is an assistant to 

 the Agricultural Chemist, competent to carry out the duties of 

 Agricultural Geologist in connection with the experimental fields to 

 be established, and the survey that might be made of the soils of 

 each centre. Such an officer would first make a rapid survey of each 

 district, determine the number of soil types, and arrange for manure 

 tests on the soils of each type. A chemical and mechanical analysis 

 would reveal the distinguishing features of each type. From the 

 record of crops found to succeed on such types, comparisons could 

 be made of the texture of each soil, and the climatic conditions of 

 the district with conditions prevailing in other parts, and advice as 

 to the likelihood of similar plants thriving or failing there could be 

 freely given. We have no data at present to pronounce such opinions, 

 and it is the greatest mistake possible to suppose that a mere 

 chemical analysis of a soil sent in from some unknown part will 

 enable us to do so. Work taken up on these lines would ])roceed 



